The Trail is a story of a young man who is lost in his life in life in Los Angeles and an older man who is at the end of his life.    Through family connections, they set out to backpack the John Muir Trail, a rugged and difficult route in the Sierra Nevada.    Gil has lost his father, his job, and his educational journey.    Syd has been  a professor of philosophy at University who had a long friendship with Gil’s father.   They had backpacked many of the more routes over the years, and this one would be his last as he is dying of cancer.   Gil does not do his homework and so he arrives at the meeting spot ill-prepared, but Syd is there to mentor him, even though Gil doesn’t initially appreciate it.    Over several days they establish a routine and a tenuous relationship, although Gil’s primary objective is to abort the mission.     Gil’s steady influence, his philosophical musings, and his insights begin to help Gil understand why they are out there and what he can get out of the journey.  When Syd falters, Gil is there to support him, and over the journey, their relationship builds.   This is a story of a personal journey for each of the two main characters.    But, it is also a story of the John Muir Trail, the High Sierra environment, and the backpackers who hike the trails each day.

This was a rewarding book.   Since I am a constant hiker and a blogger, the journal style worked for me.    It is well-told and the author had the discipline and foresight not to overreach the significance of this kind of effort,  as others have done in telling the stories of through hiking.   The story works as simple telling of two men undertaking a challenging journey at different places in their lives.    Recommended. 4.5 out of 5.0 stars4.5