Great Reads to Stay Stoked
The summer hiking season might be winding down, but that doesn’t mean your stoke has to. Make a trip to the library or your local indie bookshop and keep yourself inspired with these great reads.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
It’s a classic and if you haven’t read it yet (or only saw the movie) you’re missing out on one of the best works of hiker lit ever. After moving back to the United States from England with his family, the author undertakes a journey on the venerable Appalachian Trail. Bryson’s adventures and dryly-witty insights are, of course, hilarious, but the historical, environmental, and cultural information he presents over the course of the journey is incredibly enlightening. A must read for day hikers and thru-hikers, alike!
Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams
Looking for something a bit more exotic? Check out Mark Adams first full-length book about recreating the journey of Hiram Bingham III’s through the Andes in search of The Lost City of the Incas. Adams tells two stories in one – his own, personal adventure on foot and that of Bingham. Adams experienced some terrible blisters on the way - he should have taken his eNZees! Turn Right at Machu Picchu is a great history lesson and adventure in its own right!
Points Unknown: The Greatest Adventure Writing of the Twentieth Century (Outside Books)
From Antarctica to Everest to the Utah desert this seminal collection of great adventure writing is a journey in itself. Cataloging a 100-year history of the world’s greatest adventurers, Outside has pulled together some of our most captivating authors: Jon Krakauer, Edward Abbey, Freya Stark, Ernest Shackleton and more. If this doesn’t make you want to get outside, nothing will!