Review: "A Fabulous Thru-Hike" by Derick Lugo

A Fabulous Thru-Hike by Derick Lugo
Published February 2026 via Mountaineers Books
★★★★

When Lugo set out on the Appalachian Trail, it changed his life—and a decade or so later, it was time for a new adventure.

A tiny fraction of the number of people who hike the Appalachian Trail hike the Continental Divide Trail. It's almost 50% longer than the AT; it's more rugged; trail signs are limited; and on it goes. Consequently, there are a lot fewer books about the CDT than books about the AT, so I was pretty pleased to pick this one up.

The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) estimates that only 150 to 400 people attempt the trail each year, compared with about 3,000 for the AT. However, the CDT has a completion rate of around 80 percent, while on the AT it's closer to 25 percent. (loc. 111*)

What I loved: This felt like a lighthearted, good-natured romp. Lugo had strugglebus days on the CDT, but he knew what he was doing (see: why a higher proportion of starters on the CDT complete their hike than starters on the AT), and he seems like a pretty social guy who was just happy to meet new people, be out in nature, and hike hike hike. It also helps that Lugo's introductions of people are pretty positive-neutral—this is a low bar, but I've read far too many hiking memoirs by men that comment extensively (and subjectively, and sometimes lecherously) on women's appearances, and that is (yay) not the case here.

What surprised me: Lugo's journey on the CDT was way more social than I expected. I've read only two other CDT memoirs, and both of them took place well before Lugo's hike (and also, it's been a while since I read either of them!), so in retrospect I shouldn't have been surprised; there was of course also a time when a tiny number of people walked the AT, or the Camino, and so on. But I didn't expect Lugo's journey to so quickly turn to his trail family. That's neither a good thing nor a bad one, but I suppose it reflects the changing shape of thru-hiking.

What I wanted more of: Most of this book is about the external journey. As Lugo says, he had nothing to prove; he was doing the CDT for the joy of hiking (and also perhaps to write another book!). That's okay—not every hiking book needs a deep backstory—but I wouldn't have minded a bit more of the internal. Lugo also touches very briefly on some of what it's like to be hiking this sort of trail as a Black and Hispanic man; I imagine it's not what he wanted to focus on, and that's of course entirely his call, but it's an experience I haven't read much about, and it seems like an untapped opportunity. (Underrepresented hikers...I want to read your memoirs!)

I'd put this at 3.5 stars; it would have been higher with more internal journey, but I'm rounding up for the sake of more CDT-focused books.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.