There are many ways to experience the American landscape -- you can bike it, drive it, fly over it... even take trains across it. But there’s nothing quite as intimate or liberating as the experience you get while walking it.
Each year, millions of hikers test their limits on trails like the Appalachianand Pacific Crest. This hour, we hear some of their stories. We also learn about a groundbreaking -- or perhaps we should say “trailblazing” -- new book on the history of American hiking culture.
Have you done any long-distance hiking recently? How did the journey transform you?
GUESTS:
- Silas Chamberlin - Author of On the Trail: The History of American Hiking
- Sam Ducharme - Connecticut resident and Appalachian Trail thru-hiker
- Denise Horen - Connecticut resident and Appalachian Trail thru-hiker
- Eric Hammerling - Executive Director of the Connecticut Forest & Park Association
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Lucy Nalpathanchil and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 10, 2016.