Et cetera : The Open Book: Take a Hike

   This summer I'm training for a four-day backpacking trek with my son's Boy Scout Troop.  We will be covering a portion of Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail, and will be 'packing-in', meaning we will carry all of the supplies we will need on our backs.  This trip is considered a High Adventure in the Scouting world, and I'm really looking forward to the trip.  There are 12 of us going, and we will hike 4 miles the first day, 11 the second day, 11 the third day, and 4 the fourth day.  This is the first time I have trained for an event like this and am drawing inspiration from the experiences of Bill Bryson in his hiking memoir "A Walk in the Woods".  If you haven't read it, I would highly recommend it.  It was later adapted into a film starring Robert Redford.  In "A Walk...", Bryson, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, logs his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail with humor, intelligence and wit.  He is self-deprecating enough to boost my confidence in my own hiking abilities.

If you're interested in learning more about our backpacking trek, we will be hosting an informational session on Tuesday, August 8th at 5pm here at the library.  My son, along with members of his troop, will be sharing pictures from our trip, describing what we did to train for the event, and will demonstrate some of the gear used on our trip.  We will also be sharing samples of the homemade protein bars I'm taking along. I'll even share the recipe if you like them 😊

If you enjoy Bill Bryson, I also recommend "The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain".  I laughed out loud throughout this book, which details his hikes around England.  And who knows, it may inspire you to plan your next hike!  Already an avid hiker?  Send me your tips and experiences--I'd love to hear about them!

When I'm not hiking, I'm currently reading 'Welcome to Beach Town' by Susan Wiggs.  Wiggs is a seasoned writer, with over four dozen novels to her name.  I am reading her work for the first time.  In her latest novel, she writes about the difficult and timely topic of hazing among high school and college students.  It is both thought-provoking and lovely, set in an idyllic beachside community that houses an elite prep school.  The main character is a member of the local foster system, loves surfing, and describes the escape she feels out on the water with the surfboard beneath her feet.  She enjoys close relationships with a close circle of friends, and she hold fast to her values, even at her young age.  Readers discover secrets among the student body and see the dark truth of how differently their prep school classmates are treated based on their sexuality and social class.  The novel has me hooked and I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends!  Consider it for your next beach read; the library has this book in both regular type and large print.

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