Just Passin' Thru: A Vintage Store, The Appalachian Trail, And A Cast Of Unforgettable Characters (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
My husband and I are enthusiastic hikers and have been to the Mountain Crossings store many times. As a matter of fact, we bought our copy of this book there. :-)I enjoyed the tales of the colorful characters Winton Porter has encountered, both those that are regulars and those that are "just passin' thru." However, there was one aspect of the book that bothered me as I read - and still bothers me all these many weeks later. Mr. Porter tells us that he is a "patient" man and based on the tales that he tells he is - but only with those that are a part of the hiker community/mindset. With those on the "outside" - not so much. The example that sticks with me best was the high-maintenance woman that picked a rare flower to show her children. Instead of explaining to her that that particular flower is extremely rare and that if she should see another one, she should take a picture rather than pick it, Mr. Porter merely snarls something at her to the effect of "it was prettier before you killed it." Really? Part of being in the position that Mr. Porter is fortunate enough to find himself in is teaching those with less experience to see the natural world through different eyes so that maybe they will learn to love it too - not to treat those individuals as though they are somehow less than they should be because they don't "get it." The setup for this book sounds great: eight years of crazy characters wandering through a hiking store and hostel set directly on the Appalachian Trail about thirty miles from the start. This book does deliver on that, but left me questioning by the end, "is that all you've got?". Although I appreciated learning about the author's personal experiences and relationships, I guess I was just expecting more personalities. I can only wonder what wild and amazing characters and stories come through a setup like this location, and after reading this book I'm still sort of wondering. I think my expectations for the book were just off. Winton, the people who help him, and the location itself seem amazing and all another great part of this trail.
What do You think about Just Passin' Thru: A Vintage Store, The Appalachian Trail, And A Cast Of Unforgettable Characters (2009)?
Loved this account of people traveling the trail and the adventures at the shop...fantastic read
—OllyZeum
If you like hiking stories and the Appalachian Trail, this is a good, quick and easy read.
—hejal
