Customer Reviews

A Hike For Mike: An Uplifting Adventure Across the Sierra Nevada for Depression Awareness

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As a hiker I really enjoyed reading A Hike for Mike. The author's wife lost her brother(Mike) to untreated depression when he took his own life. But from the bad comes good Jeff and Beth set out to increase awareness of depression by hiking the 212 mile John Muir Trail. The story is filled with hiking "mishaps" like a run in with a bear, forgeting key items and the such. The author also lets you know all about Mike and you can really feel thier sense of loss with Mike's passing. This book opened my eyes to not just a great trip I want to add to my life list but to depression too.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff at one of his appearances, and that is where I learned about this book. It was fantastic! As a JMT'er wannabe, it gave me valuable information about the trail, and the mental illness discussion woven throughout the book was especially meaningful to me because my father suffers from depression. The story is beautifully and lovingly told - I loved it!

"A Hike for Mike" is an excellent read and fun journey through the John Muir Trail all for a great cause... To raise awareness about depression. This book is a follow up to Alt's first book, "A Walk for Sunshine", an epic journey along the Appalachian trail to increase awareness of cerebral palsy and the Sunshine House in Ohio. Both books are a must read for everyone, especially those who love the outdoors. Even if you're not an avid hiker, Alt will captivate you with his unique style and great storytelling. Once you start reading you won't want to put it down!

Award-winning author Jeff Alt presents A Hike for Mike, the true-life adventure of a married couple who lost a family member to suicide and then trekked the 218-mile John Muir Trail through the Sierra Nevada as part of a campaign to spread awareness that depression is treatable. The detailed travelogue brings the reader along on a healing journey through three national parks and culminating atop the highest mountain in the contiguous United States. As profoundly philosophical as it is descriptive of the wonders of nature, A Hike for Mike is an immersive experience in the beauty of the wilderness.

I couldn't put this book down. Alt takes you with him and his wife along the John Muir Trail. What starts out as a healing adventure for his wife who lost a brother, quickly turns into an entertaining adventure of a young couple navigating a very rugged journey in the wilderness. I found myself laughing and rooting them on every step of the way. Thank you! I hope Alt writes a sequel.

On July 29th, 2003, Jeff Alt and his wife, Beth, embarked on a hike along the 218 mile John Muir Trail to raise awareness of depression. After losing Beth's brother suicide, they decided to launch the Hike For Mike campaign - designed to help families recognize the signs of depression and prevent the common end result of suicide.

Hikers and non-hikers alike will enjoy this adventure filled journey through three national parks and some of the most dramatic scenery in the United States. Alt gives a detailed and accurate account of the challenges involved in carrying a 50-pound pack for eight to ten hours a day. The couple dodged lighting storms, bears, shady trail folk, and injuries before reaching the end of the trail high atop Mt. Whitney--the highest point in the United States. Humor is central to Alt's storytelling - a lost bag of clothing, the smells of the trail, and the lack of bathroom facilities are all described in a way that is sure to get a chuckle out of the reader. The book also provides a wealth of facts and information about depression and the land naturalist John Muir describes as "mountains of the sky, solid-looking, finely sculptured, their richly varied topography, wonderfully defined."

Most importantly, this book is incredibly inspiring. Jeff states that his mission is to entertain and inspire you to go after your dreams, get outside, and bring your family along for the ride hike. His writing really does make you want to strap on a pack, hit the trail, and conquer the incredible challenges of Mother Nature. A Hike For Mike also inspires the readers to become activists in issues close to their hearts.

As someone who struggles with Bi-polar Type 2, I am so grateful for the awareness and information provided by this book. There are so many people suffering needlessly from depression. Kudos to the author and his wife for doing so much to spread the word.

On top of that, the book was an enjoyable read. I particularly liked the development of the author's relationship with his wife, who had never been on an extended backpack trip before.

I have been wanting to hike the JMT and just may someday. This book puts you right there. I feel like I was with Jeff and Beth the whole time. This is a great book for many reasons. One if you want to know what the trail is like it's very descriptive. Two as you read you feel yourself getting closer to Jeff and Beth. Thirdly, the information on depression in the back was very educational. Again great book and thanks Jeff & Beth

The author - Jeff Alt - has always been a hiker, including thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. His wife Beth is a marathon athlete who likes hot showers and a warm bed every night, so backpack trips are not on her "things I want to do" list.

This all changed with the unexpected suicide of Beth's brother due to undiagnosed depression. Jeff had a background of hiking for a cause, and in times of personal crisis his instinct was to head for the trail. He proposed to Beth that he hike the John Muir Trail as a way of raising depression awareness, with Beth being his off-trail support team. Instead, Beth decided to join the hike with him.
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With chapter six the journal stories begin - not a day by day journal, but more a chronicle of the highlights and mishaps that all backpackers encounter. Bears, things left behind, lightning, trail lessons learned that only the high Sierras can teach you. I tense up reading that they are going over the mountain passes in the afternoon - prime thunderstorm time. If you are a hiker looking for an armchair read, or someone who has done or is thinking about doing this trail, you will enjoy this book.

Though Jeff is the author, the last chapter is by Beth, and there is an appendix on depression. As a hiker, I enjoyed reading this book of someone else's experiences. As someone who has had a few episodes of depression, this book has make me pay more attention to friends who are having low points.

Jeff Alt is a motivational speaker, expert hiker, speech pathologist, teacher and author. We first got to know him in his first book, "A Walk for Sunshine" where he hiked the Appalachian Trail. His openness, humor, and purpose make this book a great read.

In A HIKE FOR MIKE, Alt hikes the John Muir Trail in California. The hike and book was dedicated to his brother-in-law, Mike, who committed suicide during depression. Throughout the book and his hike, he educates us and people he meets about the seriousness of depression. The last chapter, 24 - Depression: know the facts, is full of information and on-line resources for both the sufferer and family.

The John Muir Trail, JMT, is 218 miles of rugged, climbing trial through California's Sierra Nevada mountain range which begins in Happy Isles, elevation 4,035 ft., and ends at Lone Pine beside Mt. Whitney, elevation 14,496 ft. All of it is exposed to extreme temperature swings, deadly lighting storms, flash floods, bears, and mountain lions (hikers have been attacked and killed by the lions and bears). That's not including potential strange and dangerous people - Chapter 18, A Creep at 10,000 Feet - yikes!

Jeff and his wife, Beth, take on the JMT with humor and resolve. Jeff's writing is so good that you experience the adventure, pains, fears, wonderment, and appreciation for nature's beauty that they had. He writes with candor, telling everything.

Their underwear shopping, Chapter 5, Finished Basements, is funnier read than explained. From losing his clothes on the first day, to catching his first trout, to the arguments with Beth, to protecting her with a makeshift spear, to Beth's almost deadly accident he tells all.

I really enjoyed this book. His description of what they did and explanation of why they did it shows what a great teacher and writer he is. The amount of detail is well integrated with the story and dialogue. Based on his book, I feel I can hike the trail and know what to expect. Personally, I now know I'm not going on that hike. It's too rugged for me. The importance of Jeff and Beth's purpose is Depression Awareness, which is highlighted by the stories from the other hikers and people they met along the trail.