How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
That was the trouble with the AT—it was all one immensely long place, and there was more of it, infinitely more of it, than I could ever conquer. (2.14.10)
This is a lesson Bryson learns well over the course of his journey. At a certain point, he even realizes that it will be impossible for him to literally traverse the AT from end to end. You might thing that this realization would be discouraging, but it instead helps him better appreciate the experience as a whole.
Quote #8
This was of course, the trouble with trying to do the AT in day-sized pieces. It was designed for pushing on, ever on, not for dipping in and out of. (2.14.81)
This is another big realization for Bryson. After trying to hike the Appalachian Trail piecemeal, he quickly realizes that this method lacks the immersion that makes the AT so amazing. It's like having a hundred pieces of pizza but only being able to eat the crust.
Quote #9
The great Dan "Wingfoot" Bruce notes that when the northbound hiker leaves Vermont he has completed 80 percent of the miles but just 50 percent of the effort. (2.17.10)
That's because they're entering the Hundred Mile Wilderness, the most brutal (and most amazingly named) section of the entire Appalachian Trail. If Bryson and Katz thought that the AT was a toughie before, then they better get ready because they ain't seen nothing yet.