How the WILD EFFECT Turned Me into a Hiker at 69

It wasn't the wildlife, the fresh air, the scenery, or the promise of a simple life that drew retired textbook editor Jane Congdon into the woods. It was the Wild Effect Record numbers of women were taking to the trails after reading Cheryl Strayed's best-selling memoir. Many, like "scared of everything that moves" Jane, had little or no prior hiking experience. Jane Congdon spent 17 weeks on the Appalachian Trail hiking with partners, alone, and with a glass good-luck charm named Ms. Rabbit, logging nearly 1,200 miles in 7 of the 14 AT states. This is her fascinating and humorous account of her journey--from bears, ticks, wild pigs, volatile weather, primitive conditions and the personalities she met along the way--of a long-distance hike, and how it changed her perceptions of both Mother Nature and human nature.