Only When I Step On It: One Man's Inspiring Journey to Hike The Appalachian Trail Alone

I enjoy running, walking, hiking and have always dreamt of hiking the Appalachian Trail. This is the story of an individual who achieved that goal despite personal impairments due to an accident. It's a reminder how health and wellness are critical for our well-being. I felt fully engaged with the author as he encountered euphoric moments and made spontaneous decisions while struggling with various situations on the Appalachian Trail. It was heartwarming to read of the support his family provided.

Good read, a nice thru hiking book that’s a little bit different than the others I’ve read.

I have read a few memoirs of long term hikers and this may be the best I've read. It's about a hike on the AT, but it's also a story of a man with a serious chronic pain problem. He's very candid and insightful about himself and his feelings. He recounts his decision to make the hike, his preparation, his observations about the people he encounters, his successes and setbacks. He developed an alternative way of doing the hike (all of it) that allows him to complete it. The pacing of his writing, his storytelling about his family, his injuries and his relationship with pain are all well done. I looked forward to reading it each evening. Don't skip the Epilogue - you get a more complete picture of the author.

I found this story to be personally uplifting and encouraging. I suffered nerve damage two years ago as the result of a fall, leaving me with constant pain in my left leg from hip to heel. I’m now off destructive pain med’s and can now walk two miles of moderate terrain on a good day. The author’s story has given me hope for continued healing and an eventual return to long trails and overnight camps.

I have been wanting to go on a long hike for some time. I have back trouble that causes me to fall and have balance pro.I enjoyed this trip with you and recommend to any one that would like to go but has a physical problem. This may inspire you to go on a hike. Good luck.

I'm a published writer and I know how excruciatingly hard writing is, so I'm trying to be kind to this author, but as I read through his book (I'm over halfway through), I'm really struggling to stay with it because I don't really like how he presents as a person. From his excitement at the thought he could pass another hiker because she was fat, to the awful revenge he takes on a hiker who disses his career, to writing snarky things in a trail journal, to getting angry when people ask about his well-being, to wanting to tell his kids as a joke that he broke his leg - none of that feels, well, nice. (He also lies and tells people outright or implies that he's a thru-hiker, when he's not.) I'm hoping that what surely must be a holy and spiritual journey - tackling the Appalachian Trail and living amongst nature's wonders for an extended period of time - will have a soul-uplifting effect on him. Take away his need to compete and to be vengeful, and perhaps encourage him to be a kinder, gentler person. Because it's really hard to root for his success when you're wincing at his behaviors. Don't get me wrong: I suffer from chronic pain and I know what it can do to one's disposition. Kudos to the author for even tackling such a monumental feat under the circumstances of his suffering. Impressive! I just hope that as his foot and leg get better, maybe they will inspire him to want to be better as well.

On the surface, this is the author’s memoir of his attempts to self-heal from a previous severe leg and hip injury by hiking the Appalachian Trail. In that regard, the author does a more than adequate job of the retelling of his experiences on the Appalachian Trail during his split season attempts to complete the trail. But, for me, having suffered a similar injury during a road bike accident at a similar age as the author (with far less severe consequences), this was a book about risk versus reward. What is the proper balance between enjoying life to the fullest and living to tell the story? The author, by his own admission, engaged in many risky outdoor activities, such as the dirt biking accident that resulted in his debilitating injuries. One could argue that the temporary reward of duplicating a fun activity that he performed in his younger years was not worth the ultimate risk of his eventual injury. Ironically, to heal himself, he chose a goal of hiking the Appalachian trail that carried its own set of extreme risks. The trail is not a walk in the park, many sections require extreme scrambling and present fall exposure, all made worse by the author’s injury. Fortunately for him, he survived the experience and has, through time and hard work, learned to minimize his pain. I generally sympathize with the authors of outdoor memoirs such as this book. For some reason, I had difficulty sympathizing with this author. His constant risk taking, his almost total lack of preparation for his Appalachian trail hike, his neglect of his family during the hike, his use of trail shuttling techniques (to be fair techniques used by many AT hikers), and his sometimes strange interactions with trail hosts and others on the trail left me wondering about the individual that I was reading about. I appreciate his efforts in completing the trail and overcoming his injury, but I had a hard time becoming fully invested in the individual. The author is, or was, a serial seminar presenter, business self-help book author and real estate investor. Having worked with these individuals in my career, they tend to be self-promoters, often without the substance to match the style. This likely flavored my perception of the author and his otherwise heroic story. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book. Any Appalachian Trail experience is a great story, and this is no exception.

I got this book thinking it was just about the adventures of hiking the Appalachian trail. Didn’t realize how much I would relate to Peter’s journey. Growing up competitive and playing football, I herniated a disk (L5 S1) and had surgery at 23yrs old. Before the surgery I was on ALOT of pain meds. After the surgery I took my self off the meds and against doctors advise I started new job that was laborious after a month. Knowing the risks and I also didn’t tell my new employer. Luckily everything has been fine. Couple years later I crashed my motorcycle! Broke my radius in forearm and dislocated hand. Got a nice plate and big scar from all the stitches. Anyways. Facing another set back at 26 yrs old. I refused to be considered broken. I was out of work for two months and it was summer. Due to bad concussion and large cast on left arm I could not drive. I got sick of being at home sitting on couch eating pain meds AGAIN! I started walking at night. Mostly because it was cooler at night. My job was very laborious and I didn’t want to go back out of shape annnnd have a limp arm. I started with a Mile and by the time I was getting ready to go back to work. I was up to 20 miles a day/night. Didn’t do anything for my arm really lol but I got stronger. I had time to sort out and organize all the thoughts in my head while out walking. I exhausted my self physically but I really got to know my self and how I think. Most people don’t really know them selves because they have never taken the time to walk with themselves. listen to them selves. I’ve always said my back healed well because I got my mind right. That took time. But all your nerves run up your spine to your brain. Heal your mind and your thinking and the brain can do some incredible things. Youre in charge. Thank you for writing this. Although I did not walk the trail, it felt like I did. I remember all the emotions I went through. Although I’m not completely healed my self from my injuries I learned a lot during that time in my life on how to deal with it. I recommend the book to anyone in pain…thinking this is it. Its not easy but there is hope

Great book. I deal with chronic pain myself, and though it's for a different reason, this man's story and journey really inspired me. It's well written, interesting, funny in places, sad at times, but mostly upbeat. Peter's determination and perseverence were inspiring for me.

Eigentlich müßte man den Autor bewundern, dass er so durchhält, obwohl er kurz vorm Aufgeben stand. Andrerseits ist er selber schuld an der Misere und sieht das lange nicht ein und seine Familie, vor allem seine Frau, muss es büßen. Sehr egoistischer Typ, der immer sich in den Vordergund stellt, wirkt echt arrogant auf mich. Trotzdem Respekt vor seiner Leistung.

I've read lots of long distance hiking, biking or motorcycling books, and I initially thought, 'do I really want to read another?' After reading one chapter, the answer was a definite 'yes'. It was refreshing to read a book so honest and realistic about the challenges both physical and mental that Peter Conti faced recovering from a motorcycle accident and deciding to walk the Appalachian Trail to further his recovery. Dive in, you'll enjoy this one.

An inspirational book with plenty of funny and witty bits. It's amazing what someone can achieve with a positive mindset and determination. Many congratulations to Peter for what he has achieved and continues to achieve.

Lovely read about the AT and having a go despite a life changing injury. Super achievement, persistence and inspiring story.