Blazing Ahead – Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the Rivalry that Built the Appalachian Trail
Few know the full story behind the creation of Appalachian Trail. The proposal to create it could have died in the pages of a journal had it not been for the efforts of many people―and two, in particular: Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery. While the two men shared a common goal, their vastly different personalities meant it was only a matter of time before these sometimes allies, sometimes adversaries had a falling out.
Jeffrey Ryan’s book, Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery, and the Rivalry That Built the Appalachian Trail weaves history and biography to bring the story of the unlikely creation of the AT to life. Drawing upon never before published sources, Blazing Ahead delves deep into the historical realities MacKaye and Avery faced and how their personalities and views ultimately forced them apart.
About Jeffrey H Ryan (Portland, Maine Author)
Maine based author, speaker and photographer Jeffrey Ryan has a contagious passion for exploring the outdoors, particularly on foot. Jeff has hiked thousands of miles including his first “trip of a lifetime”, a 6 ½-month hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. In 1985, Jeff began “section hiking” the Appalachian Trail with a childhood friend, a journey that would take 28 years to complete and culminated in his first book, Appalachian Odyssey: A 28-year hike on America’s trail.
Intrigued by the question of how the legendary trail came into being, he researched and wrote his second book, Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the Rivalry that Built the Appalachian Trail. When he is not researching and writing, Ryan explores the back roads of the USA and Canada in his vintage 1985 VW camper.
