DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Walk of Ages

A Generational Journey from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley

Jim Andersen author Withanee Andersen author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:University of Nevada Press

Published:31st Mar '24

Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date

Walk of Ages cover

Following in her father's footsteps, Withanee Andersen begins the expedition of a lifetime when she and her comrades embark on a trek from Mt. Whitney to Death Valley, tracing the rugged path her father, Jim Andersen, traversed forty-three years earlier.

With hopes of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, Jim led the first documented walk from the highest to lowest point in the contiguous United States­ in 1974. He lived, albeit just barely, to tell the tale to his daughter, sparking a desire in Withanee to retrace his steps in his honor. In 2017, she took on the incredible task of recreating Jim's legacy trek of 131 miles with the help of divine intervention, ice-cold beer, and her parents, who were following along as the support party.

Walk of Ages humorously relates the parallel journey of an epic adventure told from two perspectives–a daughter's difficult quest, and a father who supports her, through it while recalling his own experiences from four decades earlier. Throughout this momentous odyssey, readers will realize how a once-in-a-generation adventure leads to life-changing transformation, and that the bond between father and daughter knows no bounds.

Withanee bridges time and space by, literally, following in the footsteps of her father. . . [L]ong distance hikes push us to our limits. And they provide us with countless opportunities for gaining deep personal insight and developing confidence beyond what's possible in "civilian" life. Walk of Ages motivates me to tackle another big adventure." - Jared Manninen, Tahoe Trail Guide blog

"As a parent, it's bittersweet to watch your children take the hard path that you once followed—and to support them as they face the same crazy challenges and even suffer the same injuries. This, quite literally, is the engaging storyline of Walk of Ages, a richly-detailed account of an audacious outdoor adventure as well as a funny, wise reflection on what tests—and strengthens—a family's bonds across generations." - Alan Deutschman, professor and Reynolds Chair of Business Journalism, University of Nevada, Reno

ISBN: 9781647791063

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 272g

172 pages