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…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

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.

If you love Mud, Rocks, Blazes...

Ad

Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest By Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

Want books like Mud, Rocks, Blazes?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Mud, Rocks, Blazes.

Browse books like Mud, Rocks, Blazes

Book cover of Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
Book cover of Untamed: The Wildest Woman in America and the Fight for Cumberland Island
Book cover of Gorge: My Journey Up Kilimanjaro at 300 Pounds

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,584

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like Mud, Rocks, Blazes, you might also like...

Book cover of Who Is a Worthy Mother?: An Intimate History of Adoption

Who Is a Worthy Mother? By Rebecca Wellington,

I grew up thinking that being adopted didn’t matter. I was wrong. This book is my journey uncovering the significance and true history of adoption practices in America. Now, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, the renewed debate over women’s reproductive rights places…

Book cover of Dormice & Moonshine: Falling for Slovenia

Dormice & Moonshine By Sam Baldwin,

When two brothers discover a 300-year-old sausage-curing cabin on the side of a Slovenian mountain, it's love at first sight. But 300-year-old cabins come with 300 problems.

Dormice & Moonshine is the true story of an Englishman seduced by Slovenia. In the wake of a breakup, he seeks temporary refuge…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in hiking, the Appalachian Trail, and Maine?

Hiking 50 books
Maine 112 books