They Said It Would Be Fun: A Hilarious Journey Learning to Hike the NH 48

by Kenneth Bosse

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger....or so they say....unless you are old and out of shape while attempting to take up hiking. Ken takes you on humorous adventures in the NH White Mountains as he tackles the NH 48 4,000 footers. Young or old, experienced hiker or beginner, you will get lots of laughs learning the finer lessons of hiking. Profits from book sales will go to New Hampshire Search and Rescue.

Genres: Nonfiction

231 pages, Paperback

Published November 29, 2019

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the different mountains and hearing the advice, but I admit (I'm sorry) I got tired of the repetitive jokes. I agree though, you have to hike with the right people. People you trust and people you are compatible with. I think I'm going to skip the rest of the 48 and go right to the 52 with a view. :)

[Katie Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some jokes turned me off...

Things I enjoyed about this book: I’ve hiked 11/48 myself and feel a connection to the author’s desire to hike and assessment of how difficult it is for normal people! I enjoyed hearing his take on the ones I’ve climbed (both 48 and others) and enjoyed the self deprecating humor throughout.

Things I did not enjoy: A lot of the humor was off color, which isn’t a problem, but many jokes were not okay with me. A transphobic parenthetical joke and many references to Native Americans that were just unnecessary. I brought my review up to 3 stars because he did seem to lay off of those jokes as the book continues... though I could have done without a Pastor ever writing anything about a female hiker’s panties, even if the joke was on him.

[AndyL · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, enjoyable and relatable read especially for those, like myself, who already are on their own journey to complete the 48 (I have done 36), or for those who aspire to do so. However, the jokes and stories were somewhat repetitive (ie. frequent references to life insurance, ice cream, pizza). And I know there are guidebooks out there and this is specifically not designed to be one but rather than repeat the same jokes in each chapter, it might have been interesting and helpful for those just starting out if the author instead provided a little information about why a specific trail was chosen over another option.

[Matthew Barmack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contemplating a move to New England so I thought that I would learn more about the White Mountains. The book is the author's account of hiking all 48 of the 4,000 foot peaks in New Hampshire, including many in the White Mountains. Based on my limited experience, it accurately characterizes hiking in the White Mountains and gave me lots of ideas for hikes that I might like to try. The author has a slightly corny sense of humor and some of the jokes/stories are a little repetitive, e.g., about the author's weight/age/poor fitness, Dunkin Donuts, flatulence, etc. Nevertheless, I enjoyed and learned a lot.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book, I don't hike but my daughter has done the 48, many of them several times.
Laughed out loud at many sections as the authors sarcasm and real life emotions, you know the ones we feel/think but don't voice!
I'm passing this book on to my daughter who i know will enjoy it as much as I did.

[Wendy Warren · Rating 2 out of 5]

"And that my friend is hiking," was repeated a lot along with other descriptions and stories. Very repetitive, couldn't tell one mountain from the other. Yes, his legs hurt, yes, he was hungry, yes, his friend made fun of him, yes, he likes Dunkin' Donuts, etc. If he mentioned how fat he was one more time... His jokes were corny and juvenile. This book may have been better rewritten as a children's book. And that my friend is my review.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny while also educational snippets. As a hiker, I found this book a wonderful read that I could not put down. So funny and relatable. Happy to see the profits support SAR as well.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the author suggests at the start, this is a great book to read a story here & a story there as they’re a bit repetitive. But, I read it straight thru & still enjoyed it. If you like dad humor, it’s pretty good and relatable in many aspects for those of us who are in the process of hiking the NH48- plus, profits go to NH Search & Rescue so GET YOU A COPY!

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for entertainment. Don’t read it all at once because it gets repetitive. The author himself recommends two chapters a day.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious...especially if you've done these hikes and know the trails. A bit repetitive at times, but still manage to get a chuckle from me. Could totally relate! Fun, light, quick read!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’ve hiked the NH 48s this is an easily relatable book. It was a quick and easy read, I did find it to be somewhat repetitive.

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

[Gloria M. mehnert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the funniest yet inspiring books I have ever read!

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was entertaining with lots of humorous stories

[Kendra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a recommendation of a online hiking group I'm a part of, people seemed to really enjoy it but I found it somewhat painful to get through. Kenneth had some amazing thoughts/insights about what hiking is. I really enjoyed the moments when he would reflect on how majestic the mountains are and the kind of experience you have climbing them.

But, his jokes about how 'fat and out of shape' he was and his overall self-deprecating humor, were in every single chapter on every single hike. It was too repetitive. I get it, he wasn't in peak performance, but he was able to lead the pack of his friend group and make it to the summit time and time again. I wish he had given himself some credit, or maybe told different anecdotes of what him and his friends discussed during the many hours they were up on the trails.

I also found some of his jokes to be a little off-color and offensive, specifically when he would make up fake meanings for the names of each mountain. Or, when he refers to hiking like a woman giving birth, it's absolutely horrible during the act but then all you remember at the end is the view/baby and then you want to make/do another.

[Ellen Kolb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tales of Fun & Challenges on NH Trails

Ken Bosse’s account of hiking New Hampshire’s “4000 footers” (the state’s peaks of at least 4000’) is full of humor & encouragement, especially for readers who love the outdoors but don’t think of themselves as high-powered hikers. This will be most appealing to New Englanders familiar with the region’s fickle weather that can turn any hike into a day of surprises.

The book could have benefited from tighter editing - for example, Bosse’s intrepid hiking buddies needed only to be renamed, not reintroduced, in multiple chapters.

As a New Hampshire hiker of a certain age myself, I enjoyed the stories. Now to go find a trail myself.

[Kelly Russell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Author used the same three or four jokes the entire book. There were multiple spelling and grammatical errors and it was very clearly self-published. This would never pass an editor or publisher. It's the same story repeated 48 times in a row. He re-introduces his hiking friends every single chapter. I made myself finish it but will definitely not be reading his other book on the 52WAV.