Where Less the Path is Worn: First Trek o'er the Appalachians of North America

by M.J. Eberhart

347 days. 5,000 miles. On foot! That’s the sweep of this inspiring, spirit-filled adventure, the first known hike encompassing the entire Appalachian Mountain Range as we know it to exist on the North American continent. This monumental journey unfolds as seasoned long-distance hiker M.J. Nimblewill Nomad Eberhart tackles his second traverse of the Eastern Continental Trail. Along this near-continuous footpath of connecting trails, he walks south from "Land's End" at Cap Gaspé, Quebec to a very different view of the Atlantic Ocean in the Florida Keys—framed by Caribbean blue waters—to reach the southernmost point of the United States at Key West. After achieving this goal, Nimblewill extends this journey with an incredible walk that breaks new ground. On an epic trek across the island of Newfoundland, he continues to where the Long Range Appalachian Mountains rise to meet the tundra, to the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula where the Vikings first landed on this continent over a thousand years ago. Journey's end is on Belle Isle, the northernmost Appalachian mountaintop to hold its head above "Iceberg Alley" in the Labrador Sea. Along this journey, you’ll meet the many kind and generous souls who lifted Nimblewill, who touched his heart, his life, theirs to be touched in return. This lyrical and heartfelt recounting captures not only the resolve and challenge of long-distance hiking, but also offers up reverence to the ageless and timeless beauty of the Appalachians.

636 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

After retiring first from the armed forces, and then from a busy optometric practice, I started hiking and backpacking in the early eighties. During that time I managed to hike a good bit of the Florida Trail and about half of the Appalachian Trail, from Springer Mountain Georgia to Duncannon Pennsylvania, all in jerks and starts over a period of fifteen or so years. In January 1998, I set out on my first uninterrupted long distance hike. That trek began on the Florida Trail, thence continued to the Cliffs of Forillon, Cap Gaspé Quebec, a distance of over 4,000 miles. During that time I took on the trail name: Nimblewill Nomad. The years 2000 and 2001 brought about nearly that same hike in reverse, the first known trek o’er the entire Appalachian Mountain Range, at least as we know the majestic Appalachians to exist on the North American continent. That journey lasted 347 days, covered a distance of over 5,000 miles, and included a hike through the Long Range Mountains of Newfoundland. 2002 brought a cross-continental trek, an adventure-filled journey that lasted 147 days, over 3,000 miles, from the old lighthouse at Cape Hatteras North Carolina, to another old lighthouse at Point Loma in San Diego California. In 2003, in preparation for a trek up the Lewis and Clark Trail that runs from St. Louis Missouri to Fort Clatsop on the Pacific, a journey, God willing that I’ll attempt at age 66, I loosened my legs by hiking the Natchez Trace Trail, from Nashville Tennessee to Natchez Mississippi.

Reviews

[janeann fessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the first person to walk the 5000 miles from the most northern tip of Canada to the end of the Florida Key's return trip. He has now done it twice and at 83 now plans to do it again.