More than a quarter century ago Ed Garvey drew public attention to the wonders and precariousness of the Appalachian Trail with his much publicized thru-hike, so memorably documented in his Appalachian Hiker books. Twenty years later, at the age of seventy-five, he once again began the long trek northward, to rediscover a trail that had changed significantly in the intervening years. The New Appalachian Trail is both the story of his journey and a practical guide to backpacking on the AT. It is also a tribute to the unprecedented cooperative effort of government and volunteers to secure and maintain this extraordinary national treasure.