When Mike Stephens departed Georgia's Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, his goal was to complete a 2,186 mile thru-hike to the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. After less than a week on the trail, however, he realized that to be successful he would need to adopt a less-traditional approach to the hike.
Rather than spending nights on the trail, Stephens ended most days at a road where he could access nearby trail towns by foot, a hitchhike, or a shuttle. He would then return to the same spot to continue his hike the following day. By maintaining a "light pack, big miles, and beds" philosophy over the 164 day hike, Mike only spent 19 of those nights in the woods. Other hikers that Mike encountered on his journey began referring to his strategy as The Don's Brother Method.
In this humorous account of Stephens' adventure, you'll learn not only about the famous trail but also about a variety of types of lodging and restaurants near the A.T. You will also be introduced to many of the kindhearted people in the surrounding towns.
In this memoir, Stephens demonstrates his unconventional approach to a long-term hiking mission. For those who love experiencing the great outdoors but prefer sleeping indoors and eating hearty meals, the Don's Brother Method is for you.
About the Author: Mike Stephens is a retired high school English teacher and cross-country coach who lives in Columbus, Georgia. His first book, Don's Brother: A Hike of Hope on the Appalachian Trail, chronicles his 2185.9 mile northbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2013.
The hike and the book were inspired by Mike's younger brother, Don Stephens, who died of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in August, 2012. Also a competitive runner for over thirty-five years, Mike has completed forty-two marathons including the Boston Marathon eight times. The Don's Brother Method is his second book.
