The Voice of America News has a nice feature on hiking the Appalachian Trail that's definitely worth a read. Or listen, if that's what you prefer. You can download the broadcast in MP3 and Real player formats or listen directly from the Web page.

Here's an excerpt:

For some, the most difficult challenge of the Appalachian Trail is facing oneself and one's own mind during the long isolated stretches of wilderness. Pondwater says he found both wisdom and solace out there.

"It's amazing what you can learn when you are alone with your thoughts for five months," he observes. "We walked for about eight to ten hours a day and usually we were walking by ourselves or in silence. So I've been left to think and pray and be alone. When you get away from the world and you get away from cell phones and the conference meetings and the business lunches and everything that goes with being busy, and you just take time and you just walk and listen, it's pretty amazing."