Steven Carpenter MA ’11 (religion), a section hiker who has covered more than half the Appalachian Trail, released his new book, The Allure and Peril of the Appalachian Trail, this week.
The gripping 192-page paperback, published by Falcon Guides on March 17, reveals the trail as a place of both beauty and danger through unforgettable, never-before-told true stories.
From the book’s description:
Contrary to Bill Bryson’s popular book’s title, hiking the Appalachian Trail isn’t just “a walk in the woods.” It is a long and strenuous hike and danger abounds for unwary hikers. For many, the risk of peril adds to the allure of the trail. In this enthralling volume, long-time hiker Steve Carpenter explores the joys of the trail and the misfortunes that have befallen hikers. Including some history of the trail, Carpenter relays encounters with wildlife, accidents on the trail, stories of sex and murder, and meetings with larger-than-life thru hikers.
The book is available for purchase through online retailers and locally at Parentheses Books and Barnes & Noble. Carpenter will be at several local book signings:
Friday, March 20, 7 p.m.
Hotel Madison lobby, 710 S. Main St., Harrisonburg
Carpenter will give an interview and a sample reading, with books available for purchase and signing.
Thursday, April 16, 5:30 p.m.
Court Square Theater, 41-F Court Square, Harrisonburg
Carpenter and fellow trail book author Dave Pruett will host book signings, followed by a screening of the documentary, Beyond the Tree Line, at 6 p.m.
Suggested donation: $10
Saturday, April 18, 2 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, 289 Burgess Rd, Harrisonburg
Carpenter will sign copies of his new book, The Allure and Peril of the Appalachian Trail.
Carpenter is also the author of Mennonites and Media: Mentioned in It, Maligned by It, and Makers of It: How Mennonites Have Been Portrayed in Media and How They Have Shaped Media for Identity and Outreach (Wipf and Stock, 2014). He retired from the U.S. Coast Guard and spent another 23 years in church administration in Mennonite churches and agencies. He and his wife, Christine, live in Harrisonburg.
Read local press coverage of his book:
Augusta Free Press: Appalachian Trail: Author shares encounters with nudists, wild ponies, eccentric thru-hikers
Daily News-Record: Steppin’ Outside: Local author’s book provides new twist to iconic trail
Join the Discussion on “Alum’s new book explores joys and perils of hiking the Appalachian Trail”