Second Blog on "A Walk in the Woods"

This book is getting very interesting as Bryson journeys and meets new and interesting people. First off, he meets up with his old "friend" Stephen Katz, an out-of-shape drunk that is hoping to find a new meaning with the hike. Bryson, at first, is excited to reunite with his old backpacking buddy, but his wife is worried, since the last trip they went on together was, long story short, a train wreck. However, Bryson needed someone to go with him on his expedition, and Katz was the only one that was daring enough to join Bryson on his insane journey. After the two have hiked for a few days, they meet a young lady by the name of Mary Ellen. Marry Ellen is a cocky, inexperienced hiker that is constantly insulting Bryson and Katz about the shape they're in, critiquing their choices of equipment, and talking about all of her "interesting" life experiences. Bryson and Katz, fed up with the pestering brought by their new companion, come up with a plan to ditch Mary Ellen. However, once they have been freed from her burden, Katz has an unnerving feeling that if something were to happen to Mary Ellen, then it would be there fault, since the Trail is not all that forgiving. The two men, riddles with guilt, leave the hotel they were staying at to hide from the woman and go in search of Mary Ellen, only to find that she had insulted them, calling them "out of shape wimps." These two characters provide a lot of comic relief to the book and keep the story moving along, which makes even their most annoying quirks more bearable. In conclusion, this book is very well written and is not only hilarious but also very informative, as it went on for pages about how corrupted the National Park Service is and how people like myself can get involved in helping the wilderness.

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