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Northbound: Tales from the Continental Divide Trail
After years of aimlessly drifting between seasonal jobs, Bridget (Dassie in the trail world) sets out on the biggest adventure of her life, a 2000-mile hike along the America’s most rugged of the major trails – the Continental Divide Trail. Armed with a bulging backpack and tons of optimism Dassie journeys across the world to the small town of Lordsburg in New Mexico, prepared yet completely unprepared. Facing the ups and downs on the trail teaches her valuable lessons about facing the highs and lows of life, while discovering that every step, no matter how small, is another step closer to the final goal. Told with honesty and sincerity, Northbound weaves a tale of personal growth and new perspectives through highly entertaining anecdotes of trail calamities and the generosity of humanity.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2020
23 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 30, 2023
This book felt like a poorly written novel or a well written diary. There was a lot of "then this happened, then this happened, then this happened". There were names of places / people poorly described so I couldn't envision them and lost track. Most of my notes were fixing typos or restructuring sentences. I found out later that she had blogged as she went, so it makes more sense if I imagine the book as a compilation of blog posts strung together. I could tell she isn't a writer, but I still appreciated the book as there's not very many of them about the CDT. Like I said, for a journal it was well written. Hats off to her for her adventure and sharing it with us.
October 11, 2020
What a great book. Chapter after chapter kept going by and I was left wanting more. I can't wait until the next book comes out. Very easy read. The writer should be very proud of herself for waiting a book that both experienced hikers and novices like myself can relate to. I really liked the but of the relationship aspect added in as well.
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September 22, 2020For a story chronicling such an arduous feat, hiking the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), this was a delightfully easy read. The author blends humour and courage to tell of her struggles and accomplishments along this hike.
It is a very honest description of the challenges faced on a long-distance hike. I was very impressed by Bridget’s attitude to these adversities, and the very positive outlook the book has. The scenery, the people she meets along the way, and the personal (physical and mental) growth that she describes so well almost makes me want to pack up a bag and challenge myself. When reading certain passages that detailed how things can and did go wrong, this city-dweller was grateful for the safety of his couch.
The generosity of the people she meets along the way is surprising to a jaded urban warrior like myself.
The subplot of finding love, and navigating the uncertainties of a fledgling relationship in this environment made this story all the more interesting and relatable.
This book, like the challenge of the CDT, is something the author should be very proud of.
It is a very honest description of the challenges faced on a long-distance hike. I was very impressed by Bridget’s attitude to these adversities, and the very positive outlook the book has. The scenery, the people she meets along the way, and the personal (physical and mental) growth that she describes so well almost makes me want to pack up a bag and challenge myself. When reading certain passages that detailed how things can and did go wrong, this city-dweller was grateful for the safety of his couch.
The generosity of the people she meets along the way is surprising to a jaded urban warrior like myself.
The subplot of finding love, and navigating the uncertainties of a fledgling relationship in this environment made this story all the more interesting and relatable.
This book, like the challenge of the CDT, is something the author should be very proud of.
January 2, 2023
I wanted to like this-- but someone who decides to self-publish before even hitting the spell-check button isn't worth reading (flipping to random pages: "Yorkshire terriors"; "dialling" on phones)... plus unfinished sentences, abundant cliches, run-on sentences that lack punctuation, and overly-repeated words, to name a few. Numerous lines like "[...] from 1000s of miles away [...]"-- my complaints are not stylistic in nature, but in the realm of your year 11/high school English teacher knocking a grade off your paper because you write that poorly. Or, flipping to another random page: the word "river" used four times in one unwieldy run-on sentence.
I also didn't find her to be a sympathetic narrator, but I couldn't even skim the first 30 pages or so due to the wealth of spelling errors and a desperate lack of editing.
As a side note, I flipped to a random page where she says that archaeologists are working nearby "scouting" (presumably this is pedestrian survey) and they have invited the world of hikers to come observe and work with them while they record sites. No. Archaeological data are exempt from FOIA, and no CRM firm or federal agency just open-invites people to watch them record sites or interfere with their survey work. Tabling the massive legal issues of violating protected cultural information by blasting it out willy-nilly to passers-by, at a minimum paperwork is required to cover liability/safety issues. A NPS historic site can have visitors observing, but that is offering education about an established interpretive site, not doing the grind of pedestrian survey.
Maybe you can get over these issues. If so, cool. If you expect a modicum of good spelling, punctuation, or properly-structured sentences, her self-published journaling may not be for you.
I also didn't find her to be a sympathetic narrator, but I couldn't even skim the first 30 pages or so due to the wealth of spelling errors and a desperate lack of editing.
As a side note, I flipped to a random page where she says that archaeologists are working nearby "scouting" (presumably this is pedestrian survey) and they have invited the world of hikers to come observe and work with them while they record sites. No. Archaeological data are exempt from FOIA, and no CRM firm or federal agency just open-invites people to watch them record sites or interfere with their survey work. Tabling the massive legal issues of violating protected cultural information by blasting it out willy-nilly to passers-by, at a minimum paperwork is required to cover liability/safety issues. A NPS historic site can have visitors observing, but that is offering education about an established interpretive site, not doing the grind of pedestrian survey.
Maybe you can get over these issues. If so, cool. If you expect a modicum of good spelling, punctuation, or properly-structured sentences, her self-published journaling may not be for you.
February 10, 2022
How do long distance travelers make themselves make notes on the trail? Enough notes to reconstruct a months-long trip afterwards, and write a book?
I don't know, but she did it. And well. Some scenes were so immediate that they made me shiver, imagining myself there. I'd feel the blisters on my feet, and feel the bone-weary tiredness she felt after a long and roundabout day.
Despite the awesome adventures and good writing, I was a little let down at the end. I felt like I'd traveled through an awesome environment but didn't experience it--I wanted animals, plants, rocks and trees, but got trail companions, restocking stops, bad motels and cheap eateries. All that was fun, but not what I wanted.
But that's just me. She wrote about what was important to her, and I understand that at the end of a week living on bland oatmeal and protein bars, a hot meal in a burger joint is important indeed.
I don't know, but she did it. And well. Some scenes were so immediate that they made me shiver, imagining myself there. I'd feel the blisters on my feet, and feel the bone-weary tiredness she felt after a long and roundabout day.
Despite the awesome adventures and good writing, I was a little let down at the end. I felt like I'd traveled through an awesome environment but didn't experience it--I wanted animals, plants, rocks and trees, but got trail companions, restocking stops, bad motels and cheap eateries. All that was fun, but not what I wanted.
But that's just me. She wrote about what was important to her, and I understand that at the end of a week living on bland oatmeal and protein bars, a hot meal in a burger joint is important indeed.
March 24, 2022
Good overview and shared experience of hiking the CDT. I’ve read a lot of these trail memoirs and not everyone does a good job of balancing the stories of people with the stories of the trail. I appreciated that Dassie felt comfortable writing the book despite not completely the entire trail, she did complete her goal, which was not to complete the entire trail on her limited schedule. The only improvement I could see if that the book ended abruptly. Another paragraph or two from 6 months later to tell us what happened to everyone after they finished the trail would have been great.
May 5, 2021
This was a decent trail memoir. I learned quite a bit about the CDT, but was a bit put off by the author's occasional political comments (I don't read hiking books to read about the hiker's views on white privilege, guns, etc.). She was also quite judgmental about day hikers, and as an avid day hiker, that's not a good way to win fans. Definitely not a bad read, but I can't recommend it to my fellow hikers and readers.
August 20, 2021
Hitching along for the adventure!
I very much enjoyed joining the author on her adventure
Which took me back to my backpacking days. The physical
And emotional stresses and rewards are so real.
Thank you for the ride!
I very much enjoyed joining the author on her adventure
Which took me back to my backpacking days. The physical
And emotional stresses and rewards are so real.
Thank you for the ride!
January 7, 2023
I can't believe how few reviews there are for this book. As an avid armchair adventurer (and occasional trail runner) I found this book to be an immersive journey through the wilderness. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger so I am hoping for another update.
February 25, 2022
"Been there and done it". Love you too! - Flatcar.
August 13, 2022
Hiking parts are good
Enjoyed all the hiking stuff which made up the bulk of the book. The whiney parts about one of the boyfriends, not so much.
Enjoyed all the hiking stuff which made up the bulk of the book. The whiney parts about one of the boyfriends, not so much.
December 31, 2023
Great book
I really enjoyed this book but I wish she had a follow up booked so we know what she did later did she end up with her guy?
I really enjoyed this book but I wish she had a follow up booked so we know what she did later did she end up with her guy?
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews