When You Find My Body: The Disappearance of Geraldine Largay on the Appalachian Trail

As an avid backpacker / hiker of over 50 years, I could not put this book down. As experienced as I am, I am honoring Geraldine by spending a few bucks on a good compass with magnetic declination adjustment, reading the book "Staying Found" by June Fleming, and taking an REI Land Navigation refresher course in August. I could easily argue that I don't need to, but I'm doing it anyway. Then I plan to encourage all my hiking friends to do the same. Thanks to Denis Dauphinee for a book that will undoubtedly save lives! R.I.P. Geraldine!

Least was distanced in yards ... 800 yards does not seem like a lot ... but it is very close to 1/2 mile ... and in the woods of central and northern Maine brush and woods ... it mind as well be 800 miles. Best were the interviews with searchers, wardens, SERE, and family. The book emphasizes the importance of basic woods knowledge... map compass ... and not to relate on technology. Being a forestry student at University of Maine in the 70s map compass skills were drilled into us ... alas it is not technology which too much dependence is made upon

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I had followed the news coverage of Geraldine “Gerry” Largay's disappearance so I did know who she was. The book was fascinating not only because it told her story, but it also explained how it could have happened that she got lost. It helped make sense of what so many of us couldn't understand and corrected some of the misconceptions during the search for her.
What is unique about this book is the author showed us what hiking the Appalachian Trail was like, he gave us facts, stories about other hikers and also others that had been lost in the Maine woods. There is information in here if someone is lost in the woods what they should do, there is also what one should do to prepare for going into the woods. I found it interesting when I learned that thru-hikers preparing to walk the AT doesn't prepare for the possibility of getting lost. This book is a treasure trove of useful information, a glimpse into walking the AT trail and I want to say a different point of view of walking the AT trail. I learned a lot reading this book and even though it had facts and different aspects it was a story that just flowed along and made for a very interesting read.
There wasn't any blame, the author just wanted this to be part of Geraldine “Gerry” Largay legacy, and a way of helping others from all that was learned. I highly recommend this book and whether you are thinking about walking the AT, going into the woods, hiking, mountain climbing, or just love a good mystery, this is a book you will be glad you read.

The author did a remarkable job of balancing his admiration for how Gerry Largay lived her life with constructive criticism of how she might have avoided death . As a hiker, I know I've not been as serious about essential wilderness skills as I should be. I found myself wishing I knew Gerry in life but also committed to honoring her death by becoming better at essential survival skills. An excellent fair and compassionate read.

I got this book because I wanted to learn more about how new and intermediate hikers can survive in situations like this (or avoid them all together) as well as the difficulty in navigating the AT/deep woods environments. This book had WAY too much detail about her friends, people saying how nice she was on the trail, and other people in her life that didn't really matter to what happened, including not highlighting her dependency issues on her husband who was doggedly on her for the whole trip and other people thinking for her like her friend who jumped off the trip but was sadly key to trail guidance. Also way too much back-patting to the search and rescue teams who gave it their all but obviously all the minute details of that didn't matter given where she holed herself up. I was actually surprised he didn't hammer home that long distance remote hikers ie AT, PCT folks need to take a basic survival class and learn to think critically as well as carry a GPS especially if like her you have a bad sense of direction and never hiked alone. If you can't carry what you need, train to do so, don't have your husband carry it in his car, like she did. What likely killed her as a huge mistake, AT recommendation of 80 feet from the trail to go to the bathroom is way too far in dense environments, wholly unnecessary and even deadly, as she found out--just one example of the need for situational awareness and critical thinking, knowing your weaknesses (she had a small useless compass, didn't think it wise to learn or carry a real one) and not taking it as lightly as some people new to hiking do. I'm sorry she passed away as horribly as she did but one outdoor survival class (and not the weak hiking class she took) would have saved her from herself. I hope that lesson prevents other AT deaths like this.

I got this book because I wanted to learn more about how new and intermediate hikers can survive in situations like this (or avoid them all together) as well as the difficulty in navigating the AT/deep woods environments. This book had WAY too much detail about her friends, people saying how nice she was on the trail, and other people in her life that didn't really matter to what happened, including not highlighting her dependency issues on her husband who was doggedly on her for the whole trip and other people thinking for her like her friend who jumped off the trip but was sadly key to trail guidance. Also way too much back-patting to the search and rescue teams who gave it their all but obviously all the minute details of that didn't matter given where she holed herself up. I was actually surprised he didn't hammer home that long distance remote hikers ie AT, PCT folks need to take a basic survival class and learn to think critically as well as carry a GPS especially if like her you have a bad sense of direction and never hiked alone. If you can't carry what you need, train to do so, don't have your husband carry it in his car, like she did. What likely killed her as a huge mistake, AT recommendation of 80 feet from the trail to go to the bathroom is way too far in dense environments, wholly unnecessary and even deadly, as she found out--just one example of the need for situational awareness and critical thinking, knowing your weaknesses (she had a small useless compass, didn't think it wise to learn or carry a real one) and not taking it as lightly as some people new to hiking do. I'm sorry she passed away as horribly as she did but one outdoor survival class (and not the weak hiking class she took) would have saved her from herself. I hope that lesson prevents other AT deaths like this.

This is a sad story of one woman who got lost unexpectedly on a long hike. She seemed to have been a wonderful person who loved life, and her story should be a warning to hikers to know how to use a compass and map, and to carry them with you. After reading this, I intend to learn at least the basics of using a compass and map for navigating.

I found myself skipping whole pages by the middle and end of this book. It's interesting at first, but delves so much into side-information it lost me. The title of the book is somewhat misleading, as much as it does deal with a death on the Appalachian Trail, it should be called "This Trail Isn't for Rookies" as it's more a story of the trail itself and the difficulties in hiking it. I feel this story of the lost woman could have been a chapter in the larger book rather than the subject.

I liked this book because it brought Inchworm to life and emphasized the need for survival training for hikers. As the book points out it is easy even for experienced hikers to get lost in the woods even if you only go a few feet off the trail. If you are going into the woods survival training is necessary. This book emphasizes that by telling Inchworms story. After reading the book I felt like I knew her. I wish she’d have had survival training. The loss of such a sweet caring person is tragic when survival training most likely would have saved her.

I liked this book because it brought Inchworm to life and emphasized the need for survival training for hikers. As the book points out it is easy even for experienced hikers to get lost in the woods even if you only go a few feet off the trail. If you are going into the woods survival training is necessary. This book emphasizes that by telling Inchworms story. After reading the book I felt like I knew her. I wish she’d have had survival training. The loss of such a sweet caring person is tragic when survival training most likely would have saved her.