Four Boots, One Journey: A Story of Survival, Awareness and Rejuvenation on the John Muir Trail

Join Jeff Alt in this heartwarming and inspiring first-hand account about hiking the 218-mike trek along the John Muir Trail with his wife to honor her brother’s memory.

While more in love than ever, newlyweds Jeff and Beth could not be more different. Jeff, an avid hiker, prefers long, exhausting thru-hikes and sleeping under a canopy of stars. Beth, on the other hand, prefers hotels, hot showers, and ending the day in a warm, clean bed.

But when Beth’s brother dies tragically by suicide, Jeff convinces Beth to join him on the 218-mile hike along the John Muir Trail to honor her brother’s memory, and spread awareness about mental health issues. Their journey through three national parks--Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Park--is never short of surprises, as they encounter everything from menacing bears to lightning strikes, and food shortages to altitude sickness.

Yet, slowly but surely, Beth starts to discover the joys, trials, and extraordinary beauty of exploring nature with just a backpack to your name.

Previously known as A Hike for Mike, this new edition is a rewarding, humorous tale of one couple’s adventurous journey to healing, rediscovering nature, and falling more in love with each other every step of the way.

Jeff Alt’s adventures have been featured on ESPN, Hallmark Channel, in the AP, and more. Alt is a celebrated author and a talented speaker. He is the author of Four Boots One Journey, Get Your Kids Hiking, and A Walk for Sunshine. A Walk for Sunshine, won the Gold in the 2009 Book of the Year awards sponsored by Fore Word Reviews, it took first place winner in the 2009 National Best Books Awards Sponsored by USA Book News, and won a Bronze in the 2010 Living Now Book Awards sponsored by Jenkins Group. Get Your Kids Hiking won the Bronze in both the 2014 Living Now Book Awards, and the 2013 IndieFab Award in Family and Relationships. Alt is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). He has walked the Appalachian Trail, the John Muir Trail with his wife, and he carried his 21-month old daughter across a path of Ireland.