Maud and Cesar hiked their "thorough hike" in 2001, spending more than a year on the trail. They were determined to squeeze every last experience from the Appalachian Trail, covering the nearly 2,200 miles across all four seasons.

Their dog, Trudy, joined them and turned out to be the star of their movie. I particularly liked the way in which Cesar "helped" Trudy cross a river! For trail historians, the movie contains the added bonus of an interview with trail legend, Earl Shaffer. If you'd like to see it, contact Cesar at [email protected], or visit www.thethoroughhikers.com.

Don't forget to upload my free ebook, HikingThe Appalachian Trail Is Easy: Especially If You've Never Hiked Before. You can get it by visiting www.steveadams.info