GetHiking! Presents: Up On Cove Mountain with Earl Swift

GetHiking Charlottesville Presents

Up on Cove Mountain - Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for Meaning on the Appalachian Trail

Join your hiking friends for a fascinating presentation about Up on Cove Mountain, the newest book by New York Times bestselling author Earl Swift.

The presentation follows Swift's remarkable journey across the Appalachian Trail—first as a young backpacker in 1990 and again more than three decades later, when he returned in his sixties to discover whether he was still equal to the trail's 2,200 miles of rugged terrain.

Woven throughout his story is one of the Appalachian Trail's most haunting tragedies. Early during his first thru-hike, Swift spent time hiking with two fellow backpackers who were friendly, experienced, and doing everything right. Just weeks later, they were murdered at a mountaintop campsite in Pennsylvania in one of the trail's most infamous crimes.

Decades later, Swift retraces both the physical journey and the mystery that has stayed with him ever since, exploring how such violence could occur in one of America's most beloved wilderness settings.

More than a true-crime story, Up on Cove Mountain is a thoughtful exploration of long-distance hiking, aging, risk, resilience, and the enduring appeal of the Appalachian Trail. Whether you're an experienced backpacker, a day hiker, or simply enjoy great storytelling, this presentation offers a unique look at the beauty, challenges, and unforgettable experiences found along America's most iconic footpath.

About the Author
Earl Swift is a New York Times bestselling author whose acclaimed works of narrative nonfiction include Chesapeake Requiem, named to numerous "Best Books of the Year" lists, and Hell Put to Shame, a finalist for both the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime and the Virginia Literary Award. A former reporter for The Virginian-Pilot and a contributor to Outside magazine and other national publications, Swift has been chasing stories over nearly fifty years. Swift has lived for fourteen months on a remote Chesapeake Bay island, camped for weeks in the Laotian jungle, excavated a crashed World War II bomber in Papua New Guinea, made numerous tail hook landings on aircraft carriers, and waded alongside six-foot catfish in the sewers of St. Louis. He's also circumnavigated the Chesapeake by sea kayak, canoed 435 miles down Virginia's James River, and survived close encounters with bears, vipers, scorpions, stingrays, foot-long centipedes, and unexploded bombs. He was a Fulbright fellow to New Zealand in 1994, and a Virginia Humanities fellow at the University of Virginia for ten years, beginning in 2012. Truly one of our own, he lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Charlottesville, where his lifelong passion for hiking and the outdoors continues to inspire his writing.

Come Early, as seating is limited.
6:00 p.m. - frosty beverages, food/snacks and meet & greet
6:20 to 8:00 p.m. - presentation followed by questions, signing & prizes!