On Saturday afternoon, Adam and I drove up to Big Meadows Lodge in Shenandoah National Park to hear a special guest speaker – Jeff Alt, author of A Walk for Sunshine. Jeff hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 1998. He also put an extra spin on his thru-hike by making it a hike for charity – raising money to help the group home where his brother with cerebral palsy resides. Adam and I first read Jeff’s book over the summer while we were out backpacking. We took turns reading the book aloud to one another whenever we relaxed in our tent.
Jeff was a great speaker. He was funny, informative and passionate about encouraging people to follow their dreams. His hour-long talk followed the book and was packed with anecdotes and photos. Afterward, he took time to sign copies of his book and answer questions. If you ever get a chance to see Jeff speak, don’t miss it! He visits Shenandoah pretty regularly, speaking and offering a program on hiking with children.
Virginia Trail Guide 
I haven’t read that one, but I’ll be sure to check it out!
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I am going to add this to my reading list.
By chance, have either of you read A Park Ranger’s Life by Bytner? He was a ranger in Shenandoah for most of his career as well as Glacier NP and somewhere in Alaska. I saw him speak in Charlottesville last spring, but have not read this one yet either. He said that his book was part of the curriculum for new rangers.
Andrew Szalay
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I saw this presentation a few years ago (LOVED the book!) and also got to meet Mr. Alt. He’s a super nice guy.
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Hi Kendra – thanks for the visit! Jeff was such a nice guy – so sincere and helpful.
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