Appalachian Impressions: Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Anyone who enjoys hiking or camping will take something away from this lively documentary about thru-hikers on the famed Appalachian Trail. Having hiked portions of the trail and enjoyed Bill Bryson's account, "A Walk in the Woods," I was psyched to see what Mark Flagler had done. He has conveyed the experience of thru-hiking without romanticizing it. Parts of the film seem repetitive and there are some stretches that are less interesting than others but everything serves to convey the experience, which itself can seem repetitive and uninteresting at times. For those unfamiliar with the trail, it's a good way to sample it and choose bits and pieces to visit.

As an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker (1996), like the DVD's producer, I've "been there and done that." From my equally qualified perspective, this film waters down hiking the A.T. a bit too much. It contains mostly milestones/trail highlights (no boring miles), completely fails to acknowledge any non-"family oriented" aspects on the trail (drugs and alcohol) and focuses on overbuilt shelters and hostels far too much. Watching these DVDs, the "Impressions" were more of the videographers "thru-hostel" than a "thru-hike."

That said, I very much enjoyed watching them, even with the omissions. Friends and family (non-hikers) did likewise, despite the excessive hostel coverage. Too selective to be a documentary and too glossed over to be a "How to..." guide, "Appalachian Impressions" is perfect for the "I've never heard of it before" and "I'll never set foot on it" vicarious PBS audience. Just don't assume, having watched it, that you know enough about thru-hiking to attempt such.

Bachelor boB

AT (1996); FHT & LT (1998); NPT (1999); PCT (2005)