How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
In a way, it was liberating. If we couldn't walk the whole trail, we also didn't have to, which was a novel though that grew more attractive the more we considered it. (1.8.22)
The more they think about it, the happier the guys become they won't be able to walk the entire Appalachian Trail. It might be a slight buzz-kill, but it mostly just helps them relax and enjoy their time on the AT. Before, it felt more like a chore than an adventure. Now, however, they finally feel like they have control over their own destinies.
Quote #8
Take Bill Irwin, the blind man. After his hike he said: "I never enjoyed the hiking part. It was something I felt compelled to do. It wasn't my choice." (1.9.9)
It quickly becomes clear that very few people feel satisfied after completing the entire Appalachian Trail. What's up with that? If you ask us, it's because the sort of people crazy enough to actually finish the whole trip are the same type of people who are never satisfied with their accomplishments.
Quote #9
It must actually be quite a depressing moment—to have slogged through a mountainous wilderness [...] to realize that [...] you are still but halfway there. (2.14.6)
Luckily, Katz and Bryson don't have this problem, having already accepted their zero percent chance of coming out on top. Still, Bryson can't help but place himself in the shoes of those madmen and women who actually stuck to their guns and saw the Appalachian Trail through to the bitter end.