The Trail - by Ethan Gallogly

About the Book

A Moving Story of How Nature Helps Us Find What's Missing in Our Lives.

Book Synopsis

TWO HIKERS. ONE JOURNEY. EVERYTHING CHANGES.

WINNER OF TWO LITERARY AWARDS - A NEXT GEN INDIE BOOK AWARD FINALIST - IN KIRKUS REVIEWS' BEST BOOKS OF 2021 ISSUE - "UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED" - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

Set authentically in the High Sierra, The Trail is a moving story about how nature helps us find what's missing in our lives. Blending adventure, humor, history, and trail lore into a narrative that resonates with hikers and armchair explorers alike.

The novel follows Gil-recently fired from his job and still grieving the death of his father-who reluctantly agrees to accompany his father's old hiking partner, Syd, on a month-long trek along the John Muir Trail. There's just one problem: Gil hates camping and is woefully unprepared for the rigors of the journey. Moreover, he soon learns Syd may not survive the hike. As the trail tests them in ways neither had anticipated, their journey becomes one of friendship, overcoming loss, and the unexpected clarity found in wild places.

Woven into the story is the history of the John Muir Trail, the backdrop for their transformative journey through the Range of Light.

Former Sierra Club leader Ethan Gallogly takes you on a sweeping tour across the High Sierra, describing its glorious scenery in vivid detail while introducing you to a diverse cast of characters drawn from his more than 30 years of experience as a hiker. The book includes 43 maps and sketches by acclaimed mountain illustrator Jeremy Ashcroft, offering three-dimensional renderings of the terrain and depictions of iconic landmarks such as the Muir Hut, the Rock Monster, and Evolution Lake.

The Trail is both a celebration of the High Sierra and a testament to the transformative power of nature.

Review Quotes

"The author shines in his descriptions of the natural world... A subtle and vivid tale of finding peace in the great outdoors."

-Kirkus Reviews

"Exceptional, original, entertaining, informative, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, The Trail is especially and unreservedly recommended"

-Midwest Book Review

"Fantastic... Entertaining... The Trail will no doubt make readers want to go hiking in the great wilderness."

-Reader Reviews

"It's a fantastic book. Everything rings true. I already have several people I plan to give copies to. "

-Elizabeth Wenk, author of the best-selling guidebook John Muir Trail: The Essential Guide to Hiking America's Most Famous Trail"

"A Walk in the Woods meets Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance."

-Peter Snow Cao, Bike China Adventures

"Ethan Gallogly has created a wonderful blend of High Sierra history, eloquent descriptions of the range's glorious scenery, and fascinating vignettes of the diverse characters who roam the John Muir Trail."

-Steve Roper, Sierra historian, mountaineer, and author of Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country

"The Trail leaves the reader with a poignant picture of how nature can heal and reconstruct us."

-Alyssa Matesic, ASM Editorial