Hiking the AT Trail - Movie "Walk in the Woods"

[lrrowe]

For those of you who are planning trips along the AT (Appalachian) Trail, you might find this of interest.
The recently released movie, "Walk in the Woods", with Robert Redford and Nick Nolte has on it's jacket cover a photo rendition of McAfee Knob, on the AT Trail, just outside of Roanoke, VA a little ways off the Blue Ridge Parkway.


My 50+ hiking club hikes this section of the Trail to McAfee Knob once every couple of years. We just did it again this past April, 2015.


It may be of interest to many of our East Coast travelers.

[rebapuck]

Was the movie any good?

[jonw]

Was the movie any good?

I didn't think so. I've hiked the whole trail and it didn't capture any of the magic and little of the scenery of the experience, nor did it have the humor that made the book so popular.

[Talia62]

I'm planning to through-hike the AT in 2017. As far as the movie goes, it was okay, but it can't compare to the book. Not only that, but the actors cast were quite a lot older than the ones in the book, so it didn't quite work for me.

[lrrowe]

I have not read the book yet. Did see the movie. I have not walked all of the AT but have been on many sections of it and lived several places right off of it. So for me the movie was entertaining. Yes there were many liberties taken, but that is Hollywood.

Also I am convinced the cover photo was photoshoped as the size ration of Redford and Notle is off compared to McAfee Knob and they are dangerously close to the edge. Compare my photos. I have heard rumors they never really walked the trail themselves but this is not verified. And a local to me magazine ran a news article about the filming crew and concerns over harming the trail itself with their numbers and equipment. But the final words were that they, the movie folks, were very respectiful of the environment.

[Talia62]

Even if they tried, I doubt a film crew would do more damage to that trail than the thousands of people every year who don't care about leaving trash and poop everywhere, damaging the shelters with graffiti, and pretty much treating it with no respect for the environment.

[lrrowe]

I cannot say you are wrong for other sections, but in all the AT sections I have hiked here in W-SW VA, they have been very well maintained and keep quite clean. There are many AT club chapters along the streches I use who do a commendable job.

[Talia62]

I agree, the parts of the trail that have good clubs maintaining them really show. But the fact is that a lot of people hiking the AT (or any other trail for that matter) are pigs that don't care that someone else is going to have to come behind them and clean up their mess. Being that it's one of the most heavily used trails in the USA, the AT tends to show this worse than other trails might.

That said, I've worked volunteer trail crews before, and it's a grueling job. Everyone that hikes, camps, or backpacks should work a crew for at least a weekend. You'll never look at a trail the same again, and you'll never take a clean, well-maintained trail for granted.

[rebapuck]

As far as PhotoShopped, the entire picture is probably a painting.

[lrrowe]

Could be. Nothing surprises me anymore. But I do doubt it in this case.

[rebapuck]

Actually, I think it's standard practice to paint movie posters.

[lrrowe]

Nooooo...now you are going to tell that there is no Santa Claus either