Hiking Lady » Book of the Month

A Woman’s Journey on Camino de Santiago

Hiking Lady — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:24:41 +0000

Dennis Blanchard, the author of the wonderful book about hiking the Appalachian Trail called Three Hundred Zeros (see the Hiking Lady book review of Three Hundred Zeroes) just returned from a 500 mile walk of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. He and his wife Jane had an amazing experience, and Jane is going to be writing a book that I can’t wait to read!

Jane Blanchard’s new book will be focused on the women she met along the way. To give us a sneak peak, she has put together a slideshow of pictures of some of these women, clearly from all over the world, each with their own reason for making this spiritual trek. Here’s her slideshow, called Women of the Way:

Camino de Santiago translated into English means the Way of St. James, and has been a Christian pilgrimage for over 1000 years. St. James was one of Jesus’ 12 Apostles, and the story goes that his bones were shipped from Jerusalem to Northern Spain. The 500 mile walk/hike traverses the northern section of Spain, with the final destination being Santiago de Compostela. This was a very popular journey during Medieval Times, and has continued on as a spiritual trek through the present time. In 1987, it was named to be a European Cultural Route, and statistics show that over 100,000 people make the trek each year.

I’m looking forward to Jane’s upcoming book release to learn about her experiences and the other women she met along the way.

Where to Find Wildflowers!

Hiking Lady — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:49:22 +0000

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

How many of you love seeing gorgeous wildflowers when you’re out hiking? I just read a great new book describing in vivid detail 50 of the best places to see wildflowers in the world! A few of the spots are in North America, including one of my favorites, the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve near Lancaster, California. I love walking around those trails when the flowers bloom every spring!

Check out my new book review of Wildflower Wonders, and please share any of your favorite wildflower hikes! Happy trails!

New Book Review – Polar Dream

Hiking Lady — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:27:43 +0000

Helen Thayer skiing to the North Pole

Ever wonder what it would be like to ski to the magnetic North Pole? How about doing it alone, at age 50! Helen Thayer did it, and wrote an exciting book about her adventure called Polar Dream.

Check out the just published Hiking Lady book review of this adventure story!

Book of the Month: Becoming Odyssa

Hiking Lady — Sat, 21 May 2011 18:36:11 +0000

Looking for an engaging, fun to read account of a young woman who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail at just 21 years old?! Then Becoming Odyssa is one to add to your reading list. I picked it up and literally couldn’t put it down!

Check out my review of Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail.

Is Greg Mortenson a Fraud?

Hiking Lady — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:51:33 +0000

One of the most inspiring books I’ve read in the last few years is Greg Mortenson’s best seller, Three Cups of Tea. (See the Hiking Lady Book Review of Three Cups of Tea)

Tonight on 60 Minutes they did a story on how Greg Mortsenson, the now famous mountain climber turned humanitarian, potentially extremely exaggerated or even completely made up some of the stories in his book! There are now questions as to whether he is abusing the charitable organization which he runs, The Central Asia Institute.

Do you think he’s a fraud? Is Greg Mortenson exaggerating stories for personal profit from the sale of his book? Is someone out to defame Greg, or does he deserve this?

I certainly don’t know the answers, but I hope that Greg really is a good guy! I’ll be so disappointed if these accusations are true!

A Thru Hike Adventure on the Appalachian Trail!

Hiking Lady — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:01:55 +0000

Have you ever thought about thru-hiking the 2,200 mile long Appalachian Trail?

Dennis Blanchard did just that and wrote an engaging book about his journey. What did the Hiking Lady think of it?

Check out the new book review! Three Hundred Zeroes: Lessons of the Heart on the Appalachian Trail..

The First Person to Hike the Pacific Crest Trail?

Hiking Lady — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:13:55 +0000

Who was the first person to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail?

In 1970, a 17 year old boy from the midwest named Eric Ryback decided to hike the 2,650 mile trail from Canada to Mexico by himself!

There is some controversy as to whether or not he completed it without hitching a few rides from strangers along the way, but regardless, he wrote a very interesting book about his journey!

Check out the Hiking Lady book review of The High Adventure of Eric Ryback.

Don’t Wanna Get Lost in the Wilderness?

Hiking Lady — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:44:46 +0000

Cicerone Books

One of the biggest fears hikers have is getting lost. The best a hiker can do is to be prepared! Get a good, comprehensive guide to the area where you’ll be hiking, read it, study it, and bring it along!

There are numerous guide book companies, ranging from Falcon Guides to The Mountaineers Book, and even online sites like Trails.com. I have found that many online publications are great for super up-to-date trail conditions, but as far as planning a trip, the guidebooks I really like are Cicerone Hiking Guides.

Why Cicerone? Cicerone is a UK publisher that does a great job of providing just enough detail and fun facts, comprehensive maps and images, and keeps out the superfluous content that makes books big and bulky. Check out the full book review, and hear why I like the Cicerone Pacific Crest Trail guidebook in particular!

Happy trails!

An Inspiring Scottish Mountaineer: Vicky Jack

Hiking Lady — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:05:04 +0000

Are you ready to hear a story about a female mountaineer?

A woman who maintained a successful business career and decided in her 40s that she wanted to climb the seven highest peaks on each continent…A woman who summited Mt. Everest at age 51, establishing a record for being the oldest British woman to do so…And a woman with a refreshing sense of humility?

Then you’ll want to read the inspiring story of Vicky Jack, who in May 2004 reached the summit of Everest, and successfully completed her impressive goal of climbing the Seven Summits.

Check out my book review of The Sky’s the Limit: The Story of Vicky Jack and Her Quest to Climb the Seven Summits.

Book of the Month: Into the Wild

Hiking Lady — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:14:23 +0000

Into the Wild is a great book! It combines adventure, a trek across the U.S., and the Alaskan wilderness with a deeper story line about a young man who questions societal norms.

As with many of Jon Krakauer’s books, the story is controversial. Was the protagonist, Christopher McCandless, irresponsible? Was he trying to prove something by living alone in the Alaskan wilderness? Perhaps he was the social misfit?

What do you think?

You can read my thoughts in my full review of Into the Wild.