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A Blistered Kind of Love: One Couple's Trial by Trail (Barbara Savage Award Winner) Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 229 ratings



* Winner of the 2003 Barbara Savage Miles from Nowhere Award

* A blend of romance, humor, and adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail

* Written in "he said/she said" alternating chapters, this young couple each tell their own story



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 (the length of California, Oregon, and Washington). At the trailhead, the young couple was 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 biggest obstacles to success would be . . . each other.



Their first surprise: freeze-dried meals do funny things to your GI- tract. Their first fight: when Angela noticed that Duffy's long legs propel him along the trail faster than she can muster. But on they pressed -- encountering snakes, bears, and fellow thru-hikers with trail names like Crazy Legs and Catch 23. They baked in the deserts of Southern California, gazed awestruck at the snowy, serrated peaks of the High Sierra, and attempted to hide from Northern Washington's seemingly incessant rain. One hundred thirty two days of Pacific Crest Trail later, they made it -- blisters and all.




Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The 20-something Ballards alternate chapters to detail their 2,655-mile backpacking trek along the Pacific Crest Trail, starting at the U.S./Mexico border and ending in Canada. Angela, an advertising copywriter, is a novice hiker, while Duffy, a pre-med student, is more experienced. Inspired by William R. Gray's The Pacific Crest Trail, the Ballards spend eight months planning and set out; ahead lie three states, three national monuments, seven national parks, 24 national forests and 33 federally mandated wildernesses. They describe the journey's physical, emotional and logistical aspects, including their pre-trip planning, their family's reactions and what they learn about each other along the way. (They marry at trip's end.) The macho couple doesn't want to waste time enjoying the scenery or napping in the sun-their goal is to complete the entire trail, which they do in 132 days. Says Angela upon reaching central Oregon's Crater Lake, "I yearned to find a sheltered cove of grass where I could enjoy the sunset and subsequent sunrise over the lake, stare into the blueness and enjoy a warm mug of hot chocolate." Instead, as usual, "we were tugged by the call of miles." The recommended reading list and numerous practical tips on gear, trail food, first aid and terrain will be a boon to those attempting the Ballards' feat themselves. But less hardy souls may be discouraged from doing so. As the adventurers state in the epilogue, "our trail life wasn't all sunsets, starry nights and self development. Sweat, stench, gritty skin, and exhaustion killed many otherwise profound moments." Map.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Alternating chapters, the Ballards describe their arduous 2,655-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, which zigzags its way from Mexico to Canada, crossing three states, three national monuments, seven national parks, 24 national forests, and 33 federally mandated wildernesses. Grappling with thirst, fear, and pain, they completed the trail in 132 days. In addition to providing detailed information on pretrip planning (meal preparation, gear, medicines), they also relate many amusing anecdotes about the characters they met along the way, including one pair whose goal was hiking 1 percent of the trail while intoxicated (they were successful). In between breathtaking descriptions of the many scenic vistas, which they viewed very briefly because of their manic devotion to covering a set amount of miles per day, the couple speak insightfully about their dynamics, which sometimes deteriorated into fights over the size of each other's steps. Although many of the couples they encountered on the trail had broken up by the end, the Ballards got married. This delightful title has appeal beyond hard-core backpackers. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00B1FTNQU
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mountaineers Books; 1st edition (September 19, 2003)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 19, 2003
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1320 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 229 ratings

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Angela Ballard
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
229 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and engaging. They praise the writing quality as well-written and easy to understand. Readers appreciate the detailed descriptions of the trail and scenery. The humor and realism make the story relatable and humorous. Overall, customers appreciate the perspective from both authors' points of view.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

39 customers mention "Enjoyment"39 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it entertaining and enjoyable to read with their partners. The back-and-forth chapters are told by each author. Readers appreciate the honest, funny, and sympathetic writing style.

"...This is an honest, funny, sympathetic read. I loved it!" Read more

"This story was enjoyable and at some points riveting. I enjoyed the back and forth chapters, told by each author, and knowing the areas that they..." Read more

"...I very much enjoyed this book and it does a great job of making the Pacific Crest trail seem intriguing!" Read more

"This was delightful book about a couple thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. The man and woman, who later married, take turns writing chapters...." Read more

24 customers mention "Story quality"24 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging story about a couple's journey along the Pacific Crest Trail. They find it an interesting read about relationships and hiking with couples. The book is described as honest, with thought-provoking trail mishaps and wonderful nature descriptions.

"This story was enjoyable and at some points riveting...." Read more

"...The tale has moments of true humor, inspirational thoughts, and words to live by...." Read more

"...good balance of scenery and trail description/research and relationship/emotional content...." Read more

"...It is not the typical love story you might expect, it's more of a documentary on the development of, while thoroughly covering the aspects of this..." Read more

18 customers mention "Writing quality"13 positive5 negative

Customers find the book well-written and easy to understand. They appreciate the back-and-forth writing style from both authors' perspectives. The inspirational thoughts and words of wisdom are also mentioned.

"...I enjoyed the back and forth chapters, told by each author, and knowing the areas that they passed through, the descriptions were great!..." Read more

"...I love the way it is written from both the perspective of Angela and Duffy, alternating, and how that gave you insight to not only the Pacific Crest..." Read more

"...book also references a lot of other book/subjects, which read more like a school essay, it also mentioned a lot of accidents and statistics of death..." Read more

"Written from both couple's point of view, chapter by chapter. Well written, well organized...." Read more

16 customers mention "Information quality"16 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and interesting. They appreciate the descriptions of the trail and scenery, making them feel like they are on the trail with them. The book provides good trail information, and readers appreciate the views from both men and women.

"...author, and knowing the areas that they passed through, the descriptions were great!..." Read more

"...In addition to being a great PCT travelogue it is also an interesting example of the way two people can view the exact same trip quite differently...." Read more

"...I loved the descriptions of the trail and the scenery. The beauty and the misery. Reading about hiking the PCT is the closest I'll get to it now...." Read more

"...A good balance of scenery and trail description/research and relationship/emotional content...." Read more

6 customers mention "Humor"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find the story amusing and say it makes them laugh.

"...This is an honest, funny, sympathetic read. I loved it!" Read more

"...The tale has moments of true humor, inspirational thoughts, and words to live by...." Read more

"...It was exciting, funny, cute. It really held my attention to the very end. I loved the descriptions of the trail and the scenery...." Read more

"...This adds a humorous dimension to the trials and tribulations they faced, not the least of which was their different hiking speeds...." Read more

5 customers mention "Realism"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's realism. They find it realistic and graphic, with details about the couple's decisions. The story is told in a realistic way, describing the struggles and scenery.

"...It's a graphic and telling story of endurance, scenery, sickness and love...." Read more

"I enjoyed this book and found it very informative. It seemed very realistic and did not spare the struggles of walking the PCT...." Read more

"...I did very much appreciate the details about the decisions the couple made as they when through the experience -- when they were together, when the..." Read more

"...I like the realism with which the couple talk about the difficult moments and the honesty they have about themselves but the book has made me..." Read more

4 customers mention "Perspective"4 positive0 negative

Customers like the book's perspective. They say it shows two people's point of views and is an engaging tale.

"...take turns writing a chapter in the book which gives a nice perspective from both of them...." Read more

"...Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada is an engaging tale, told from both points-of-view...." Read more

"...Also liked how it shows two peoples point of views, just a great book!!" Read more

"Delightful PCT Travelogue With Two Disticnt Views..." Read more

One mistake that I would like to address.
5 out of 5 stars
One mistake that I would like to address.
Great great book. But wish there was a way to give 4.99 on the rating scale.On page 99 she writes in the Chapter, LOST IN WONDERLAND<<Sequoia National Park home to the Giant sequoia, the largest living organism on dry land (Some whales are bigger)>>For me a HUGE error on her part.Absolutely impossible.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2012
    I picked this book after hearing about my friend who had her finance dump her part way into the trail. I guess his guilt about past indescretions were heavier than his pack.

    Usually I hate the style of alternating speakers, but they do it very well. I was glad that they were honest about their bickering (and even sited other authors on the subject) without being depressing. I felt it was honest, not sparing their dignity in describing the dangers of drinking un-filtered water. In was anxious to find out if they made it, and wanted to cheer them on through the rain of Washington (I live in southeast Alaska, so I know about hiking in the rain!).

    This is an honest, funny, sympathetic read. I loved it!
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2014
    This story was enjoyable and at some points riveting. I enjoyed the back and forth chapters, told by each author, and knowing the areas that they passed through, the descriptions were great! Understanding that the California portion of the trail is longer, unfortunately the Oregon and Washington portions seemed rushed. This book has me looking for more PCT novels.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012
    I have read a couple different books regarding the Pacific Crest Trail, and this is my favorite so far. I love the way it is written from both the perspective of Angela and Duffy, alternating, and how that gave you insight to not only the Pacific Crest Trail but into a male-female relationships.
    The tale has moments of true humor, inspirational thoughts, and words to live by. I very much enjoyed this book and it does a great job of making the Pacific Crest trail seem intriguing!
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2011
    This was delightful book about a couple thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. The man and woman, who later married, take turns writing chapters. In addition to being a great PCT travelogue it is also an interesting example of the way two people can view the exact same trip quite differently. What I mean to say is that it demonstrates the way men and women think differently. The parts written by the man were about where they were and what they were doing whereas the parts written by the woman were more likely to be about how she was feeling emotionally and physically. Hmmm - interesting.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2015
    I WANTED to love this book. I just finished "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed and wanted to keep reading about the PCT as I plan to hike parts of it in the summer. This book was hard for me to read, especially Angela's sections, she is a bit too whiney for my liking, always worried about too many things, kept pulling me out of the "magic of the PCT" story into these petty little arguments she was having with her boyfriend Duffy. I've never met(or read the thoughts) of someone so neurotic. The book also references a lot of other book/subjects, which read more like a school essay, it also mentioned a lot of accidents and statistics of death on the PCT which I didn't particularly need to know and I felt myself rushing to get through it so I could be done with it.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2012
    I loved this book. I really enjoyed reading about this couples experiences on the trail and all the characters they meet along the way. It was exciting, funny, cute. It really held my attention to the very end. I loved the descriptions of the trail and the scenery. The beauty and the misery. Reading about hiking the PCT is the closest I'll get to it now. This book really opened my eyes to what an adventure it is and what great people you get to know during your days and nights on the trail. It made me feel I'm really missing something.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2023
    Written from both couple's point of view, chapter by chapter. Well written, well organized. I've read about 10 or more PCT Memoir books and this one is in my top five. A good balance of scenery and trail description/research and relationship/emotional content. I'm always wonder how the transition back to "normal" life goes for thru-hikers, which they touched on, but not enough to satisfy my curious mind. Other than that, a pleasure to "hike" along with them!
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2014
    if you are a hiker, or like reading about the adventures and experiences of places you may not have the opportunity to go to, this is the book to read. The couple take turns writing a chapter in the book which gives a nice perspective from both of them. The book is interesting to read, keeps you turning the pages wondering what will be coming next. They give good descriptions as they travel, so you feel you are on the trail with them. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Etienne Levert
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on October 15, 2017
    A great read for every couple wanting to hike the PCT!
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really fantastic, a reminder of what life has to offer
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2016
    The book is short and easy to read. It's not slushy but remains us of what the human body and mind can endure and achieve. It's a story of a couples journey into the unknown and how they became to know and understand themselves and each other through that journey
  • Heather Bradner
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read trail journal
    Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2015
    Loved this book......... well written and I felt like I was there hiking the PCT.

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