Jeff Alt - A Walk for Sunshine: A 2,160 Mile Expedition for Charity on the Appalachian Trail

There are numerous books on hiking the Appalachian Trail, but Alt tells the story best... MAINE OUTDOOR JOURNAL-PORTLAND PRESS HERALD

A Walk For Sunshine kept me turning the pages. Alt had become a friend, someone I was pulling for everyday of the way...Its a quick read that introduces you to a cherished American Trail.DICK PETERSON, NORTH WEST HERALD

Jeff wrote a book on his 147 day hiatus from civilization, A Walk For Sunshine. [The Sunshine Home is] where the developmentally disabled...are cared for and where his brother Aaron has lived for over a decade. The trail became a fundraiser for the home and the home became the motivation for Jeffwithout which he might have never reached the final chapter of his Appalachian tale, the peak of Mt. Katahdin, Maine.STEVE PORINO, HOST, ESPNS INSIDE AMERICAS NATIONAL PARKS

With humility and charm, Alt tells his tale with awe for the people and his surroundings. This book is inspiring and entertaining. TODAYS LIBRARIAN

This easy-reading book is full of many tales of how Alt got through the daunting hike from Georgia to Maine with humor.KAREN CHAVEZ, ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES

A Walk For Sunshine tells the tale of a man who trekked 2,000 miles to honor his handicapped brother. Mr. Alt gathered donations, turning the trek into a fund-raiser. Thats all in the book. So is the now funny but then ugly story of the day he put his arch supports in the wrong boots and developed such enormous blisters he had to wrap his feet in duct tape.JIM KNIPPENBERG, THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

A Walk For Sunshine has touched numerous people in many significant ways.DOUGLAS SIEBENALER, SUNSHINE INCORPORATED

Alt shares ample anecdotes about life on the trail and the personalities he met walking this unique swath of wilderness through the hubub of the 21st-century America. Alt quickly disabuses the reader of the notion that walking the trail simply involves awaking one morning, tying on a pair of shoes and hitting the road.MARY O. BRADLY, PATRIOT-NEWS

A Walk For Sunshine ably tells Alts tale of braving everything from freezing cold, driving rain, and a bear encounter to boredom, exhaustion, charging bulls, and trail angels who offer food and support.STEVE POLLICK, THE BLADE

...I have thoroughly enjoyed reading A Walk For Sunshine. I could not put it down. It brought back many memories...GENE ESPY, THE SECOND PERSON TO EVER HIKE THE ENTIRE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

For anyone thinking about walking the Appalachian Trail, this book would be a wonderful addition, and for those of us armchair travelers, it is wonderful to sense the excitement, danger, and adventure as the pages unfold.MAUREEN DARBY, THE LEBANON DAILY RECORD

Surviving the 2,160 mile Appalachian Trail is as much a mental challenge as a physical one and gave Alt a new perspective. Life on the Appalachian Trail was non-stop nature. No television, no steak dinner, no fluffy pillow. Just trees and rocks and sky. Three walled shelters, dirty water, and mosquitos. It was blistered feet, a growling stomach and weary bones.PAMELA DAVIS, THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES

AN AMAZING STORY...A humorous and inspirational portrait of a modern American adventurer fulfilling lofty dreams, while discovering what lies beyond the physical and mental boundaries.ART LANDER JR., LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER

Alt wrote a book about his 147-day hiatus from civilization. Give him an afternoon and he could write a book on the art of hiking as well...ESPN

A humorous and inspirational account of a man who thru-hiked as a fundraiser, emphasizing the importance of pursuing dreams.APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY

Alt reflects on how sleeping with a skunk, being chased by a bear, charged by a bull, blisters, insects, and weird food cravings changed him in profound and positive ways.THE NEWS-PRESS, FL

Enlightening and inspiring.BLUE RIDGE OUTDOORS

The authors sense of human is refreshing...An easy and enjoyable read strewn with laughter at natures antics and stark realities of life. As Jeff is faced with daily dilemmas in out-of-the-ordinary circumstances, he begins to reach deep within himself to discover what most of us may never take the time to find out--his true being. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.NATURE SOCIETY NEWS

Jeff Alt hike[d] the entire 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail to raise money for the Sunshine Home (Inc.)...Alts brother Aaron, who has cerebral palsy, lives at Sunshine...Jeff tells how he made friends along the trail, tried to court his future wife and what happens when a hungry hiker comes to town and meets up with Krispy Kreme doughnuts...ASSOCIATED PRESS

Inspiration for living your life the best you can...ROANOKE CITY MAGAZINE, VA

A 2,160-mile expedition for charity on the Appalachian Trail

BY JEFF ALT

A WALK FOR SUNSHINE

Copyright 2000, 2009 by Jeff Alt.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any form by any means, without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and articles.

Fifth Edition 2017

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data On File

For inquiries about volume orders, please contact:

Beaufort Books
27 West 20th Street, Suite 1102
New York, NY 10011

Published in the United States by Beaufort Books
www.beaufortbooks.com

Distributed by Midpoint Trade Books
www.midpointtrade.com

Printed in the United States of America

Interior Design by Mark Karis
Cover Design by George Foster

To my brother, Aaron

This is a true account of the authors adventure along the Appalachian Trail. Some of the names and details of individuals in this story were changed to protect their privacy. The Appalachian Trail maps throughout this book have been modified and are not true to scale.

This book would not have been written without the help of countless volunteers and sponsors who supported my expedition and made it a success. A Walk For Sunshine is a non-fiction account of my journey, of those who inspired it, and of those who helped make it a success.

I am indebted to my editors, Mary Richards-Beaumont, and Julie and Jason Szucs, for their tireless efforts in refining my manuscript into this book.

I would like to thank my family and friends for their support and counsel as I put my journey on paper: my wife Beth, for her unwavering belief in me and my dreams; my stepfather and mother, Ron & Rose Almendinger, my father and stepmother, Mike & Sue Alt; my sister and brother-in-law, Steph & Dan Pitts; my brothers, Todd & Larry Alt; my aunt, Ellen Bucher; my in-laws, Kathy & Laur Richards, Paul & Carol Richards, Mike & Katie Richards, Brian Richards; my stepbrother and wife, Mark & Dawn Shoviak; the Director of Development at Sunshine, Douglas Siebenaler; a colleague, Dr. Ken Ruder; a friend, Liz Osborn; and trail friend, Zeb Blanchard.

My sincerest thanks to everyone who gave their time, money, and energy to support my hike and fundraiser.

Thank you to the residents, staff, and volunteers of Sunshine, Inc. of NW Ohio for their inspiration and support.

I would like to thank all news media for their coverage of my hike, especially Betsy Heil of The Toledo Blade newspaper for her follow-through in keeping the community apprised of my journey.

Many thanks to Brian King and Robert Rubin of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for providing factual information and maps of the Appalachian Trail.