James Mayberger launches the greatest journey of his life when, in June of 1988, he attempts to conquer the Great Western Trail in five grueling months of backpacking. His companion is Simon Cordial, an Englishman with an equally adventurous spirit. With only bare necessities on their backs they embark upon the unprecedented 2,400-mile journey through mountains and deserts from Canada to Mexico. In this vivid account that pits Man against Nature, they experience the physical, emotional, and psychological extremes of the human condition.

A SUMMER ODYSSEY: Forging America's Great Western Trail is the true story of two brave men who meet life's magic and heartaches undaunted in the wilderness. Filled with more than one hundred color photographs of the actual trek, this book is an awe-inspiring tale of life and death, love and loss, and the fulfillment of a dream.