What do you think?
Rate this book
Blisters, Bears, and Bliss: A Pacific Crest Trail Memoir: Seeking Zen, Losing My Mind, & Finding Purpose While Thru-Hiking
What happens when a burnt-out tech professional ditches the comforts of modern life to thru-hike 2,650 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada? A head-on collision of midlife crisis and wilderness reality—where he’d never felt more alive.
Somewhere between mile 500, yet another resupply point, and a complete mental breakdown, something happened. Those dusty Buddhist concepts that he skimmed through in Asia two decades prior about ‘simplicity’ and ‘attachment’ (the kind we all tend to dismiss as hippie fluff) actually started making a whole lot of sense.😅
Who knew that stripping life down to ‘walk, eat, sleep, don’t die’ could reboot something in your brain, making the noise of modern life fade like a patchy cell signal several miles past the last trailhead. What emerged out of this chaos was months of grinding miles, trail family drama, moments of clarity, and enough trail town madness to keep things interesting.
📖 The result? A raw, ridiculous, and surprisingly insightful mash-up of life lessons, trail stories, and deep thoughts interrupted by trail-town food fantasies— all served with enough sarcasm to make a monk snort-laugh.
👉 Warning: This book contains unsolicited life advice — sprinkled with sarcasm, absurdity, a few dusty Zen Buddhist detours, and some philosophical a-ha moments earned after too many miles on trail.
This isn’t your typical trail memoir or thru-hiking guidebook. It’s more like a middle finger to hustle culture. Packed with existential meltdowns, unwashed hiker-trash camaraderie, and deeper insights that only make sense after walking 2,650 miles.
This book is for anyone who’s
✅ Googled “how to quit adulthood” at 2 AM
✅ Figured out the simple miles walked ÷ Snickers bars = sanity
✅ Wondered if ‘inner peace’ probably smells like dust, sweat, and the hope that the next trail town has a laundromat
Here’s what you’re not
Another “How I Conquered The Wilderness & Became A Badass Guru” tale.Tips on cutting your toothbrush handle to save 0.05 ounces.Yet another step-by-step trail guide to thru-hiking.Instead, expect to get some deeper insights, some chaos, absurdity, and moments of clarity that’ll smack you in the face when you least expect them. It’s a messy, trail-worn mix of life lessons and just enough zen to make you rethink your entire life.
Somewhere between mile 500, yet another resupply point, and a complete mental breakdown, something happened. Those dusty Buddhist concepts that he skimmed through in Asia two decades prior about ‘simplicity’ and ‘attachment’ (the kind we all tend to dismiss as hippie fluff) actually started making a whole lot of sense.😅
Who knew that stripping life down to ‘walk, eat, sleep, don’t die’ could reboot something in your brain, making the noise of modern life fade like a patchy cell signal several miles past the last trailhead. What emerged out of this chaos was months of grinding miles, trail family drama, moments of clarity, and enough trail town madness to keep things interesting.
📖 The result? A raw, ridiculous, and surprisingly insightful mash-up of life lessons, trail stories, and deep thoughts interrupted by trail-town food fantasies— all served with enough sarcasm to make a monk snort-laugh.
👉 Warning: This book contains unsolicited life advice — sprinkled with sarcasm, absurdity, a few dusty Zen Buddhist detours, and some philosophical a-ha moments earned after too many miles on trail.
This isn’t your typical trail memoir or thru-hiking guidebook. It’s more like a middle finger to hustle culture. Packed with existential meltdowns, unwashed hiker-trash camaraderie, and deeper insights that only make sense after walking 2,650 miles.
This book is for anyone who’s
✅ Googled “how to quit adulthood” at 2 AM
✅ Figured out the simple miles walked ÷ Snickers bars = sanity
✅ Wondered if ‘inner peace’ probably smells like dust, sweat, and the hope that the next trail town has a laundromat
Here’s what you’re not
Another “How I Conquered The Wilderness & Became A Badass Guru” tale.Tips on cutting your toothbrush handle to save 0.05 ounces.Yet another step-by-step trail guide to thru-hiking.Instead, expect to get some deeper insights, some chaos, absurdity, and moments of clarity that’ll smack you in the face when you least expect them. It’s a messy, trail-worn mix of life lessons and just enough zen to make you rethink your entire life.
181 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 17, 2025
139 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 22, 2025
This book is different from any thru hiking book I’ve read. In some ways, it’s not really a thru hiking book at all, but a zen philosophy book in trail runners.
Nowhere are the daily reports of mileage, scenery, and meals. The hiking descriptions are not linear - bouncing from one part of the trail experience to another based on the philosophy being discussed at the time.
I have experienced many of the same realizations through different means. Thru hiking is not required and the wisdom the author shares can come through varied experiences. But he speaks the truth.
What was difficult for me were the repetitive sections, sometimes saying the exact same thing in successive paragraphs. And while most of the time the analogies and similes are clever, at other times they are completely overdone.
The last chapter, however, is brilliant. Hikers rarely write about the feelings when trying to reintegrate into “normal” life. I haven’t experienced it as a hiker but I have in other contexts, and it’s spot-on.
Nowhere are the daily reports of mileage, scenery, and meals. The hiking descriptions are not linear - bouncing from one part of the trail experience to another based on the philosophy being discussed at the time.
I have experienced many of the same realizations through different means. Thru hiking is not required and the wisdom the author shares can come through varied experiences. But he speaks the truth.
What was difficult for me were the repetitive sections, sometimes saying the exact same thing in successive paragraphs. And while most of the time the analogies and similes are clever, at other times they are completely overdone.
The last chapter, however, is brilliant. Hikers rarely write about the feelings when trying to reintegrate into “normal” life. I haven’t experienced it as a hiker but I have in other contexts, and it’s spot-on.
April 17, 2025
I picked up 'Blisters, Bears, and Bliss' on a whim after my thru-hiker buddy wouldn't stop talking about his trail. As someone who's dreamed about thru-hiking the PCT but hasn't taken the plunge yet, this book was the perfect mix of humor, trail knowledge, and unexpected philosophical depth.
What surprised me most was the angle of adding the Zen/Buddhism philosophy with funny 'hikertrash' culture ( I guess some worlds do collide). It never gets preachy or overly sentimental - just honest reflections from someone clearly changed by the experience.
The sections about Eastern philosophy woven throughout made me think about hiking in a completely different way. If you're planning a long trail (PCT, AT, or otherwise), definitely read this before you go. And even if you're just an armchair adventurer like me, it's still a fascinating look at what happens when someone leaves behind the comfort of routine to find something deeper on the trail. Easily one of my favorite outdoor reads this year.
What surprised me most was the angle of adding the Zen/Buddhism philosophy with funny 'hikertrash' culture ( I guess some worlds do collide). It never gets preachy or overly sentimental - just honest reflections from someone clearly changed by the experience.
The sections about Eastern philosophy woven throughout made me think about hiking in a completely different way. If you're planning a long trail (PCT, AT, or otherwise), definitely read this before you go. And even if you're just an armchair adventurer like me, it's still a fascinating look at what happens when someone leaves behind the comfort of routine to find something deeper on the trail. Easily one of my favorite outdoor reads this year.
September 25, 2025
Finding Peace One Step at a Time
As someone who has felt the chaos of modern life, this book hit me hard in the best way. Reading about a burnt-out tech worker trading screens for miles of dirt paths felt real and raw. The humor is spot on and makes the tough moments lighter while the reflections on life feel earned after every blister and mile. I loved how the author turned exhaustion, hunger, and endless walking into lessons about simplicity and what really matters. It is not a hiking manual but a funny, honest, and surprisingly deep look at slowing down to find clarity. I closed the book feeling like I had hiked a little of the trail myself and found some peace along the way.
As someone who has felt the chaos of modern life, this book hit me hard in the best way. Reading about a burnt-out tech worker trading screens for miles of dirt paths felt real and raw. The humor is spot on and makes the tough moments lighter while the reflections on life feel earned after every blister and mile. I loved how the author turned exhaustion, hunger, and endless walking into lessons about simplicity and what really matters. It is not a hiking manual but a funny, honest, and surprisingly deep look at slowing down to find clarity. I closed the book feeling like I had hiked a little of the trail myself and found some peace along the way.
November 14, 2025
I found this book to be a great variation on the thru hike genre. It is very funny, at times I laughed out loud. I enjoyed the blending of life on the trail and the philosophy of living. I love a good thru hike read that gives you the feeling of being on the hike with the writer day to day. This is not that at all, in a good way. You drop in at various points of the PCT that relate to the ideas that the author wants to convey. It’s light and reads very quickly and is a soft introduction to some eastern philosophy along the way. I would definitely recommend if you’re into hiking, self exploration and wellness.
June 30, 2025
Funny and honest
I love the outdoors, and I often dream of walking away from my corporate cubicle and embarking on a journey of self discovery and adventure so the idea of this book was very appealing for me. I love hiking so could definitely relate to some of the stories. the writing style was funny and honest. It is a good, quick read for anyone who appreciates getting back to nature.
I love the outdoors, and I often dream of walking away from my corporate cubicle and embarking on a journey of self discovery and adventure so the idea of this book was very appealing for me. I love hiking so could definitely relate to some of the stories. the writing style was funny and honest. It is a good, quick read for anyone who appreciates getting back to nature.
July 16, 2025
Funny
This book for me is reflective on life in the best way. Weiss’ mix of sarcasm and sincerity is spot-on and it feels like hearing a story from your close friend. While it’s about hiking on the surface, it digs into deeper questions about purpose and meaning. A thoughtful read that’s both entertaining and unexpectedly moving. I really enjoyed it but I wish a few parts were a bit tighter.
This book for me is reflective on life in the best way. Weiss’ mix of sarcasm and sincerity is spot-on and it feels like hearing a story from your close friend. While it’s about hiking on the surface, it digs into deeper questions about purpose and meaning. A thoughtful read that’s both entertaining and unexpectedly moving. I really enjoyed it but I wish a few parts were a bit tighter.
November 26, 2025
Thought provoking and funny
I thought this book was raw, honest, and unexpectedly profound, mixing sharp humour with real insight. It captures the chaos, reflection, and emotional grit of a long journey in a way that feels both relatable and uplifting. Thought provoking, funny, and surprisingly moving.
I thought this book was raw, honest, and unexpectedly profound, mixing sharp humour with real insight. It captures the chaos, reflection, and emotional grit of a long journey in a way that feels both relatable and uplifting. Thought provoking, funny, and surprisingly moving.
January 12, 2026
Fantastic read
As I get ready to take on my own thru hike of the PCT in 2026, I have read countless books. This one hit home. It resonated with my why, my purpose in taking on this epic challenge. This isn't a book just about taking a long walk, it's a book about finding your why and letting the journey ahead shape itself into whatever needs to be discovered.
As I get ready to take on my own thru hike of the PCT in 2026, I have read countless books. This one hit home. It resonated with my why, my purpose in taking on this epic challenge. This isn't a book just about taking a long walk, it's a book about finding your why and letting the journey ahead shape itself into whatever needs to be discovered.
April 29, 2025
Funny raw and deep. I absolutely loved it!
July 4, 2025
Yikes. This was so disappointing. The author has done an excellent job at promoting this book, but I wish he had done as good of a job at writing it. I was really excited to read a thru-hike memoir that included his unique brand of humor. Unfortunately, that’s not what I got.
Instead, it was a nonstop Buddhist/Taoist rant, which I realize sounds like an oxymoron, practically yelling at the reader over and over again to stop conforming to society and go on a thru-hike. He found around 100 different ways of phrasing the exact same thing over and over and over again. And yes, it constantly said you do this, you think that, you need to do this, you need to do that. Literally using the word “you“ as though we are all guilty if we haven’t thru-hiked before.
There were a few anecdotes about his actual hike, but not very many. I would have DNF pretty early on except that I had already committed to reading this for this challenge and two others. Sadly, the 180 pages felt several times that. It was a chore to get through and I’m so incredibly bummed. His posts are always delightful and hysterically funny, and I really had anticipated that his book would take the same tone. There was humor interspersed there, But I couldn’t really appreciate it when I felt like I was being yelled at and lectured. One star.
Instead, it was a nonstop Buddhist/Taoist rant, which I realize sounds like an oxymoron, practically yelling at the reader over and over again to stop conforming to society and go on a thru-hike. He found around 100 different ways of phrasing the exact same thing over and over and over again. And yes, it constantly said you do this, you think that, you need to do this, you need to do that. Literally using the word “you“ as though we are all guilty if we haven’t thru-hiked before.
There were a few anecdotes about his actual hike, but not very many. I would have DNF pretty early on except that I had already committed to reading this for this challenge and two others. Sadly, the 180 pages felt several times that. It was a chore to get through and I’m so incredibly bummed. His posts are always delightful and hysterically funny, and I really had anticipated that his book would take the same tone. There was humor interspersed there, But I couldn’t really appreciate it when I felt like I was being yelled at and lectured. One star.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews