Along the Florida Trail
With the hot temperatures and sudden thunderstorms we’ve been having of late, it’s a reminder that Florida’s hiking season is NOT summertime. Granted, you can go out into the swamps of South Florida and enjoy yourself, or hit the trail in our northerly areas early, but summer doldrums are at their peak right now, with everyone getting kids back to school and thinking about cooler weather.
It’s a good time to curl up with a good hiking book. I recently had a question from a reader about books that have inspired me through the years. Some of the hiking-related books that have made an impression on me include:
- Travels, William Bartram
- A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, John Muir
- Walking with Spring, Earl Shaffer
- A Woman’s Journey, Cindy Ross
- A Journey on the Crest, Cindy Ross
- Along the Pacific Crest Trail, Karen Berger
- Ten Million Steps, M.J. Eberhardt
- The Appalachian Trail: Calling Me Back to the Hills, Earl Shaffer
With the exception of the two historical figures at the top of the list, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with the other authors over the years.
Now if you’d like an in-depth list of great books for hiking inspiration, I highly recommend my friend Linda Patton’s website, Books for Hikers.
She’s a retired librarian who’s been a bibliophile forever and writes reviews of books about hiking. Do check out her site for recommendations, ordered by trail.
Here are a couple of other hiking books that may interest you. “Solemates – Lessons on Life, Love, and Marriage from the Appalachian Trail” and “The Walk – Reflections on Life & Faith from the Appalachian Trail.”