In Beauty May She Walk: Hiking the Appalachian Trail at 60

by Leslie Mass

Book Overview

In 2000, inspired by her father, Leslie Mass decided she would turn a lifelong fantasy into reality.At the age of 59, she began to train for a grueling journey, a thru-hike of the 2,000-mile... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1889386626
• ISBN13: 9781889386621
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Appalachian Trail Conference
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Definitely one of the best...

IN BEAUTY MAY SHE WALK is probably the best hiker journal I have read so far. Leslie Mass is a 60 year old thru hiker who is definitely "hiking her own hike". She prepares the reader for her hike by explaining why she is hiking and how she is getting prepared for the 2,174 miles of the Applachian Trail. As an almost 50 year old woman preparing to hike the trail also, I found her experiences and writing to be refreshing and very good. She describes her feelings as well as her apprehensions about being alone and how a woman overcomes fear, being alone and how her days and months make her confident and strong. This is a book I didn't want to end and one that has helped me in many concerns preparing for my own hike. This sure is a keeper and a book I will read again.

Beauty as you read

A wonderful journal and story of a thoughtful, wise woman as she hiked the AT. Her insights on the emotional and psychological aspects of the adventure are as appealing as the practical information about physical conditioning, equipment and AT situations. This is a heart and body book - no dualism, all is connected in a woman's AT walk, her relationships to family, AT fellow hikers, and friends in two communities: home and on the trail. Highly recommend this book to ALL women thinking or dreaming about an AT hike!

I Walk in Spirit with the Author

I found this book to be inspirational, not only for those who like to hike, but for those who are facing challenges off the trail, as well. I loved Ms. Mass' descriptive style of writing. I felt I was on the trail with her facing incredible personal challenges. She certainly has an acute perception of the beauty surrounding her and an intuitive sense of human nature. She told a memorable tale and one that I could read again and still feel her moments of elation and well as her moments of doubt. It is a wonderful story of the triumph of the human spirit.

A unique memoir of what it was like to hike the Appalachian Trail at a time when most folk her age a

In Beauty May She Walk: Hiking The Appalachian Trail At 60 is the personal story of sixty-year- -old Leslie Mass and her grueling 2,000-mile journey along the Appalachian Trail. As the terrain toughened, Leslie struggles to physically keep up with the trail community she socially depended upon to keep her going on her trek. In addition to the necessity of putting one foot in front of the other, all day, every day, Leslie also had to overcome the difficulties of maintaining her obligations to family and friends during this amazing excursion. Indeed, it was after September 11, 2001, that Leslie found she had to cope with being what appeared to be the only hiker on the trails for miles -- giving new meaning to "hiking her own hike". Superbly written, In Beauty May She Walk is enthusiastically recommended reading and a unique memoir of what it was like to hike the Appalachian Trail at a time when most folk her age are getting ready to retire.

A Valuable Contribution to the Hiker Community

"In Beauty May She Walk" is an excellent book for anyone interested in hiking the Appalachian Trail (or in finding out what the experience is really like). One of the difficulties potential hikers of any long-distance trail face is knowing what they are getting into when they set out. As a consequence many who could have succeeded, have given up in frustration. Mass provides the information they need. When she hiked the trail she kept careful note of the conditions of the trail -- the elevation gains and losses, its surface, the mileage between various way-points, her surroundings, the shelters, and the hiker towns along the way. She talks about lessons she learned: to lighten up her pack and to "hike her own hike." Trail language is translated: a"bounce box," for example, is a box you mail to a post office ahead containing items you may need again when you reach that point. On a personal level, I particularly enjoyed reading about the trail community: various trail angels (people who help you by doing such things as providing a ride to town, treating you to a ice cream bar, etc.) and hiking companions Mass met along the way. Mass was 60 when she undertook this challenging backpack and her story should reassure other women "of age" that with adequate training, planning/preparation, and determination, they too can succeed at hiking challenging trails such as the Appalachian.