Book excerpt: Psalms in My Backpack is a memoir of our family hiking 262 miles of the Appalachian Trail (AT)--without cell phones--and surviving.Here I am on the AT, weighed down by my 35-pound backpack. In 1990, hiking the AT was meant to be a fun adventure. But as our family of six lugged overstuffed backpacks, we weren't always having fun.We carried burdens heavier than our packs as we scaled rocky cliffs or cowered in raging storms. Sometimes we leaped over poisonous snakes and suffered from thirst and hunger.But even in desperate times, we trusted that God would provide safety and peace. Our trust is expressed in Psalm verses that introduce each of the 154 vignettes. Original photos and pencil drawings complete the tale.Told from a mom's perspective, the story appeals to adventurous moms--and dads--backpackers and wanna-be-hikers.As you read, you might think the risks of the AT were too extreme. Maybe you'll admire us or scorn us. Maybe our adventure will encourage you or discourage you from backpacking. Whatever your reaction, I'm confident this story will entertain and transform you. Linda Jane "Janie" Niedfeldt is an outdoorsy, small-town gal. After college, marriage, and four children, she dabbled at teaching but focused on writing. Niedfeldt wrote two children's historical fiction books, then dozens of newspaper stories and a few national magazine articles. In 1995, she and her husband Tom started a travel business, taking her small-town life perspective to more than 75 countries. Now in retirement, she's written two more children's novels and her first memoir, Psalms in My Backpack.