Angela and Duffy take turns writing chapters about their hike from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail. That way we get the views from both hikers. This really works, because as they make their way along the trail, we see their relationship develop. It's as if they realized that if they could make it to the end together, they figured they'd be able to face anything together.

They have their share of adventures, mishaps, and meet plenty of hikers and "angels" (people who help hikers along the way). A Blistered Kind of Love is an enjoyable account, for hikers and non-hikers alike.


Rollicking good travel yarn   October 23, 2003
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

I'm not usually the type to read about endeavors I have no interest in undertaking - and hiking a few thousand miles while eating dehydrated vegetables certainly qualifies as such - but I found this book fascinating. It's chock full of anecdotes, historical info and juicy (if very well-rendered) back-and-forths between Duffy and Angela.

The most obvious comparison is Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, his story of hiking the Appalachian Trail, but I wouldn't necessarily say the books are similar. Bryson, while being a slightly more polished writer than the young Ballards (at least at this point in their career), doesn't treat his journey with the same reverence. You really feel the Ballards' deepening appreciation of what they are doing and each other, whereas Bryson viewed his trek as the means to an end (namely a book). Angela writes with a visual eloquence - she really excels at scenes - and is the more introspective of the two. Duffy's style is funnier and more anecdotal. He sounds like your average football-watching guy suddenly transported into the Sierras. Good stuff.

When I was done reading, I passed this on to my girlfriend and was surprised to find that she read it even faster than I did. I'd recommend it as a gift to any outdoors-minded friend, and especially to anyone newly-retired pondering some sort of adventure. This will get your ass off the couch and out for at least a day-hike.

And oh, by the way, Angela looks pretty hot in her photo.


Learn how to backpack - hike the PCT   January 9, 2004
 7 out of 8 found this review helpful

I just finished this - an entertaining read of a couple who thru-hiked the PCT in 2000. Angela had never backpacked before. It gives you a feeling for what the emotional highs and the lows are when hiking the PCT, and they have an upbeat attitude. More detail than Karen Berger's Triple Crown book, not the nitty gritty of Bill Schuette's story of his AT hike - White Blaze Fever.

They tandem team this book, alternating chapters. Normally each chapter progresses farther up the trail, though sometimes you might read about a common experience from two different views. You get some idea of the tremendous logistical problems in doing a thru-hike, and an even better sense of what a relationship test this is.

By the end of the book you feel a kinship with the other thru-hikers they encounter, so it is a nice touch that they have an epilogue, talking about what happened to the other thru-hikers they encountered.


Wonderful!   November 16, 2005
 7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Reading this book inspired my boyfriend and I to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail (which we completed in October, 2005). Angela does such a fantastic job of telling her story. It's entertaining, funny, and a great read.

I'd highly recommend this book for both for PCT hikers and for anyone else who wants to read a wonderful story.


A Delight   October 9, 2003
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

An unexpected treat! Bought this book on a whim while planning a (much shorter) trip of my own. Have just ordered additional copies as gifts for friends. The Ballards, who you'll feel like you know, are alternatively hilarious and inspiring. Basically, they're an everyday twenty-something couple that sets out to hike from Mexico to Canada during one summer. For fun?! The "he said / she said" structure is perfect. A blast to read. (Wonder what's next for these two...?)