There is no greater pilgrimage for the die-hard outdoorsperson in the U.S. than hiking the 2,100-mile-long Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Pioneered in the 1920s and "30s by thousands of nature lovers who recognized the importance of setting aside land for outdoor recreation, the trail is one of America"s most ambitious and impressive wilderness-preserving achievements. A Journey North is environmentalist Adrienne Hall"s candid account of completing the grueling "thru-hike" (the hikers" term for the end-to-end trek), a feat more commonly accomplished by men. A young woman brimming with idealism and ardor for the outdoors, Hall is nevertheless challenged to her core by the hardships of daily exposure to nature"s elements. At the outset she naively imagines the trip as a six-month-long "date" with her boyfriend, Craig; that romantic notion is soon numbed by the duress of hiking 20 or more miles a day. They cheerfully begin their journey on February 15 at Georgia"s Springer Mountain, each carrying backpacks overstuffed with provisions they would later abandon. While traversing the trail"s 14 states, they battle snow, sleet, rain, mosquitoes, biting flies, and flooding rivers; endure the pains of blisters that can"t heal and muscles, joints, and tendons weary from endless trudging; and adapt to a monotonous diet of dehydrated foods, Snickers bars, granola, and peanut butter. They cope with the miseries of stepping into frozen boots in the morning, going unwashed for days, and sleeping in cold, wet sleeping bags. Of course, there are uplifting moments, too, such as meeting fellow thru-hikers--characters named Seldom Seen, Otter, Nudeman, and Yard o"Beef--and "trail angels," folks who nourish and house the bedraggled travelers. Most importantly, there"s the transcendent immersion in nature: waking up in the crisp mountain air, the hours of solitude and self-reflection, the sunsets, the satisfaction of subsisting close to the earth. By the end of A Journey North, Hall has known both suffering and bliss. Her happiness peaks when Craig proposes marriage on Saddleback Mountain as they gaze on their final destination, Mount Katahdin, Maine. Throughout, Hill"s narrative is vivid and insightful, ranging from honest acknowledgements of her doubts and fears to expositions on the environmental issues facing the Appalachians (and the world in general) to confessions of growing affection for Craig. While prone to descending into cliché, Hall"s acute awareness of nature"s endangerment is authentic and inspiring, and her awakening to both her emotional and physical strength as a woman is poignant. This book will be invaluable to anyone considering a journey north, or south, of their own. --Rebecca Wright