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Three Trails, 8,000 Miles, One Unexpected Journey Across America's Triple Crown
What began as research for a trail guide became something far deeper: an odyssey of humility, wonder, and grit-forged lessons. Hiking all three longest and most iconic U.S. National Scenic Routes was never her plan. Yet somewhere along the way, Tami Asars became one of the first 100 women in recorded history to achieve the Triple Crown of hiking — one of the hardest won accomplishments in American backpacking.
Long Lost is her raw, trail-scarred testament to discovering the Appalachian Trail — the final and most punishing stretch of her voyage. Along the way, she flashes back to triumphs and heartbreaks on earlier paths, weaving together an untamed narrative of resolve and joy that carried her through to the end.
Through hurricanes and ice storms, through sickness and exhaustion, she kept moving forward. The route tested her body and shook her soul, but it also revealed grace: mountains rising in dreamy, layered horizons, kindness offered by strangers, and the deep satisfaction of pushing through hardship. At her side was Five Star — trail brother, unlikely teammate, and mirror opposite. Their camaraderie, equal parts determination and humor, became a lifeline bound by the silent promise to never let each other down.
Beyond maps and mileage, Long Lost recounts a saga of tenderness, perseverance, and resilience found in the messy, unvarnished middle rather than the sugar coated highlight reel. It is a memoir of voluntary suffering that shaped character, tested endurance, and illuminated the beauty of companionship.
Sometimes, being Long Lost is exactly where you’re meant to be.
Maybe it was this profound self-reflection that kept me coming back: feeling suffering and elation in their rawest, most immediate forms, like living an entire life in just four or five months.
-Tami Asars, Long Lost