Customer Reviews

The Dream Trail

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I found the description of the mountains, exhilerating. Mrs. Twitty's account of how she was inspired to get her book written, while on Mt. Moosealauke, was poetically written and inspiring; pages 259-60. As to how this lady could accomplish the feat of hiking the AT at her age, and get a beautifully written book all in one lifetime, is remarable and should let us all know what we could be capable of.

Mrs. Twitty describes her experience hiking the Appalachian Trail one section at a time. Although this is her first book, it reads like a letter from an old friend who shares every step of the 2,160 mile journey from Georgia to Maine finishing at the age of 63, after eleven years.

By following an atlas, I could hike with Den Mama from state to state on the AT, enjoy her excitement minus the hiking boots and the weather. Mary's imagery, especially as she retired at night is exceptional! Poetic at times! I could also appreciate the historical tidbits that she added to educate us as she trailed along. That took research on her part. An enjoyable book by a lady who knows how to hike and how to enjoy Mother Nature.

Mt. Mooselauke: "Meanwhile, the blowing wind puffed its pure breath and the clouds began to part. As we followed rock cairns across the summit of this mountain that was becoming so endearing to me, there were breathtaking views all around. I looked down on clouds floating in the valley below. From this thirty square miles of balded earth, towering in its majesty above the White Mountains, I felt my smallness in sharing a part of this place where violent storms are a natural part of its being. I looked upon the deep ravines with puffy white gondolas floating below over the wonderful forests. As the pilot-less boats drifted up the sides of the other mountains, they splintered into brilliant waterfalls of mist. The other mountains seemed lowly and bowing to my lofty perch. I could have sworn the wind puffed a message in my ear. "Go and write of what you have seen and felt." Even though it is beyond my abilities, the seed for this book was planted and in my feeble way I try to make a beautful flower or tree of knowledge grow and testify to the wonder of this planet, our home, our spaceship, if you will, through time and eternity. I had to use my hiking staff to brace myself against the powerful wind until we descended from the summit to below tree line. As though the wind had only been a part of the mysterious heights, it ceased at a certain level. I stopped and looked back, not realizing at the time, I had made a stange vow." You inspired me, Mrs. Twitty. Tom McCauley

I liked "The Dream Trail" because there is no attempt on the part of the author to sell a particular style of equipment, method of hiking or political agenda. It is simply a journal of one womans effort to complete the trail and the adventures she encounters along the way. Although not a professional author, Den Mamma has moments of insight that contribute greatly to the overall appeal of the book. Her book has inspired my wife (a retired school teacher) and I to take up the sport of backpacking when we should be thinking about rocking chairs. If she could do it at her age (63) we can too.

I bought this thinking it was about hiking the Appalachain Trail as I'm always hunting for hiking ideas and/or inspiration. Mary Twitty has a very folksy writing style, but what bothered me more was that at the end of each chapter I said to myself "who cares". I found little in the way of new hiking ideas, hiking guidance or hiking inspiration in any of the chapters. For inspiration on the Appalachain Trail, I much prefered the books by Ross, Berger or Setzer. As far as a diary of the hike, I find many of the internet on-line thru-hiker diaries better.

Most books about hiking the entire AT are by thru-hikers (hike it all in one season). This one is different because the author took 11 years to complete the trail. Because section hiker accounts are unusual I rated it 4 rather than 3 (average) which is where I would have rated it if it were a thruhiker journal. "Den Mama" gives a fairly detailed account of the places she hiked through but there are some inaccuracies regarding details of places and events (such as her statement that John Brown was a negro. He was actually a white abolishionist). She is rather cryptic when it comes to most of the people except her husband who, she frequently reminds the reader, has a wooden leg. Overall an interesting account in a day by day format for the AT hiking journal junkie.