Way back on July 18th, I went to the Athens Theatre in Deland, Florida to see a screening of the movie Mile… Mile and a Half, a film documenting a thru-hiking trip of the John Muir Trail taken by a group of friends. I had never been to the Athens Theatre, though I had frequently ate lunch just down the street, and I had never paid more than a passing thought to the John Muir Trail, instead focusing more on longer trails such as the Appalachian Trail, Florida Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and the JMT’s longer neighbor, the Pacific Crest Trail.
The Athens Theatre was a great venue and from the moment I arrived, the lobby area was packed with people. I forwent browsing the memorabilia they were selling there, instead opting to find a good seat. As I entered the theatre, I was informed that the balcony section was also available and as this event didn’t have any assigned seating, I could sit anywhere I liked. I made my way to the balcony and sat in the front row there, a great view of both the stage and the floating screen that the movie was projected on.
Mile… Mile and a Half started off by following a group of five friends who were embarking on a thru-hike of the John Muir Trail. Early on in the trip one member of the team drops out, but they meet up with others along the way, increasing their group size. The movie features amazing scenery throughout California from Yosemite National Park to Mount Whitney, interspersed with humorous and thought-provoking dialogue in a visually pleasing real-life story of life on the trail.
I won’t give away any more of the story, but I highly recommend checking out any showings near you (check the Mile… Mile and a Half Events Page) or buy the DVD. After the movie, two of the members of the group, Ric and Jen Serena, who are from Central Florida, fielded questions from the audience. It was a great experience and I was really happy that I had decided to go. The John Muir Trail is now on my bucket list.
If anyone reading this has seen the movie or been to the event, what were your thoughts? Did it make you want to go out an hike the John Muir Trail?
ren3gade 