As a boy growing up in New York City, Henry Nicols was introduced to the Appalachian Trail by his father. He started to plan the adventure of a thru hike at the age of fourteen. More than four decades later he fulfilled his dream. Along the way he discovered that there were many lessons to be learned hiking twelve hours a day for six months to complete the 2,175 mile trail. What began as a planned wilderness, solo adventure became a shared human experience, with personal triumphs and challenges along the way. This is the story of the lessons to be learned from nature and from other people if we will take the time to live a simple life. On the Appalachian Trail the decision seems simple, walk north, or not. But the lessons learned were so much more profound. - Henry J. Nicols - The Catskill Eagle