Feather Beard: Steps from the Heart of a Solitary Walker

Frank Carter set out in the spring of 2012 to rediscover his family’s southern roots, his own essence, and the earth itself by walking 500 miles through America’s greatest wilderness path—the Appalachian Trail. The lessons sprawl over the miles, coming from myriad sources, from an ant-riddled worm to a path-guarding bear to a battle-damaged soldier recovering from his horrors through nature’s tonic.

In a time of environmental crisis and human separation from nature, Feather Beard explores through art, music, and storytelling the act of walking as a mode of reconnecting to the more-than-human world. It re-examines the sojourn as a lost art, a modern take on the walkabout, vision quest, or religious pilgrimage—experiences cultures around the globe seek out, knowing that our personal journeys begin with a thousand steps.