Welcome to the world of the Appalachian Trail. Every year, thousands of pilgrims arrive at Georgia’s Springer Mountain and set off with hopes of reaching Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Roughly ten percent ever complete the journey.
It’s more than likely that in the AT’s long, storied history, Walter is the first person to thru-hike against his will. He is out-of-shape, out-of-sorts and, now that his wife has decided enough is enough, he’s out of the house too. It’s that classic scenario: Hike or ELSE! Since the poor, morose Walter can’t figure an ‘ELSE’ he sets off on the longest walk of his life.
While braving the great Eastern woods, Walter meets an eclectic cast of hopeful thru-hikers. As they journey northward, this rollicking band suffers through every hardship that America’s premiere hiking trail can throw at them. It isn’t long before Walter is looking at life through new eyes and just maybe for the first time in forever, starting to feel better about the world and his place in it.
But no way is that alone going to be enough to get him to Maine.