BOOK PREVIEW · PURCHASES NOT AVAILABLE
Gene Tolliver

For hikers and walkers over 60

Keep the trail
within reach.

A plain-spoken guide to the gear, decisions, and small checks that can make a day outside more comfortable.

A proposed guide · Designed to be read at your own pace

PROPOSED COVER · BOOK PREVIEW

12 proposed chapters
From beginning to end
Plain language
Practical topics to revisit
Preview
Purchases not available

01 / FROM THE VIDEO

A story worth following through.

Dottie Kaplan brought the boots her late husband Frank had given her into my Boone shop after a painful trip on Roan Mountain. Her story reminds me that even a treasured pair needs a careful check before it goes back on the trail.

The narrator and story are fictional.

02 / THE PROPOSED CHAPTERS

What’s inside the plan.

A Practical Guide to Boots, Packs, and Getting Back to the Car

  1. 01Start Where You Are
    Choose a walk that fits your day and leave room to turn around.
  2. 02Measure Both Feet
    Make fit, including width, the starting point for your footwear.
  3. 03The Right Shoe for the Walk
    Compare the weight, support, and conditions your footwear needs to handle.
  4. 04Try Them on a Slope
    Check toe room and heel movement before a long descent.
  5. 05The Boots in the Closet
    Inspect stored footwear and learn why a good-looking sole may not be sound.
  6. 06Socks, Laces, and Hot Spots
    Think through the small adjustments that make a walk more comfortable.
  7. 07Poles and the Downhill
    Consider poles and a measured pace for the trip down.
  8. 08A Pack That Fits
    Choose what to carry and keep the load manageable.
  9. 09Weather and Layers
    Prepare for a change in mountain weather.
  10. 10Water, Food, and Rest
    Plan breaks and supplies for the walk you actually intend to take.
  11. 11Before You Leave
    Check your route, tell someone your plans, and know when to turn back.
  12. 12Back to the Car
    Give the return trip the same thought as the climb.

03 / THE NARRATOR

Meet Gene Tolliver.

I’m Gene Tolliver. For 38 years I owned an outdoor shop in the North Carolina mountains, fitting boots and selling packs, poles, and rain gear. I’m retired now, and I want to pass along the things I learned from the people who came through that door.

Gene Tolliver is a fictional author persona, and the story is fictional.

THE BOOK PREVIEW

Still on the Trail

A Practical Guide to Boots, Packs, and Getting Back to the Car

The book has not been written yet. This page presents the proposed concept; purchases are not available.

Checkout placeholder · No payment is collected.

04 / A STRAIGHT ANSWER

Can I buy it now?

No. This is a preview of a planned book, and there is no checkout.

General information, not medical advice; see a doctor or physical therapist for knee or foot pain.

Purchases are not available.

This is a preview. The book has not been written and checkout is not connected.