My 30 years on the Appalachian Trail
Author Jeffrey Ryan will visit the Raymond Village Library to share his Appalachian Trail adventures spanning half a lifetime. Ryan has hiked over 8,000 miles on America’s trails including the Pacific Crest Trail, the New England Trail and many more. In 1985, he started “inadvertently” hiking the Appalachian Trail with a friend, an adventure that […]
Excited to be speaking at the 2018 National Outdoor Recreation Conference
The next best thing to spending time outdoors is spending time with people that have devoted their careers to helping others do it, too. I am honored to be presenting at the National Outdoor Recreation Conference next April in Burlington, Vermont. The venue will be filled with a variety of outdoor professionals that work on […]
Why I hiked across Massachusetts three times
I just got back from a 50-mile late season hike on the New England National Scenic Trail. This time, my hiking buddy Wayne and I completed the hike through Massachusetts (having already walked through Connecticut on prior trips). At the end of this hike, we realized we had now walked across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts […]
Mount Saint Helens and Me
I am fascinated by threads. Especially ones that appear to be random, but reveal themselves as part of one magnificent whole. In early spring 1980, a few months shy of my 23rd birthday, Mount Saint Helens became increasingly active. A series of earthquakes below her center indicated that she was about to put on a […]
Free shipping on signed books through Aug 31
My latest book, Blazing Ahead, has just rolled off the presses and will be in stores soon. To celebrate, I’m offering signed copies of Blazing Ahead and Appalachian Odyssey with free shipping through the end of August. Please use promo code AUGFREE when you check out.
The First Hike
It’s been an excruciating few weeks here in Maine. And I only have myself to blame. I fall for it every year. You’d think that coming up on six decades of going through this would make me older and wiser. But so far, I’m just older. The problem is, of course, the promise of spring. […]
Kudos for Appalachian Odyssey
“I like wandering through the woods and doing some light hiking, but I have absolutely no desire to camp out anywhere that doesn’t involve a cabin, a bed, and a hot shower. So it may surprise people that I thoroughly enjoyed a memoir about hiking the Appalachian Trail. But I did!” — The Book Fetish […]
My Newest Book, “Blazing Ahead” is Coming this Fall!
Excited to announce that my new book “Blazing Ahead – Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the Rivalry the Built the Appalachian Trail” is now available for pre-order, with an expected release date of September 1, 2017. The two men were, of course, instrumental to building the longest continuous footpath in the world. MacKaye was the […]
Recent reviews
“You have to give Jeff Ryan credit for his determination, stamina, and love of the outdoors. … He loved every hike, and that love and enjoyment comes through in his book, Appalachian Odyssey, published by Down East Books.” — George Smith, Bangor Daily News “Wonderful read; engaging story. Live the trail; read this book.” — Rich K. […]
My Search for the Vanishing Silence
One of my favorite places on earth is in North Dakota. I’ve only been to the sacred spot twice. The trips were separated by 13 years. The refreshingly open Badlands landscape had hardly changed and was comfortably familiar. But it wasn’t just the view that I came back for. It was the silence. I couldn’t […]