Bliss(ters): How I Walked from Mexico to Canada One Summer

by Gail Francis

Just before her 40th birthday, Gail Francis quit her perfectly good job and set out to hike one of the great trails of the world. Carrying everything she needed on her back, Francis spent five months walking from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail. Along the way, she lost her pack scrambling over scree in the desert, struggled to navigate high mountain passes, and wore the soles off her boots trekking across lava fields — all within some of the most pristine wilderness in the nation. Though she set out alone, her story includes an eclectic cast of characters. From the man walking the entire 2,700 miles in a series of twenty-six wedding dresses, to the woman making the journey in the company of her pet mouse, Francis learned to count on her fellow hikers for entertainment as well as a few important life lessons.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Travel, Adventure, Nature, Audiobook, Biography

165 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2017

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

In January I read my first hiking book called “Steps Out of Time: One Woman’s Journey on the Camino” by Katharine B. Soper.

In this book Francis is hiking the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) from Mexico to Canada. The author is a natural storyteller. Francis does an excellent job describing the countryside. It is so picturesque; I feel I am right there. I am familiar with the areas she describes and that makes her comments more interesting. She also tells of the people she met along the Trail and includes some humor. Both books discuss problems with the feet, primarily blisters. The author states she is a weak hiker. I would disagree with that as she completed the 2700 miles. When I was young, I might have enjoyed this hike, but now I am happy to be a vicarious hiker.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight hours and thirty-two minutes. Wendy Tremont King does a good job narrating the book.

[Nicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Wild by Cheryl Strayed when I listened to it years ago and so jumped at the chance to listen to this memoir, also about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

I’m a bit of a fantasy hiker, as I although I go rambling on my summer holidays with my family, I really do need my home comforts at the end of each day. I couldn’t, no in fact, I do not want to hike long distances like the author did. I like to think that I would enjoy it, but I know in reality I really don’t like arduous hiking or camping in all weather conditions. I’m a huge wimp when it comes to outdoor activities especially in wind or rain.

I did enjoy Gail M Francis’ exploits as she travels by foot and occasionally by car from Mexico to Canada. I loved her decriptions of the scenery and flora and fauna. She meets rattlesnakes, wild dogs and millions of mosquitoes on her journey. She also meets other hikers who acquire brilliant ‘trail names’, given to them by other hikers based on their personal history or character. The author’s name was Nightingale because she liked to sing as she hiked.

Another aspect of the memoir was the numerous mention of Trail Angels. These are volunteers who will go out of their way to help hikers, either by proving food and drink for free, giving them a lift from one stop to the next part of the PCT, and even opening up their home for a night or two. I loved hearing how the author met these Angels over and over again and exactly when she needed them. It really did show that there is still some good in the world.

I’m going to be completely honest about the narration as I did struggle with it at times. The chapters weren’t obvious enough for me, which was a shame as I do like to know where I am in a book. Also I unfortunately found the narrator Wendy Tremont King a bit monotone at times, with not much emotion where I would have liked it. This might just be me as I can be quite fussy about my narrators.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy memoirs, particularly hiking stories, as there are some lovely anecdotes and descriptions.

Thanks so much to Hope at Tantor Media for my digital copy.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book on a road trip and while I found much of the story enjoyable, I didn’t care for the narrator. She sounded like she was reading a book for a classroom full of elementary students and not so much like someone who truly enjoyed and experienced the adventures in the book. I also didn’t like that there were no good stopping points. While there are chapters to this book, I often failed to recognize where one chapter ended and another began.

I am not a long distance hiker but I do enjoy wilderness hiking and backpacking and have often thought of doing some section hiking along some of America’s longer trails. As an older hiker, this book definitely inspired me to keep that dream alive. But, while I consider myself open minded, environmentally aware, and concerned about conservation, I found the book preachy and slightly arrogant at times. The author is very good at balancing out her arrogance with sharing some more humbling moments but I still get irritated with “holier than thou” platitudes. (She does admit she is this way but still…)

[Sabine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and very fun read. Down to earth and without drama. We just get to join her on her hike and in the beginning of her journey she isn’t even sure how far she will go on the PCT.
I’m a couch hiker and love to read about other peoples experiences. It was so intriguing to read about her experiences and interactions with other hikers. A very encouraging read – one day I may get out there on my own long hike…..

[Cat Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always learn something new reading these books about thru-hikes. However, the author is a little petty.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book about hiking the Pacific Coast Trail. 🏞️🚶‍♀️🏜️ I wasn't a fan of Wild, but I enjoyed this one. I often love listening to books like this, but don't have any desire to do this type of long-distance hiking myself. Blisters, excessive heat, cold, lugging a heavy pack for months and months... this doesn't sound like much fun to me. I'd definitely be more of a section hiker. 😂 Long-distance RVing? That, I could do. It was fun hearing about her experience and about the people she met along the way. Well worth a read or listen!

[Merceda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this book. It was entertaining and I liked how she pretty much stayed in contact with the others who were in her tramily. It was a bit weird that she kept meeting up with friends along the way, and sort of picked on poor Scott, although they have a long-time relationship so I guess all is good. I like that she is still hiking with Knut over the years. I'm amazed at how heavy both her pack and Knut's packs were as compared to other people that I've read about hiking the AT or PCT.

[Aimee Wedel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good book! It shares a lot about not only 1 hikers story on the PCT trail, but other expectations and details about the hike. Learned a lot about trails, packing, food supply, etc… hiking the PCT is my husband’s dream adventure so I’m sure one day this will become more of a reality for us. Great first book about it!

[Remi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great PCT story. I love that this story highlights different aspects of the trail than other stories. Essentially Nightingale is a solo female traveler but not once is this mentioned. It’s refreshing to hear a story that isn’t marketed towards the dangers of being a solo hiker. I loved the honesty and the connection throughout this journey. This is a great read for someone who wants or is interested in undertaking the PCT or who has friends or family on the trail that would like a pick me up. I think maybe humanity needs some trail magic.

[Angela Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bliss(ters) is an excellent book about what it takes to hike the PCT, what to expect, and clarifications for non-thru-hikers (such as myself). Maybe some day...

[Gabby H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes you want to hike the PCT

[Robert Sutherland · Rating 3 out of 5]

An overall good account of a lady walking the Pacific Crest Trail, relating the characters, scenery, and problems that come with a multi-thousand mile hike.

[Sarca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Descriptive without getting too in the weeds. I was glad that the author and Knut remained friends at the end of the journey.

[Ralph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying and accurate tale by a woman walking the PCT for her 40th birthday

Gail fits in the empty space of the hiker age demographic. Most are in their 20s or in their 50s and 60s. About 30% of those are women. She’s not too fond loud groups, and by the time of her hike, 2012, the Pacific Crest Trail had become a social experience for many.

It took her a while to be comfortable as a thru-hiker. Doing this trail requires assuming a certain amount of risk. A mistake can cost you hours of misery, or it can cost you your life. Gail is well aware of this, and addition, she carries some fears of her own, such as dog attacks.

After her initial settling in time, Gail did find friends on the trail, and has sort of a spread out trail family who keep in touch with her, and she with them. Most of the book is a chronological story of the journey north, both the footpath, and the social interaction. I have completed the trail myself, and enjoyed her process through places I knew.

I read this book on Kindle using iPad’s Kindle Reader app. It was a big surprise to get to the end of the book and find an excellent set color images of Gail and her companions on the trail. I wish I had known this at the beginning and looked at them then. Even better, I wish they had been interspersed throughout the book in the appropriate places.

I recommend this book to anyone who knows a long trail hiker, or is thinking about taking a long trail on.

[lunarlibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is my third book, well memoir, of a woman hiking the PCT (more or less, solo-hiking). (I read Wild like three times, so maybe this counts as the sixth book.) Unlike Wild and the other one, this book embraced the hiking mentality and focus that I was sooo longing for within the other books.

Gail is a naturalist, and she respects the outdoors, and has no problem kindly calling out problematic behaviors of fellow hikers who are not exhibiting Leave No Trace ethics. I also deeply appreciated the author's personality, introspection, and vulnerability. She also made it clear how much skill and common sense are pivotal to making good decisions when you are out in the wild, and how dangerous it can be without that preparation (a far cry from "Wild," though I do love that book).

This is by far the best book I've read of the PCT. Read all the raving reviews below, because I agree with them.

[randy casebier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept reading

If I find a book that keeps my interests despite commuting 3 hours a day to work and work and everything else that comes from remodling a flooded home.... well enough said.

[Steve Garfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

I love reading tales like this. Of places I will never go and people I will never meet. Turned out to be a love story.

[Cheryl Gatling]

I told a few people I was reading a book about a woman who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. They said, “Oh, yes, I love Cheryl Strayed.” I said, “No, this is a different book about a different woman who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.” Gail Francis will probably never get a movie deal out of her story, since Cheryl Strayed got there first, and since Gail had less personal trauma to work out, but it’s still a good story.

Much of the story is about fatigue, extreme weather, insects, wild animals, hunger and thirst (mostly thirst), rocks, fear of falling, fear of getting lost, and the aforementioned blisters. Under these trying physical conditions, the joys of beautiful nature vistas, or positive encounters with friends, or a well-timed drink of water, can be powerful.

One of the things I liked about the book is that in sidebars she addressed some of the very practical aspects of through-hiking. How do you poop? What do you eat? What do you wear? What’s in your pack? How do hikers communicate with each other? Sometimes they leave a paper note on the trail, held down with a rock. They also use the word of mouth telephone. Have you seen So-and-So? If you do see So-and-So, tell him this. Hikers mostly have nicknames, and the author went by NightinGail on the trail.

One of her personal struggles was that of being an introvert in a surprisingly social environment. Hikers like to pair up and meet up, and she was often irritated when people wanted to talk to her when she didn’t want to talk. Perhaps sociability won out in the end, because she did pair up with a Norwegian hiker named Knut, and they became boyfriend-girlfriend (and Knut’s trail name became Knutella).

Where the trail intersects with civilization there are stops where hikers can get mail, and a cooked meal, and a shower, and sometimes where they can pick up boxes they have mailed to themselves ahead of time. There is also a tradition of “Trail Angels,” who meet hikers at intersections with food and drink, or who leave caches of food and drink where hikers can find them. Often the trail angels have been hikers themselves.

The Pacific Crest Trail begins at the border with Mexico, and ends at the border with Canada. It is 2,700 miles, and Gail Francis hiked it all in one season. It is a great accomplishment, and for everyone who does it, in some way, life changing.

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m making my way through backpacking memoirs and after Aspen Mattis’ book, I figured I’d give Gail’s book a listen. I think I would have liked this book much better if I had read it and not listened to the audio book. The narrator, Wendy Tremont King, was an absolute bore. She sounded like she was reading a textbook for the bulk of the story. And I’m not sure if it’s the way the book was written, or Wendy’s voice, but my god Gail seems like an absolute miserable person to be around. She fights and argues with people who are very kind to her while constantly reflects on her poor behavior with limited insight into how it actually affects them. That is, until the latter half of the book, where it’s like we are growing up with Gail. At one point she talks about a disagreement she had with her hiking partner, Newt. She refuses to tell us what the argument was about and reflects on how angry she was and how stupid the argument really was. It was the first time I felt like Gail was being humble. And from there on, she became much more tolerable in her tirades against others on the trail.

Still, there are some interesting notes in this book that I will take with me if I ever hike the PCT or any sections of it. Her descriptions of the landscape aren’t that thorough but her descriptions of the people and events therein are dense (in a good way!). There’s a lot to unpack about the amount of toilet paper she sees, the expansive network of friends she made on her hike, and the importance of letting go of your own ego. Gail was great. The audiobook sucked. I liked this book overall.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to really love this book. I enjoy reading about hiking adventures along America's most historic trails, but just couldn't totally fall in love with this book.

It is a no-,frills story of the authors thru-hike of the Pacific Coast Trail. The author works through personal fears along the trail along with reconciling her desire for alone time with also wanting to hike with a partner. The description of the hike itself was interesting as I know little about the PCT. What I would've liked even more if there was a bit more discussion of pre-hike preparation, like how to choose where to drop packages.

If you are looking for another "Walk in the Woods", this will not be a book for you. If you simply want to have a better vision of what a thru-hike is like on the PCT this book may be more your style.

[Sui5te · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version during my commute. It is a good story that shares the joys and struggles of a long distance hike. I had never read or listened to a story regarding the PCT, so I found this interesting. I appreciated the fact that there was mention of personal political views, but not a depth of tangents that deterred me away from the story. I gave this a 3 star rating due to the narration which was choppy and sounded like someone reading a script for the first time instead of someone telling you a story (if that makes sense). I might have rated it higher if I would have read it instead of listened to it. The voice was not pleasant to me, but others may find it fine. I like trail story's and adventure, so if you do as well, then I recommend this story - it may be better read than listened to.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the fourth book on thru-hiking the PCT that I had read and the only one I did not read at the proverbial one sitting. Perhaps I had become jaded and blasé about the whole thing, thus the 4-star rating. The approach the writer took was different than the previous books I had read and it took me a while to say: “Oh, I get it now.” Her self-described personality certainly came through and by the end of the book I had warmed up to 'Nightingail’ and her style of writing. Kudos to Ms. Francis for sticking to it during the difficult times on the trail and for providing me with much envious pleasure in trekking through a difficult trail that I will not attempt. I hike the PCT vicariously and Ms. Francis has added to my understanding of what it takes to complete such a task.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bliss(ters): How I Walked from Mexico to Canada One Summer
author: Gail M. Francis
narrator: Wendy Tremont King
Tantor Audio - January 2019
genre: Memoir, Outdoors

At age 39, author and hiker Francis embarked on an epic adventure of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. I'm so glad that she chose to keep a journal and then share her journey through a book. It's mesmerizing to be transported to another region of the world through audiobooks, and in this case the setting was 2653 miles long! Narrator King added her emotional, compelling voice to the narrative, taking me directly alongside Francis for her long-distance hike.

With humor and warmth in her writing, Francis' chronicle of her hike was enjoyable and absorbing.
The characteristics of the locale along the trail were detailed in a way that took me there. Her perspectives on the beauty of the trail, dangers she faced, and the relationships she formed add up to an excellent book!

[Alexander Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the phrase "one thing led to another" got stretched into a 165 page book, this would be it. The long, wandering journey that starts illogically and meanders into the whimsical mystery that is the PCT will keep you turning pages late into the night.
This is not a how-to mannual, and should not be treated as such. It is the experience of one tenderfoots unexpected foray into the world of long-range hiking.
I was disappointed with the scant attention paid to some of the PCT's most dramatic and photogenic landscape: Oregon. Instead, far too much attention was paid to the Mojave and the Sierra Nevadas, as if they're not praised enough.
Nevertheless, its a book you should read, if just to live vicariously through another hiker for a week.

[Denise Chojnacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great thing about this book is that it's an account of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail by someone from the area in which I live. Truly I felt like I had hiked right along with the author without the cold, the blisters and the mosquitoes. The encounters Gail had along the way with other hikers made for interesting reading and how she persevered despite some physical ailments that proved to be a thorn in her side. At first I wasn't a fan of how this book did not have chapters but it did indeed have sections and that gave me a little break as to starting a new area. All in all a fascinating account of a northern WI girl's journey and successful completion of the PCT.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I've also read Wild, and both are about long hiking the PST, it seems a good place to start a comparison. And the comparison is... this hiking narrative blows Wild away. The author goes into the trail with plans and knowledge of how to pull off a long distance hike. She talks about the kindness of trail angels leaving food and water along the way, the random locals who help out the hikers along the way, and the camaraderie found with the other hikers. There's certainly some musing of self discovery, but not in the intensely selfish way that I found Wild to contain. I'll recommend this one.

[Katie Eckman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was refreshing indeed, to come across this book- an account of a thru-hike written by a sensible, down-to-earth, personal, and honest narrator. So often, I feel disappointed with books written about long distance hikes, as they are full of complaints and self-promotion. Fortunately, this one is written by a narrator willing to see beyond herself, and thus able to see the beauty around her and within her and share it with us. Gail writes of trials and challenges on the trail, but with a sense of humor, and balances these with celebrations and gratitude. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in books of this genre.

[Yuliya · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author Gail Francis produced a wonderful and inspiring account of her 5-month long thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s one of the most famous long-distance hikes in the world, stretching 2650 miles in the west of the United States, from the Mexican border all the way to Canada. It’s my dream to hike even just a small portion of this trail. With honesty and gentle self-deprecating humour, Gail recounts the wonders and difficulties of the PCT – the awe-inspiring scenery and nature, physical hardships, friendships with other hikers, and the amazing generosity of strangers. She also has some helpful advice about equipment and how-tos that are not often mentioned in guidebooks.

[Evelien · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a while to get into the audiobook and into the story. I have been very interested in thru-hiking the PCT (thanks to my boyfriend) and have been looking for a good informative book. This one provided! It just took me a bit to appreciate the author. In the beginning she seems very snooty and 'superior' to everyone. However, this is in the beginning. When the story continues and she grows, I enjoy her a lot more. She provides us with good insights to the world of thru-hiking and I feel like I finally get a glimps of what it is like (not just the highlights we see in so many YouTube videos).
I recommend it for anyone with a passion for out door activities, mostly hiking ofcourse ;)

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read a PCT book in awhile and this one was different. I was interested to learn that most hikers were either in their 20s or 60s with few in between. Also, most hikers are focused on the athleticism of the hike rather than observing flora and fauna. I did tire of the seemingly hokey trail names assigned to each, and struggled to differentiate rarely mentioned hikers. I think this might be due to the experience being so life changing and in-the-moment that it's hard to explain to those who weren't part of it. I liked how Gail and Knut kept their relationship going for a bit with other big trips. Author claims that it made her more optimistic overall.
3.5