Chasing the Smokies Moon by Nancy East
If you are looking to start the New Year with an inspiring account of an amazing feat, I highly recommend Chasing the Smokies Moon by Nancy East.
In 2020, Nancy East and her hiking partner Chris Ford set the FKT (fastest known time) for hiking all of the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 948 miles. Spoiler alert – they complete the challenge in a record 29 days!
At first glance you may take this book to just be a typical hiking log of an epic adventure, but it is so much more. This book will appeal to hikers of all levels – Thru, Section or Day-Hikers, as well as anyone that loves to hear stories of how ordinary people overcome tremendous obstacles to complete miraculous goals.
Beyond the typical day to day diary of a hiker, Nancy creatively includes the reader in her struggles and doubts – not just during the hike but also her obstacles preparing for the challenge. The author is not afraid to share her personal griefs and this draws the reader into the struggle with her. Even though I knew the end of the story, I found myself anxiously cheering her and Chris on to the end.
The author is obviously an experienced hiker, but she has a multitude of other talents and interests including being actively involved in Search and Rescue. She is able to easily incorporate her past experiences into the book which makes each day’s entry even more interesting. Her passion is for hiker safety and this is apparent throughout the book – she is able to include within her writing important safety information that all of us should practice and promote. These lessons flow naturally in the narrative of her story.
Most importantly, which I have found to be true, Nancy shows how the trail is a therapeutic balm for our souls. From the beginning, Nancy relates one of her inspirations for this challenge – the previous tragic loss of a hiker on the trail. She and Chris were able to use the Smokies 900 Challenge to bring focus to hiker safety and assist with much needed resources.
Nancy has a gift as a writer that draws the reader into the story. You will find yourself not wanting to put this book down until Nancy & Chris successfully reach the end of their journey. I highly recommend this book for you and for anyone else who loves the outdoors, hiking or a challenge of any kind.
You can read more about Nancy East and order her book on her website NancyEast.com
40 Hike Challenge Blue Ridge Parkway Conserving Carolina Falls Lake Hickory Nut Gorge Hiking Jones Gap State Park Lake Lure Linville Gorge Mountains to Sea Mount Mitchell North Carolina Trails