K e l l y  W i n t e r s
WALKING HOME
                   From the book:

"Certainty grows in me that there's a place I need to get to--not a physical place, but an emotional, psychological, spiritual one. And although the place is not physical, somehow the only way to get there is to physically walk, a long, slow, arduous process. A pilgrimage. I don't know what that place is or what I'll find there, but I trust that it exists, it's reachable, and it's as necessary as blood or breath."

                    From the Publisher:

The Appalachian Trail stretches from Georgia to Maine, a grueling 2,100-mile journey marked by white blazes that doggedly lead to the summit of every mountain in its path. For hikers, it represents a pilgrimage to the very heart of outdoor culture. For Kelly Winters, it was that and more. So she quit her job, left behind an unhealthy relationship, and set out on the Trail, where for the next six months, as a member of a nomadic tribe of zealots, slackers, heiresses, saints, stoners, and seekers, she moved northward, overcoming exhaustion, hunger, injuries, and loneliness. Winters's account--in the tradition of our best outdoor chroniclers from John Muir to Jon Krakauer--captures the sense of majestic isolation and quirky community, moments of staggering beauty and startling terror, and the conflicting senses of exhilaration and futility that exist in outdoor adventure. But most vividly, Walking Home is an exceptionally funny, exciting account of an emotional and spiritual journey filled with courage, healing, developing trust, unexpected strength, and most surprisingly, lasting love.
A Woman's Pilgrimage on the Appalachian Trail
Published by Alyson Books, 2001
Other publications by Kelly Winters
Read an excerpt and buy the book at
Amazon
A Woman's Path: Women's Best Spiritual Travel Writing, edited by Lucy McCauley, Amy G. Carlson, and Jennifer Leo, Travelers' Tales Press, 2000.
Read an author interview and an excerpt of Walking Home at Alyson Books
Write to the author:
This book made the prestigious Book Sense 76 List, based on recommendations from independent booksellers around the country. One bookseller wrote, "Thirty-two women writers lend their distinctive voices to this moving chorus of essays in which the physical journey sometimes reflects, often impacts their spiritual unfolding." Contributors include Maya Angelou, Anne Lamott, Diane Ackerman, Natalie Goldberg, Linda Ellerbee, Kim Chernin, and Sue Bender.
kellywinNO@SPAMearthlink.net (take out "NO" and "SPAM" to get my real address)
Want to hike the Appalachian Trail? Click here:
www.appalachiantrail.org
An excellent book for women who want to hike the Trail, or do any long-distance hiking:

Women & Thru-Hiking on the Appalachian Trail, edited by Beverly "Maine Rose" Hugo. Published by Insight, available through Amazon and other retailers. "Rosie" interviewed hundreds of women long-distance hikers and distilled their wisdom and experience in this excellent book. If you're looking for hiking tips, encouragement, and advice from a woman's perspective, this is the book to have. Rosie died of cancer in 2001 but her inspiration and energy has remained to inspire hundreds of women to pack up and head out to the wilderness.
Her Fork in the Road: Women, Travel, and Food, edited by Lisa Bach, Travelers' Tales Press, 2001.
Visit the publisher of these and other great travel books:
www.travelerstales.com
Check out this excellent organization for writers:
Poets & Writers
More Links:
Vermont Long Trail information:

www.hikevermont.com

www.greenmountainclub.org
Readers Ask:

Click here to see if your question has been answered--if not, drop me an e-mail.