A Walk for Sunshine: A 2,160 Mile Expedition for Charity on the Appalachian Trail, 3rd Edition

What a great read! I must confess that this was one of those books that I found quite difficult to put down once I read the first few pages. As has been well covered in other reviews, briefly stated, this is the story of a young man who takes the challenge of the Appalachian Trail and hikes all 2,160 miles of it in one shot, to raise money for the Sunshine Home, a home for the developmentally disabled where his brother lives. The concept of walking this trail, to become a through walker, has fascinated me for years. Age and health have more or less shut that door for me now, but I do enjoy a good story from those who actually made this wonderful journey. This is certainly one of those good stories. The author's enthusiasm, iron will, commitment and simple bright outlook on life are quite inspirational. Jeff Alt is not a professional writer. Actually, he strikes me as simply "one of us" and this is quite nice. I note that several reviewers have compared Alt's work with that of Bill Bryson, i.e. A Walk In The Woods. I personally could not make that connection. Where Bryson obviously walked very little of the trail, was sarcastic and down right hateful when writing about fellow walkers and the natives of the area, we get the complete opposite with A Walk for Sunshine. Alt has the ability to laugh at him self, has conducted himself as a gentleman, and, with a few justifiable exceptions, has mostly nice things to say about the people he meets, both on and off the trail. This is very refreshing. I like the writer's apparent honesty. This was a very difficult trip. The author does not gloss that over one bit. On the other hand, he does not indulge in chest beating nor does he become one of those annoying "experts" that we all meet in places and situations such as this. Unlike some other writers who have written about their experiences on this trail, the author stresses that he did prepare himself, spending quite a long time in training and spent countless hours working out the logistics of the trip. If found all of this to be quite interesting. Alt's relationship with his surroundings was quite well documented. What was difficult was identified as such, what was beautiful was also. It is obvious that Mr. Alt has a great respect for our wilderness and treated it as such. The author also had the valuable ability to laugh at himself, and you get the feeling that while he certainly took his mission to raise money for his cause serious, he never once takes himself that serious. Again, this is refreshing. This is a very readable book, a true joy. I do recommend this one highly. I have no doubt I will give it yet another read down the road a bit.

This thoroughly enjoyable tale of an unselfish hiker who undertakes a thru-hike for charity is a must read for any hiker. The book is entertaining, moving, witty, and inspirational. Having read numerous books by thru-hikers, this one is the best. I hiked a section of the AT in Virginia several years ago, and after reading Jeff's story, I was motivated to again get back to the trail. Happy hiking!

This book was hard to put down! As a novice hiker, I could not wait to learn more about Jeff's adventures on the trail. The prospect of spending several months hiking and sleeping in the woods is overwhelming to me, but Jeff was able to write about it in a manner that even those who know nothing about hiking or camping can appreciate. Humerous, inspirational, and downright entertaining...and he's right about the rocks in Pennsylvania!

You will love this book! An inspirational journey down the AT to raise money for a worthy cause. Alt's style will engage even the most reluctant of readers and will leave you wanting more. Anyone who is at all interested in the outdoors will eat this book up. I couldn't stop reading, and the miles kept flying by. If you like this book you might also want to try Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods'.

A Walk For Sunshine is the fascinating story of Jeff Alt's 2,160 mile hiking expedition for charity on the fabled Appalachian Trail. Along the way he was occasionally alone, and often accompanied for a time by his brother, family, friends, and more than 800 strangers. Alt dedicated his Appalachian Trail sojourn to his brother who suffered from Cerebral Palsy and the other 850 disabled citizens supported by a residential treatment home in Northwest Ohio. Completing his journey in 147 days, he was able to raise almost $40,000 for the Sunshine home as a result of his efforts. A Walk For Sunshine is a travel and hiking memoir that is absorbing, humorous, and an occasionally inspiring true life adventure travelogue.