Mud, Rocks, Blazes

By Heather Anderson,

Book cover of Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail

Book description

Despite her success setting a self-supported Fastest Known Time record on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, Heather “Anish” Anderson still had such deep-seated insecurities that she became convinced her feat had been a fluke. So two years later she set out again, this time hiking through mud, rocks, and…

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Why read it?

3 authors picked Mud, Rocks, Blazes as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This story of Heather’s record-setting hike on the Appalachian Trail absolutely blew my mind: 2,180 miles in just 54 days!

I was so enthralled by the grit it takes to push yourself to this kind of extreme (through rain, sleep deprivation, physical deterioration, and more), which combined with Heather’s raw honesty about her initial lack of self-belief just made me want to root for her louder and louder.

I’m forever fascinated by chosen suffering—why we often crave hard things and how the pursuit of them changes us—and this no-holds-barred look into the world of competitive hiking was a delight to…

Heather "Anish" Anderson is one of my personal heroes. Mud Rocks Blazes is the story of her attempt to secure the Fastest Known Time record for the Appalachian Trail. She battles self-doubt and the trials of the trail, digging deep to prove her worth (more to herself than others). I love her grit and her vulnerability in sharing herself with us.

From Christine's list on outdoor adventures by and about women.

This is the story of Heather’s Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail, but it is also the story of a woman learning to dig deeper and find confidence and contentment off the trail. It will make you realize that you have reserves that you have not yet tapped.

From Jennifer's list on women who love the outdoors.

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