blissful hiker ❤︎ walking the world

Send us a textHiking has a way of making us more resilient, not so much manifested as strength and persistence, but in developing trust and embracing the unknown.We have a saying in the hiker community, “The Trail Will Provide.” It signifies the aid and assistance hikers encounter on trail, encouraging trust and faith that things will work out.On a section hike of the Continental Divide Trail, Blissful encounters a miracle and realizes that allowing the trail to provide is part of successfully walking a long trail and also living life too. MUSIC: "Poema del Pastor Coya" by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

Send us a textOn October 10, Blissful gave her first TEDx talk, “How do you find your bliss? Take the long trail!”Blissful shares the loss of her flute career due to a neurological disorder called dystonia. It was on trail that she began to heal – and her greatest teacher on learning to live with her loss and move forward into the unknown. Blissful's talk is about resilience in spite of life's inexplicable randomness.Watch the TEDx and see some jaw-dropping images as well!MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

Send us a textOn October 10, Blissful will give her first TEDx talk about Resilience as part of TEDX AmoskeagMillyard in Manchester, New Hampshire.  What is a TED talk??TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design and was founded in 1984 to showcase the "most interesting people on earth and let them communicate their passion."The tagline is "ideas worth spreading."The talks are short (under 18 minutes) and all memorized, given on a red dot of a carpet in front of a live audience, filmed for later broadcast. I was recommended for this particular organization, but needed to apply and convince those in charge that I was the best person to share this idea. Blissful's talk is about resilience in spite of life's inexplicable randomness. You'll come along with her on trail as she lets go of her flute career and meets another Blissful Hiker named Beethoven.Get tickets here. Use coupon code "Alison15" for a discount!MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

Send us a textTaking a class this weekend, Blissful learns about the key skills of a good teacher.  This was especially important when she needed to face down an irrational fear of falling out of her kayak and being upside down in the water. Here are some of those skills:Positive Learning Environment. Encourage Risk Taking.  Provide Feedback and GuidancePromote a Growth Mindset Just wanting to get better and do something out of our comfort zone isn't enough. Sometimes we need guide who possessed strong leadership and teaching skills. Blissful will give her first TEDx talk this October in Manchester, New Hampshire! The subject is "Stepping into the Unknown." Get tickets here. Use coupon code "WILD" for a discount!MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

Send us a textOn the Teton Crest Trail in Wyoming, Blissful decides to go for an "SKT" (Slowest Known Time) and surprises abound. 1. John Muir (and Henry David Thoreau) hated the word "hike" and preferred to saunter, entering beautiful natural places with reverence.2. Physiologists tell us that walking at a turtle's pace releases endocannabinoids a kind of "persistence high" that elicits a state of euphoria. 3. But most important, going slow and leaving plenty of time allows us to simply exist and enjoy – explore off-trail, enjoy sights like a bull moose, pikas,  and wildflowers, and nab the best campsites!Blissful will give her first TEDx talk this October in Manchester, New Hampshire! The subject is "Stepping into the Unknown." Get tickets here. Use coupon code "WILD" for a discount!MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

On the Pyrenean Haute Route, an oafish American hiker questioned Blissful's ability to manage a route of this difficulty. “Even YOU?” he asked, his lip curling in disdain. “I haven't seen many old people hiking this.”It shook her confidence, for sure, but here she was, backpacking while old. We don't tend to bounce back the way we did when we were younger.That's why we have to prioritize –1:46 Rest3:34 Nutrition5:46 Exercise– and in that order! Blissful will give her first TEDx talk this October in Manchester, New Hampshire! The subject is "Stepping into the Unknown." Get tickets here. MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

Have you been wanting to do something a little wild and out-of-your-comfort-zone but were afraid to take the first step? When it comes to dreams, don't let them become a broken record of something you'll do "someday." In this episode, Blissful shares three reasons why we fail to act and keep our dreams to ourselves –rulesfear shameTake your dreams for a spin, even if you fail spectacularly. Your future self will thank you because, afterall, we tend not to regret the things we did do but the things we didn't do.Blissful will give her first TEDx talk this October in Manchester, New Hampshire! The subject is "Stepping into the Unknown." Get tickets here. MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

Blissful  feels plenty of fear and anxiety before a thru-hike, but she manages her fears by asking, “If the worst happens, then what?” The answers to those questions helps us think more rationally rather than being paralyzed by anxiety, and thus live a more zesty and adventurous life.All of us feel fear at least some of the time that can hold us back from action.The trick is not to tame fear but to hear it out and hen get on with things anyway.We do this by asking far questions: "what if?" followed by "then what?" It helps us be less emotional and more rational. MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the Show.

Blissful is given the "all clear" by her surgeon and gets ready to step into the rest of her life.  Surgery for breast cancer has completely changed Blissful's body, but has given her a new power of bravery and knowing herself better. One friend calls her a "sur-thriver" facing down the situation directly, and trying to do what St. Paul said, to "rejoice always and not worry about anything."Time is running out but wouldn't it be cool to live fully, audaciously, without fear – and with joy – even in an uncertain world? Next week, Blissful heads back to trail in Arizona to finish a portion she had to skip when walking two years ago. MUSIC: Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

Blissful takes her first hike on a trail after surgery for breast cancer and decides she prefers to be described as a "thriver" – or even "aliver" – rather than survivor. It's a hot, humid summer day at Lebanon Hills, a region carved by glaciers with kettles and eskers, plus the singing of numerous birds. Blissful's surgeon tells her it's time to put on a backpack and get back on trail, even though she's isn't completely healed. Illness humbles us and teaches us about our vulnerability and ultimate decline, and yet it opens us up to discover our superpowers, like moving forward to see what's next. It's the price we pay for being alive, but it offers us a chance to appreciate what we have even more. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

As Blissful heals from a bilateral mastectomy due to breast cancer, she reflects on the person she wants to be going forward. Blissful is incredibly lucky in only having to undergo a radical surgery to rid her body of cancer. Step by step walking through her neighborhood, she slowly recovers back to her hiker self. The American writer Joyce Carol Oates speaks of the moment we realize that loss is part of our experience. “When that starts to happen to you, it is quite stunning.”Being out of control with illness is falling-to-the-knees humbling for Blissful and it's a challenge to stay positive and "bad ass."But she's inspired by the late actor Julian Sands who spoke of climbing summits as "not so  much a celebration of oneself, but the eradication of one's self-consciousness. And so on these walks you lose yourself, you become a vessel of energy in harmony, hopefully with your environment.” What a way to live!MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

When Blissful is diagnosed with breast cancer, she undergoes a bilateral mastectomy to save her life and secure her future.A friend tells Blissful she has it easy because she has a partner in her husband Richard. Indeed, she is incredibly grateful to be part of a team because it's helped her navigate some very tough times in her life. Blissful's view of life is that it can be full of abundance and grace, but sometimes bad things just happen at no fault of our own. Kind of like the children's book, Good Luck, Bad Luck, we shouldn't blame ourselves when life throws us a curveball – no, the universe is not sending us a "message," rather it's a chance for us to grow and stretch when we learn how to face difficulty. Bad Luck came to Blissful with a diagnosis of cancer, but good luck was that it was caught quickly, so there's no need for chemotherapy – a moment of grace. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala, Suite by Ernst Krenek and Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, piano. Support the show

Blissful begins her cancer journey looking back at her life as a woman. Blissful spends the days before a bilateral mastectomy gathering together a team of supportive women who have been through the procedure.She also walks, hikes, bikes, swims, kayaks all in an effort to calm herself – or running away from panic. In looking forward to being flat-chested and "ultra-light", Blissful reminisces on becoming a woman from "sprouts" to a "mean girl" to a middle-aged woman saving her own life. MUSIC: Suite by Ernst Krenek and Introduccion y Allegro by Carlos Guastavino  as played by Alison Young, flute Support the show

Blissful wraps up her hike of the Appalachian Trail in Maine to head home for cancer treatment. The two days between Monson and Caratunk are rain-free and magical with a winter wren, hermit thrush, northern parula plus warty frogs and a curious snake. It's two big mountains with views including Moxie Bald and Pleasant Pond with glorious views of humpy green forested peaks like emerging leviathan in an even more expansive sea of green.Camping is near a pond circled by summer homes and loud pontoon boats, only a few miles out of Caratunk.Blissful meets a cancer survivor finishing the Appalachian Trail and is empowered by her healing and moxie to get right back on trail. Then she heads home for a new and scary adventure. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful makes it out of the 100 Mile Wilderness and receives a call from her doctor calling her home to have a bilateral mastectomy.It's wet and muddy but mostly road out to Monson, Maine, the first town in ten days.She has to go home, but not immediately, and can head back on trail for at least a few more days. And it's perfect timing in sunny weather at last and a long reroute around flooded rivers. But it's a gorgeous hike through forest loud with birds and frogs. And it takes her to lovely Moxie Bald Pond where the forest creatures enchant her even when distressed by her cancer diagnosis and the fact that she'll have to go home.MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

The trail is hard in rain, mud and cold, but Blissful gets the boost she needs from hiker and creature.  It's mountainous now in the 100-mile Wilderness, revealing only misty views of distant lakes enveloped in thick forest. The "Sibs", two thru-hikers also from Minnesota, plus "Shoes," a barefoot hiker, meet her and offer encouragement.As does Fourth Mountain Bog, a stunning ecosystem crossed by boardwalk where a White Throated Sparrow greets her as well as giant. maroon-veined pitcher plants.It's too hard to get to the planned shelter so she and Shoes stay next to Long Pond Stream.They are rudely awakened by hikers late at night who warn them not to try to cross and instead offer directions for the reroute.Blissful is grateful for all that happened today, even the rude hikers who ensure she doesn't get in trouble in teh flooded stream. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful crosses a high, exposed peak in fog and rain then discovers she needs to go further than she thought.   Hiking south on the Appalachian Trail, it's the first high mountains since Katahdin, but the weather is manageable.  And there are small surprises like twisted and stunted "krumholz" trees, wildly fluorescent fungus and wildflowers heavily laden with damp. Even high up, the birds are loud including a new bird t Magnolia Warbler.When Blissful discovers she needs to go further than expected, crossing a river and steeply up, she goes for it.The "Sibs" – a pair of siblings also from Minnesota – give her courage as well as spotting her first Red Spotted Newt as orange as a gummy.The river crossing is easy and the uphills go one and on finally ending in a rock fall to climb up Chairback Mountain to a shelter shared with a barefoot thru-hiker named 'Shoes.' MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful creates an audio narrative as an Artist-in-Residence at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Upper Peninsula, Michigan.  During her artistic residency, she immersed herself in the vividly sonorous landscape , collecting sound as she hiked. Birds, falls and the wind spoke to her about spring's message – a message of renewal and rebirth.It's  such a fleeting moment, one so transitory, we could almost miss if we're not listening carefully. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful makes her first dangerous  ford over a swollen and dangerous river in flood from the non-stop rain.   For a SOBO  – or southbounder – on the Appalachian Trail, it's often wise to pay for delivery of a cache of food to break up the 10-day hike of the 100 Mile Wilderness. Right after the cache, the trail gets harder, steeply uphill into real mountains, plus river fords. With an unusual amount of rain, the rivers are in spate and dangerous.Blissful is alone and carefully crosses the Pleasant River – less pleasant, but doable especially with affixed ropes, yet there's no information on whether the ropes are safe. A Winter Wren congratulates her on a successful cross, and encourages a climb to Logan Brook right below White Cap Mountain, where a shelter awaits.MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

When seeing two Pileated Woodpecker parents up close, Blissful learns that she is only passing through and to savor the moment while it lasts. It's an easy enough day on the Appalachian Trail (AT) though rainy without any views.Blissful stops at a lovely campground on the banks of Lower Jo-Mary Lake surrounded by pink Lady Slippers, as delicate as crepe. These first days walking south through Maine have been hard and Blissful feels like an amateur muddling through. While she licks her wounds, two woodpeckers poke out of a snag, chittering to each other and seemingly planning who will head out for food and how will stay with the young; it's magical. The lesson that "we're only passing through" is made apparent as is that she will never pass this way again. And this realization makes her feel gratitude for being invited into this wild world.  MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

In constant rain and cold, Blissful learns the power in facing her negative feelings and using them to spur her to action rather than resignation. The trail has yet to get hard on the Appalachian Trail (AT) but the rain is drenching.Blissful can't stop in the cold and swarms of mosquitos even to eat, and is full of frustration but fellow hiker Ingrid catches up and gives her courage, suggesting they sleep inside the next shelter to stay dry. It's not far or difficult to the shelter at Nahmakanta Stream and she grabs a corner spot.Wet and cold, she is reminded of the book Deep Survival  by Laurence Gonzales where he says, "“Stop denying and begin surviving. You don't have to be elite or perfect, just get on with it and do the next right thing.” And this is exactly what she does, focusing her negative emotions to doing the next right thing - to stay as dry and warm as possible, and to keep moving ahead. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful is ill-prepared for the constant damp, but discovering an inner fierceness to solve her problems and keep moving ahead. The summer of 2023 on the Appalachian Trail (AT) is the wettest in memory.But this one day in Northern Maine is thankfully dry with big wind off Rainbow Lake where Blissful is able to dry out her gear. It's all easy trail lined with wildflowers from one shelter at Hurd Brook to the next at Rainbow Stream with a delightful site right above falls through a gorge. New friends of fellow hikers give Blissful courage and she makes it to the next site now with dried out gear – only to survive yet another night of soaking rain. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful leaves Baxter State Park to enter the 100-mile Wilderness, learning that "everything changes" including the weather.Blissful is waiting a pathology report from breast surgery, unsure if she will get the all-clear or have to manage a cancer diagnosis.Her surgeon encourages just to start hiking while she waits and here she is. Lured into the lovely idyllic summer weather at the start of hiking the  Appalachian Trail (AT) Blissful gives away her plastic waterproof backpack liner to pack her gear in compression sacks that fail completely.The walk out of Baxter State Park is flat and easy, the trail lined with wildflowers and filled with bird song. At Abol Bridge, she meets other hikers and they look back at Katahdin as the air turns black, lightnings strikes the summit and it begins pouring rain. Maine rain is different in humid, saturated air and she's almost immediately soaked through.At the warning sign, three miles ahead of the first shelter at Hurd Brook, it begins to hail. She sets her tent with new friends who offer dry clothes and to share their tent if she gets too cold, but somehow she sleeps well through the night in a lumpy and clammy down quilt. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful decides to put her feet on the Appalachian Trail, beginning from the north on Mount Katahdin in Maine. Those in the know will laugh when the Appalachian Trail (AT) is described as a "footpath" as it's more a rock climbing challenge.And it's tough to get to the start, 100 miles from any airport, then a 4,000-foot climb in five miles up to the summit and Mile 0.The weather calls for unseasonably hot weather, over 90 degrees, so it's a very early start.  Planning two nights of camping at Katahdin Stream Campground, Blissful walks steeply up to spectacular views before hitting boulders requiring crawling, pressing, pulling and squeezing with only a few iron ladders to help. The tableland is easy walking, but exposed and hot with no wind and swarms of flies. At the top, Blissful meets a cohort of thru-hikers and carefully returns right before a loud thunder clap. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful shares insights about setting flexible goals."Summit Fever" is one of the consequences of setting one single big goal and can cause us to fail every day, sometimes with tragic consequences. Rather than goals, setting systems can work in our favor because they are bite-sized goals more easily achieved.Systems allow us to succeed more often.And, allow us to change our minds and still succeed. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful Hiker is honored to have been named an "Artist in Residence" by the Friends of the Porkies and will live in a remote cabin this spring to create audio narrative essays in Upper Peninsula Michigan in the Porcupine Mountains.  In this episode, she revisits her fall backpack trip when she fell in love with the "Porkies."  Awakening to a spectacular sunrise on Lake of the Clouds,  Blissful walks into a the magical and primeval hemlock forest. She meets the Big Carp River and enchanted by its silvery cascades on volcanic rock.  A short walk along Lake Superior and she's back in forest following another river, the Little Carp where she camps next to a pool reflecting gold and red  fall colors. The next day she  climbs to the high point at Summit Peak, then down to  gorgeous Mirror Lake and finally a private site on a beaver pond filled with nature's sound including chipmunks, owls, beaver and a howling wolf. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful Hiker is honored to have been named an "Artist in Residence" by the Friends of the Porkies and will live in a remote cabin this spring to create audio narrative essays in Upper Peninsula Michigan in the Porcupine Mountains.  In this episode, she revisits her fall backpack trip when she fell in love with the "Porkies." In this episode: Blissful visits this magical place, a wilderness state park of 35,000 acres of primary stand hemlock amidst a massive volcanic uplift above Lake Superior. Her first day is along the escarpment above Lake of the Clouds to her stunning campsite with a large rock apron looking out to the astounding view. Birds and a wolf celebrate the setting sun and the stars coming out. As she crawls into her tent, an acorn bombardment spooks her reminding her that this is indeed a wilderness. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the showSupport the show

This week, Blissful Hiker completes the list of ten lessons from the trail that are helping her now.In this episode:7) :38 Everything changes  “If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”8) 1:50 You will never pass this way again  "Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip."9) 3:26 Let go and forgive  "Forgiveness is the economy of the heart… forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits."10) 5:41 You are stronger than you think you are  "If I waited for perfection, I'd never write a word."MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  and Milongs sin palabras by Astor Pizzolla as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

This week, Blissful Hiker shares some lessons from the trail that are helping her now.In this episode::38 Let the day unfold  “I think that's what I love about my life. There's no maniacal master plan. It's just unfolding before me.”3:02 Trail Angels exist "That's what I consider true generosity: You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing." 5:10 The point of a thru hike is not to triumph  "The goal of life … is not happiness, peace, or fulfillment, but aliveness."MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  and Milongs sin palabras by Astor Pizzolla as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

 This week, Blissful Hiker shares some lessons from the trail that are helping her now. In this episode:1:30 Take Risks “The most hopeful thing you are doing is taking these months to repair your body for the next hikes.” 3:42 Stay in the Present Moment Experience fully what each day brings, the surprises and tiny victories.  6:12 Practice Patience "Life is already too short to waste on speed." MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  and Milongs sin palabras by Astor Pizzolla as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

One year ago Blissful Hiker set her feet on the Arizona Trail and planned to return to walk the final 100 miles, but an injury interrupted the trip. In this episode:This time of year is called "Lent" and is all about waiting and preparing, as well as contemplating the brevity of our lives.An injury is like that, a close up look at vulnerability. Learning to manage the frustration teaches us how to embrace our lives. A long walk – and the weak place of injury – helps bring the hiker closer to the spirit, letting go of control and worry and trusting in the "peace that transcends all understanding."MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala  and Milongs sin palabras by Astor Pizzolla as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Regret can actually act as the motivating fuel to push us towards our goals.Phrases like "no regrets!" are helpful in keeping us focussed on the future and not on mistakes from the past.And yet, looking with openness at what we regret from the past can help us build up the courage  we need in our present to take risks. And then we are better able to choose what matters most projecting the idea of regret into the future.  See a picture from Blissful's past. Listen to the podcast episode all about taking risks.MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful Hiker shares the reasons she hikes alone, to get grounded, to engage more deeply with the world around me and to do so at my own pace.Being alone in nature has been practiced by all civilizations to build self-reliance and connect with the spirit.As Emily Dickinson said, "The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience." But that does not mean that you shouldn't prepare by taking the Ten Essentials including telling someone where you're going, and when to expect you to return.I have added professional speaker to my "bag of tricks." If you'd like me to speak to your group, contact me! MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful answers burning backpacking questions in the first round of "Ask Me Anything." In this episode:1:26 – How do you secure your bag when checking it at the airport?3:06 – Do you pack hiking poles on international trips or buy when you get there?6:20 – How do you choose when to use rubber tips on your trekking poles?8:36 – How do you take care of contact lenses on trail?10:25 – How do you know so many bird names, plant names and tree names as you hike?11:50 – How do you keep all your pictures straight in your mind and know what is out there in the woods, country, mountains, etc?13:49 – No experience with long distance hiking. How did you prepare, to be sure you will make it?click here to ask your question MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful meets the Southern Terminus of the AZT just as a windstorm picks up on the Utah/Arizona border.In this episode:After a night in the "cowpie" field – flat and squishy – Blissful sleeps well under moon shadows. It's easy walking towards Vermillion Cliffs where she meets a couple of hikers who give her sage advice about making intentional decisions and looking for people who communicate with her in her emotional language. Angry clouds build as a sandstorm builds and she races to the end.MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful has one of the most extraordinary experiences of her hiking life – walking into and out of the Grand Canyon.In this episode:With a snowstorm coming and temperatures dropping into the teens, Blissful decides to catch a ride and skip ahead.It's just more ponderosa pine forest and straight to the national park permit office.It's down hill, but steep and hard walking all in direct sun through layer-upon-layer of bright reds and oranges through tourists and rim-to-rim runners. Her itinerary on the Kaibab Trail to Cottonwoods Campground is considered "aggressive" because she's all alone.The path appears to hang in midair as it finally meets the Colorado River, then up to a site she shares with lovely AZT hikers. The next morning is the opposite – finally alone entirely up to the cold and snowy North Rim, through a tight opening with only the song of a canyon wren. After such beauty, the road is a let down and she accepts a hitch back to trail and a night in a muddy meadow. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

It's a long, undulating and dusty trail through more ponderosa pine where Blissful finally gets her first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. In this episode:Blissful wakes up 100% free of bug bites and happily puts all that awfulness behind her.It's up and down, but she sings as she walks recalling all the steps it took to keep moving ahead on trail.Horses, fellow backpackers and incredible trail angels make the day one of the very best.As does seeing the astonishing beauty of the Grand Canyon far in the distance, the ponderosa pine practically falling into them.Wild and bitterly cold weather is coming more decisions need to be made about how to keep moving. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

The son of a friend of an acquaintance helps ground Blissful and on her way continuing north towards the Grand Canyon, putting the bed bug nightmare in the rearview mirror. In this episode:Sam drives Blissful past the "Arizona Snow Bowl" still deep in snow, to meet dry trail on a high plateau.All alone, it's easy hiking, but dry and windy like Mongolia as Humphrey's Peak – the fairytale mountain – recedes. It's all large ranches today but too early for animals outside.Though a "Wildlife Waterer" provides clean, clear waterBlissful longs to slow down, but still walks a big 21-mile day looking for a camp spot, holding out for a spectacular one with stone benches. Once crawling in, she discovers to her delight that her gear is completely bug free. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful is covered in itchy, oozing, painful bites and realizes her gear is infested by bedbugs picked up on her last zero at the motel. In this episode:It's a short walk under the interstate and along the "Urban Trail" to Flagstaff with views of snow-frosted Humphrey's Peak. In town, once people see the swollen bites on her face, she's shunned. After sending an all-call to trail angels and the hikers on the AZT, it only brings shaming and useless links to websites when all she needs is a change of clothes and a means to wash her gear in a town where she's a stranger. So, it's up to her to manage the nightmare.Most of this is done by walking  on long, hot urban roads, including a visit to the doctor for four different medicines to control the infected bites. It leaves her unbearably lonely. But help comes in the end - with food and a meal – and after three tough days, she heads back to trail. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Unbeknownst to him, a camper becomes trail angel and helps Blissful find a perfect campsite after a long day of relentless forest and a glimpse of a fairytale mountain.In this episode:The ponderosa pine forest of the Mogollon Rim goes on though signs appear to describe life of lumberjacks from the past, burning 9,000 calories per day and working for food.Blissful is losing weight herself and hungry all the time.She's mostly alone all day except for meeting Waldo with his tiny pack. A fairytale mountain comes into view covered in snow, or are those clouds?Distracted, Blissful misses that the snow has disappeared and that means no water for drinking.But she's saved twice with a wee puddle and a flooded river.Finally views appear, the large white tubes of the Lowell Observatory's Navy Precision Optical Interferometer and a camper offers not only a beer, but advice on a perfect campsite. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful wakes to a soaking wet tent, gets lost and walks through deep snow and mud, but trail-angel beer and a lovely hiking partner make it a joy. In this episode:It's a new day, a better one, where Blissful can place her feet in someone's else's posthole through deep drifts. Walking with Joey, they come to a road where a trail angel offers a few beers to quench the constant thru-hiker thirst and Joey philosophizes on how we're always in the right spot at the right time, so why walk fast. A wrong turn is easily fixed and then the two part, where Blissful gets a good meal at Mormon Lake.Camping is at a bend in a stream, where all feels right alone with just owls, ducks and frogs. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful becomes so frustrated trying to walk through the deep, sticky mud, she creates a game to keep moving forward – and is rewarded with a surprise..In this episode:Blissful walks on a frustrating trail of mud making high-heels of her shoes and clinging to her walking sticks. Panicky and frustrated, Blissful realizes anyone can do anything for one hour, so she sets her timer to sixty minutes as a kind of game, a challenge to to focus her walk.It gives her power, patience and the ability to stay present.And at the end of the day, she's surprised by a lovely trail taking her to a triple waterfall at twin streams where she sets her tent to a frog chorus. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful climbs up the Mogollon Rim and it's filled with pines, snow, and melting snow.In this episode:Blissful is reminded that if you sleep right next to a river, your tent will be soaking wet.It's an easy rise through deeply shaded Ponderosa Pine next to the rushing East Verde River, the same one crossed in the deserty Mazatzals. After a rocky rise, the Mogollon Rim is revealed, frozen footprints through snowy drifts lead the way across icy streams. Soon, it's up and out of this lovely canyon to a flat walk through deep water and mud, a miserable messy walk to a quiet spot under pines, after a bit of trail magic. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

After Blissful takes a forced break due to snowy weather, it's a sparkly day of gorgeous skies and sticky mud. In this episode:Blissful rides with a trail angel and three hikers to the Early Bird Cafe where someone pays for her breakfast. Her second hitch moves on before the door is closed, but gets her to the Highline Trail in Ponderosa Pine.The air is clear and fresh, sparkling with big clouds creating shadows on the vast forest-covered mountains. The mud gives way to pine needles and red rock under the red rock Mogollon Rim.She's surrounded by birds all the way past streams, finally meeting the East Verde River, the same from a few days ago, where she camps. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful discovers more rocks than she thought possible on the Arizona Trail.In this episode:It's a beautiful morning with an orange sky, but straight up to weird skull-looking limestone, then pumice. The trail is hard and repetitive, not steep, just rocky and relentless.The trail is remote and feels lonely, harder than walking alone before. Making things more difficult are the slippery basketball-sized rocks on a road – and a young, fast hiker.But Frauke and Dennis hike with her up a lovely shortcut to a road, where a car shows up to take them down to town. The bad weather arrives after she shops and gets a room at a motel to wait it out. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful works here way through the Mazatzals, overwhelmed by the enormous, staggering and disorienting size and remoteness. In this episode:Things begin on the aptly named Rocky Ridge opening to huge views that overwhelm, even causing a bit a panic. There's plenty of water and plenty of steep ups and downs to Bull Frog Ridge. Blissful makes the mistake of skipping water at Brush Spring and it's an endless, steep climb mostly down to the East Verde River, a glorious oasis where she meets Dennis and Frauke again. Uphill, they discuss what makes them happy – so many things, like friends, flowers, water, views and being strong. They camp near each other under a velvet sky of diamond-like stars. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful hikes mostly alone in the Mazatzals with huge distances between water sources and is treated to a glorious sunset from my tent. In this episode:Blissful hikes in stunning and steep mountains of sandstone from the period known as the Great Unconformity, a gap of missing geologic time. Steep walking takes hikers from one exceptional water source to the next. The views are superb into dark red rock and land slips of baseball-sized boulders. All day, a "bug burka" (a mesh head net) is required for the swarming gnats. One special spot is Chilson Spring, fresh water collected by a pipe into a metal box.The campsite is just a wide spot on the trail near Hopi Spring with a view of a stunning sunset over all the mountains already climbed. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful heads up to the beautiful Mazatzal Mountains filled with flowers, birds, streams and amazing views. In this episode:Margaret of the trail magic new sleeping mat drives Blissful to the trail head. More magic happens immediately when Joey walks by just as Blissful gets lost.It's a race against bad weather on the way to walk 70 miles to Pine, Arizona.The trail is easy from one beautiful stream to the next, amazingly clear and delicious in the dry desert. It's the first night on the new mat – and a good one. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

After Blissful punctures her sleeping pad, she meets a trail angel who manifests her own magic and gets her replacementIn this episode:It's an extraordinary night on the edge of a ridge in the Four Peaks Wilderness with wind like a jet engine in the towering pine above her tent. After gorgeous streams, the trail meets a road, dull and long. A trail heads steeply down on rocks into a canyon along Boulder Creek where the frogs sing a chorus. Blissful makes the mistake of camping on what looks like luxurious grass, but turns out to have sharp points that cut into her mattress. It's a short, but circuitous, walk up and over the canyon towards the road where she quickly catches a hitch to Payson, where Margaret just happens to be at the right place at the right time to snag her a new mattress. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala and Pastorale Calchaqui by Hector Gallac as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

Blissful climbs steeply up into the Four Peaks Wilderness, where she camps right on the edge of a cliff.  In this episode:After sleeping on a wee bit of astroturf at Roosevelt Lake Marina next to the highway, Blissful hitches to the Vineyard Trail. The wide open trail climbs up past Saguaro and myriad wildflowers, including thousands of Mexican Poppies. Water sources are far apart on the Mills Ridge Trail requiring big ascents with stunning views of the lake over 3,000 feet below. All alone except for two tourists and one backpacker coming the other way, she sidles the peaks on a balcony walk finding a perfect flat spot under one lone Ponderosa Pine in snow.MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show

It's rough trail for Blissful as she works her way towards Roosevelt Lake mostly on rocky road, far harder going down than up. In this episode:From a camp above Walnut Spring in the Superstition Mountains, it's slippery and steep 1,000 feet straight down and 1,000 feet straight back up. The views are towards ancient seabeds, lifted up as mesas, the trail covered with lupine and prickly-pear cactus.Then the trail crosses a dry wash over and over, Cottonwood Creek disappearing underground, then reappearing just in time for to drink as she gets thirsty. No more trail after that, as Blissful follows a rocky road so angled, it would make a roller coaster blush. But that gets her to the highway and finally, Roosevelt Lake Marina, her resupply package waiting for her, and a small square of astroturf for the alicoop. MUSIC: Poema del Pastor Coya by Angel Lasala as played by Alison Young, flute and Vicki Seldon, pianoSupport the show