Sunday, December 30, 2012

2012 Blissful Hiking Year in Review

Blissful accomplished a major goal by finishing the Long Trail




A New Year is soon upon us. Time to reflect on this year's hiking goals and what is to come.


Blissful Hiking Year in Pictures

One of the many waterfalls along the White Oak Canyon Trail, SNP



Starting in the winter, Blissful hiked in earnest a good portion of the side trail in Shenandoah National Park in a quest to complete all 500 miles in the park system.










Blissful section hiked the Appalachian Trail in the spring, starting from where we left off at Loft Mountain in Shenandoah from last summer and reaching Penn Mar Park in PA.








On Black Rock in uniform

Next adventure? Summer ridgerunning for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club in the state of Maryland. Blissful was responsible for the forty mile stretch of AT from Harper's Ferry to Penn Mar Park. Trash duties, trail monitoring and the best part of all, helping and meeting other hikers, were the main tasks.  







Atop Mt Mansfield




The main hiking adventure came this past fall when Blissful completed the Long Trail after doing the southern portion in 2010, finishing the trail from the Canadian border all the way to the MA line. She is a registered End to Ender with the GMC.











The biggest accomplishment. Blissful found a publisher for a soon-to-be released adventure tale of 4,000 miles along the Appalachian Trail north AND south: Mountains, Madness and Miracles. Read tales of adventure not only from the hiker herself but also a sixteen year old hiker and son Paul Bunyan who also hiked it, as well as stories of injury, snakes, a hospital visit, and snowbound in TN but a determination to see victory. You won't want to miss this inspiring book of both trial and triumph. The e-book version is slated for release the summer of 2013. 

  
Pre-order is available NOW through this link

If you wish to be put on a special "e-mail" list for details on the book and its release, send an e-mail with your request to "blissfulhiking@gmail.com"

Blissful loves to speak to hiking groups and is willing to speak to your group. Blissful is a noted speaker with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the REI Richmond, VA. See the speaking page for details.

1 comment:

Kay said...

Looks like you had a great hiking year. I don't hike here in the summer because it is too hot and there are rattlesnakes, but hoping to get more hikes in after the first of the year.