On sabbatical from his work as a Lutheran pastor, Frank Johnson tackles the 310-mile Superior Hiking Trail (SHT), thru-hiking for a month across the arrowhead of northern Minnesota. Armed with a journal and an obligation to write a devotional that he never wanted to do in the first place, he quickly discovers that the trail defies themes cooked up in an air-conditioned office. By day three, the devotional dies and the adventure begins. Johnson leaves no stone unturned in his quest to understand the magnetic pull of the trail. Along his journey, he meets characters who inspire and confuse, whose motivations are as varied as the terrain of the Sawtooth Mountains over which the SHT passes, yet it is the natural world itself that is often the greatest teacher. He discovers a deeper appreciation for moths and trout, beavers and bears, pine trees and the dirt that supports them. As he walks, a thread begins to emerge, and he discovers that he is hiking not only to experience nature, but also to come home again a better person.This is no trail guide.

You will not learn what shoes to wear or how to resupply along the route. Instead, you will be carried away on a journey across northern Minnesota, following one man's curiosity wherever the trail may lead. Part travel memoir, part pilgrim's tale, and part love story for the Superior Hiking Trail, Rocks and Roots is for anybody who is in awe of the world around them and longing to venture further in.