SPRUCE PINE —Local author Peter King’s first book, A Retiree’s Appalachian Trail Adventure, was published earlier this summer and chronicles his journey and life on the trail.
In the book, King heavily references his time in Spruce Pine where he was active in the Methodist church as a trustee and board member.
King developed his passion for the Appalachian Trail at a very young age. He and his wife enjoy traveling and have been to 14 countries.
King’s book guides readers on how to hike the entire trail while only spending 16 nights out on the journey.
King found himself near the Appalachian Trail as a boy in Massachusetts and again as an adult living in the Apple Mountain area of Mitchell County.
“I grew up less than two miles from the trail,” King said. “As a child, I was always intrigued and very interested to get out on the trail. It was a lifelong dream to not just hike the trail but really explore it.”
King in 1997 took a job with the local YMCA and fondly remembers the programs he enjoyed.
“We had all sorts of programs going and served all of Mitchell County,” King said.
King and his wife now live in Vermont but they can still recall seeing Mount Mitchell from their Apple Mountain home years ago.
King said retirees or those approaching retirement are the target audience of his book, adding that readers can “learn from my mistakes and experience.”
“I kept really good journals and the pandemic gave me the time to sort of dive into it,” he said. “I kept daily journal notes to recall so many details. I wanted to get into the history that most folks don’t realize. The book evolved into more than just a novel for retirees.”