74 pages • 2 hours read
Bill BrysonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Bryson discusses hypothermia, one of the many dangers that hikers can face on the AT. He explains that the common belief that most victims of hypothermia die in extreme weather events is a misconception: “Most victims of hypothermia die in a much more dopey kind of way, in temperate seasons and with air temperature nowhere near freezing” (313). Bryson is now hiking New Hampshire, the state where he and his family recently moved, so he’s excited to explore it. The state’s portion of the AT runs 162 miles through the White Mountains with 35 peaks higher than 3,000 feet. Naturally, Bryson is overjoyed when his neighbor and friend Bill Abdu, a gifted surgeon, offers to come along on some of the day hikes. Abdu is experienced in the mountains, so his company is welcome.
The pair begins with Mount Lafayette, which requires a climb of 3,700 feet and is notorious for sudden changes in weather. The weather is excellent at the beginning of the hike, but suddenly the sunshine disappears, the temperature drops drastically, and the forest becomes misty and foggy. Bryson forgot to pack his waterproofs, but the pair decides against turning back. Just as he begins to realize that he’s in distress, they reach the summit, and on their descent, the wind finally dies down.
By Bill Bryson
Action & Adventure
View Collection
Animals in Literature
View Collection
Anthropology
View Collection
Appearance Versus Reality
View Collection
Books on U.S. History
View Collection
Community
View Collection
Community Reads
View Collection
Earth Day
View Collection
Friendship
View Collection
Inspiring Biographies
View Collection
Laugh-out-Loud Books
View Collection
New York Times Best Sellers
View Collection
Politics & Government
View Collection
Science & Nature
View Collection