How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
Instead, you exist in a kind of mobile Zen mode, your brain like a balloon tethered with string. (1.6.5)
This actually sounds pretty awesome to us. Most people in the big city would pay top dollar for a guru who could attain such a pristine Zen-like state, but Bryson is getting that for free.
Quote #5
You get a kind of sixth sense for the presence of others in the woods, and when you realize people are near, you always pause to let them catch up. (1.10.23)
Although he enjoys spending time alone, Billy Boy Bryson never turns down quality hang-time. None of these brief encounters with other hikers ever blossom into long-term friendships, but they provide some much-needed camaraderie in a place so devoid of human interaction.
Quote #6
The problems, however, is not that there are too many hikers for the shelters but too few shelters for the hikes. (1.12.18)
Some people complain that the Appalachian Trail is getting too crowded, but Bryson dismisses these concerns as hogwash. Although you might end up sharing a shelter with a few other smelly hikers, you can easily go for days without seeing another person.