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A Blistered Kind of Love: One Couple's Trial by Trail
They're not sure which came first--falling in love with each other or falling in love with the idea of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (Mexico to Canada). At the trailhead, they were warned that there would be tears, that each would have to find their own separate pace, and that at times the tent would seem awfully small for the two of them. They were told that their bigges...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
September 28th 2003
by Mountaineers Books
(first published September 2003)
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I had somewhat high hopes for a memoir about the Pacific Crest Trail, considering it is something that Tal and I want to do someday.
Alas, rather than giving me inspiration, it put me in a funk. Instead of hearing crazy trail stories and solioquays on the beauty of nature I read about the authors relationship to each other, about crying on the trail and having basic trail/outdoor knowledge condescendingly explained to me.
I could seriously care less.
Then, to a...more
Alas, rather than giving me inspiration, it put me in a funk. Instead of hearing crazy trail stories and solioquays on the beauty of nature I read about the authors relationship to each other, about crying on the trail and having basic trail/outdoor knowledge condescendingly explained to me.
I could seriously care less.
Then, to a...more
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I used my REI dividend to purchase Day & Overnight Hikes: Oregon's Pacific Crest Trail last summer, and this summer I used it to plan several trips, both day and overnight. In poking around the library for other guides, I found "Blistered Love" in the PCT section and decided to check it out, hoping it had some funny stories about the part I was going to go through.
It didn't have much reminiscing on Oregon, but after reading it I became fascinated with the Pacific Crest...more
It didn't have much reminiscing on Oregon, but after reading it I became fascinated with the Pacific Crest...more
This book succeeds in nearly every aspect it wishes to. It's not easy to write about yourself without going into too much detail, particularly under these grueling conditions, but both authors do a great job. There is a great sense of place here; you meet many of their trail friends, see their relationship suffer from some bumps and bruises, and feel the love of the trail angels.
The real star of this book is, of course, the Pacific Crest Trail. From the dusty desert to the High Cascade...more
The real star of this book is, of course, the Pacific Crest Trail. From the dusty desert to the High Cascade...more
Here is yet another book I’ve added to my long list about through-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. This account is certainly one of the better and more engaging documentary of what is essentially a long, often boring, and repetitive endeavor. This story has the advantage of also exploring the dynamics between a young couple with little experience in long-distance hiking. Sometimes the story is told from his perspective, and sometimes from hers. Their differences and conflicts and how they dea...more
An enjoyable and easy read, and a realistic look at the frustrations of hiking with someone (and the boringness/loneliness of hiking alone. The fighting over food, water, speed, pack weights, daily distance. These are difficult enough topics on a 10-mile day hike (or a 4-mile day hike with kids!).
But this book is not all about whining--it's also about relationships forged, the reasons people thru-hike, the reasons people help hikers, and the beauty of the country and sense of accompli...more
But this book is not all about whining--it's also about relationships forged, the reasons people thru-hike, the reasons people help hikers, and the beauty of the country and sense of accompli...more
Rob and I read this book together. I'm pretty sure if either of us had tried reading this alone, we would have given up at some point. Let's hope we approach the PCT with a little more gusto.
I appreciated the he said/she said format with each author writing every other chapter but other than that, there wasn't much to like in this book. There was a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth and too many pages spent on things that are just not huge concerns and arguably, not real- desper...more
I appreciated the he said/she said format with each author writing every other chapter but other than that, there wasn't much to like in this book. There was a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth and too many pages spent on things that are just not huge concerns and arguably, not real- desper...more
Angela and Duffy Ballard are a super-straight couple who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail together and wrote a book about it. The gimmick of the book is that they alternate narrating sections. However, you could open up the book at random and know which one is writing, because she's a much better writer than he is. The book is a great read, but it's in spite of Duffy, not because of him.
Don't read this if you don't love this kind of long-walk narrative. If you do keep tabs on that genre...more
Don't read this if you don't love this kind of long-walk narrative. If you do keep tabs on that genre...more
Not sure what spurred me to pick this book up - I had just dropped my parents off to do a section of the PCT in Oregon, but I honestly can't remember if I sought this book out or if I just happened to see it. Anyway, this is the story of a couple who decide to thru-hike the PCT from Mexico to Canada. They realize that it's going to be a test of their relationship, and that's part of the reason they do it. They weather it well; apparently they married not long after the trip. Neither of them had ...more
This book was just fine, although if you're not enamored with the idea of long-distance hiking, you may find it a bit dull. While the two authors took turns narrating chapters, I actually couldn't really tell their voices apart. Although they opened up about the mental and physical challenges they faced on the PCT, I never quite felt close enough to the characters to care. This was my first book I've read about the PCT though, so I did enjoy the descriptions of the trail and terrain.
A Blistered Kind of Love is a terrific account of one couple as they trek the Pacific Crest Trail. The narrative alternates between authors Angela and Duffy Ballard, and that sets the book apart from other hiking memoirs. Seeing the hike from both perspectives invites the reader to share the experience with greater depth than most single-perspective narratives. It's almost as if we get to alternate sharing the trail with each author, hearing ones view of the trail tale before we hang back and jo...more
Liz
rated it
I wish I could give this book two and a half stars... I bought it in a gift shop because I was facing a four and a half hour boat ride and absolutely desperate for a book. And this book did effectively fill my time with a decently written, compelling story, but at times I felt like it was unnecessarily padded with extra source material (like extensive, gratuitous quoting from "Men are from Mars...")
During the summer of 2006, my husband and I went to Oregon for vacation. We spent time visiting one of my college roommates and her family before embarking on a tour of the state. We camped at Mt. Hood, visited Crater Lake, climbed South Sister, saw a lava tube, rode ATVs on 400-ft sand dunes and camped on the coast. It was a ton of fun.
Read entire review here.
Read entire review here.
I liked this book because I like to read about true stories of things I would never do myself. I learned that as with many sports, interests and hobbies there is a percentage of people who take it to the next level. For some it gets in their blood and devote their lives to their chosen endeavor. However, this couple are not quite that way. They learned about themselves without the distractions that face us everyday. They learned that they liked a bit of solitude and maybe even preferred mor...more
For anyone who dreams of epic adventures, like hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, this might be a good book to read. Especially if you like to hike. And more especially if you dream of hiking the PCT. i like the fact that two ordinary, down-to-earth people pulled this off, were still in love after the journey, and took the time to write about it.
I'm sorry, but this book is awful. I wanted so much to like it, being one half of a hiking couple, but by the end of the book, I am sort of hoping that the happy couple gets mauled by a bear.
I enjoyed the fact that each chapter came from a his or hers point of view, but the heavy handed cliches and cutesy language was almost unbearable at times. Also unbearable was Duffy's need to educate the reader on the most basic of concepts, like how mountains are formed and very basic history....more
I enjoyed the fact that each chapter came from a his or hers point of view, but the heavy handed cliches and cutesy language was almost unbearable at times. Also unbearable was Duffy's need to educate the reader on the most basic of concepts, like how mountains are formed and very basic history....more
Finally, a long-distance hiking book where the main characters aren't tools. Now-married hikers Angela and Duffy actually PLANNED their PCT-thru hike (unlike authors Dan White and Bill Bryson) and still managed to produce an entertaining, useful account of their travels from Mexico to Canada.
This truly is one couple's trial by trail. It is an honest depiction of what long-term hiking with a partner would be like. It is simply written and almost childish at times. If you can see through a whole lot of whining and relationship analysis, there is some hiking in there. If you're looking for logistical info about the PCT, look elsewhere.
Kristal Cooper
added it
Hiking 2600+ miles in one summer is an undertaking way beyond my personal comprehension. How did these two survive? It was interesting to read about, but did nothing to inspire me to do the same. In fact, quite the opposite. Thanks, Ballards, for the thorough warning!
Excellent book about their walk along the Pacific Crest trail through california oregon and washington. I have a friend who took this journey a few years ago, so the book grabbed my attention from that. However, the author's have a great witty sense of humor to keep you sucked in reading their adventures.
What an enjoyable book! The authors shared a heart felt adventure while they hiked along the Pacific Crest Trail making this book one of my favorites. Sometimes the simplest most pure challenges can have a most profound impression.
This book is about the journey of a couple, Angela and Duffy, who decide to hike the Pacific Crest Trail together (about two thousand something miles). They are your average couple, so much so that I could easily identify with Angela and I even began to identify my boyfriend with Duffy. I am certainly not a sportsy person (although I wish I was) but I do love the outdoors so this served to further fuel my spawning interest in hiking. Reading Angela and Duffy's story was inspiring but the tone is...more
Our longest backpacking trip has been about 3 weeks but I could totally relate to the authors much longer trip. It made me want to shoulder a pack and leave right now.
so cute! I loved this book, it shows not only the couples physical growth on the trail, but how it drew them closer together. definitely a good read
Duffy & Angela Ballard decide to hike the 2,655 Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in four months in 2000. The back cover of the book says it all: 6.300,000 steps, 528 doses of ibuprofen, 180 Snickers bars, 36 popped blisters, 7 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of shorts, 2 stoves and 1 titanium pot. They were brutally honest about both the physical difficulties and the relationship issues that inevitable cropped up but were able to see and communicate the humor in most of them. Duffy & Angela...more
I honestly just didn't like the authors/narrators.
Not a bad read. Interesting. Dragged on in a few places. But overall, I did enjoy it.
This was a cute read and inspired me (at least mentally) to think about long term backpacking.
I'd actually give this about 2 1/2 stars, it was an okay book, but I guess I was expecting more. I enjoy reading these long-distance hiking narratives, but this was actually more about a couple & their relationship, & how it fared, rather than the actual details & stories of the trail & people they met.
Another favorite armchair traveling book - especially as I've hiked hundreds of miles myself but never had the courage to attempt the Pacific Crest Trail. Enjoyable, funny and worth reading time and again. Highly recommended.
More enjoyable than I expected. Learned a great deal about the PCT and why I never want to hike it, but I really respect this couple's adventure, and reminded me why I like to hike (albeit much shorter trails).
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