The New Appalachian Trail
1997, 306pp. Ed Garvey was widely known as "Mr. Appalachian Trail" by those in the trail community. This book sums up Garvey's final hike of the AT, and the completion of his dream to hike the trail one last time. Sadly, Garvey passed away in September 1999, but his visions and insights on hiking the AT live on in this book. The first, full-scale definitive book on hiking the trail (revised two prior times as the "Appalachian Hiker" and "Appalachian Hiker II"), some consider his final work a fitting tribute to the man so closely associated with the Appalachian Trail experience.
Garvey's book includes the complete journal of his final through-hike, as well as practical information on equipment, food and trail etiquette. Provides a good overview of "things to know" in preparing for the trip, as well as sense of the "trail experience".
Garvey variously performed service for the Appalachian Trail Conference, was PATC's Supervisor of Trails and long-time AT volunteer trail maintainer, and also sold outdoor equipment at Appalachian Outfitters (a local outdoor equipment retailer). A long-time advocate for presevervation of public lands, he was also among 11 recipients of the first "American Land Hero" award given by The Wilderness Society and the Izaak Walton League in 1996. The award recognized his tireless efforts of some 50 years to protect the Appalachian Trail. Need we say more?