The Trail

A Novel

By: Ethan Gallogly

Narrated by: Jake Hunsbusher

A Transformative Journey on the John Muir Trail.

Set authentically in the High Sierra, The Trail is a moving story of how nature helps us find what’s missing in our lives.

The Trail is fused with humor, philosophy, and trail lore. Woven in is a back story detailing the origins of the John Muir Trail: a 211-mile trail spanning the rooftop of the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite Valley to Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the continental United States.

The tale begins with Gil, who in the wake of his father’s death and recently fired from his job, agrees to accompany his father’s old hiking partner Syd on a monthlong trek on the John Muir Trail. There’s just one problem: Gil hates camping and is woefully unprepared for the rigors of the journey. Moreover, he soon learns Syd may not survive the hike.

Former Sierra Club leader Ethan Gallogly takes you on a wild tour across the Range of Light, describing its glorious scenery in vivid detail while introducing you to a diverse cast of characters drawn from his own personal experiences as a hiker.

Narrator Jake Hunsbusher brings the Audiobook to life with his fantastic reading of what is destined to become an outdoors classic!

Includes a PDF of the 43 maps and sketches by acclaimed mountain illustrator Jeremy Ashcroft, showing the topography of each section with illustrations of the trail’s iconic scenery.

Whether you’re planning your own John Muir Trail trek, have walked the trail before, or are simply an armchair explorer looking for a compelling story—this book is for you.

Critic Reviews:

“The author shines in his descriptions of the natural world... A subtle and vivid tale of finding peace in the great outdoors.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Unreservedly Recommended.” (Midwest Book Review)

“It’s a fantastic book. Everything rings true.” (Elizabeth Wenk, author of the best-selling John Muir Trail guidebook)

“A Walk in the Woods meets Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.” (Peter Snow Cao, Bike China Adventures)

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Ethan Gallogly (P)2022 Ethan Gallogly

Critic reviews

"The author shines in his descriptions of the natural world... A subtle and vivid tale of finding peace in the great outdoors." (Kirkus Reviews)

"It's a fantastic book. Everything rings true. I already have several people I plan to give copies to." (Elizabeth Wenk, author of the best-selling guidebook John Muir Trail: The Essential Guide to Hiking America's Most Famous Trail)

"A Walk in the Woods meets Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." (Peter Snow Cao, Bike China Adventures)

Wow, what a treasure!

This book made me laugh, think and self-reflect. I always thought of nature as being a gateway to spirituality; whatever spirituality means to you, I have dreamed of taking a long hiking trip myself, mainly to get away from the daily grind but also to find inner peace. Due to chronic hip pain this dream is not realistic, but I enjoyed living vicariously through the main characters' journeys. I would recommend this book to anyone who is open-minded, curious, spiritual, loves nature and likes to self-reflect.

A beautiful tale of adventure, life and the bonds we make along the way

A surprisingly wonderful story that tugs at your heart, prompts you to stop and think, and expands your vision of life and its possibilities. It provides a map of the trail and a map of a person’s soul. At the heart of this book is love, friendship, and the expansion of our view of life and its meaning.

The relatability

The author explaining the book at the end. I loved the story then hearing it was pieced together with fiction and non fiction kind of ruined it for me and not knowing would have made it better for me.

Simple common sense lessons

So enjoyed the adventures and lessons learned by the experiences.
The only problem was I felt the reader spoke a bit too fast as I did rewind to try to consume the points on the lessons.

A Trail of scenic philosophy

The description of the beauty of the mountain trail was breathtaking. The sharing of opinions & ideas between Gill & Cid as well as the hikers they met & camped near; refreshing! The suspense of: “will they complete the trail ?“ ; “will they live through it?” kept me listening avidly like hiking boots steadily tramping along the easy parts of a hike. The history of the JMT renewed my long set aside interest in reading John Muir’s writing. The Eastern philosophy was fascinating. Wondering who grew from the experience of The Trail was not fully revealed until the wonderful wrap-up. It’s likely true that not only the characters in book grew.