Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail

by Heather Anish Anderson

Despite her success setting a self-supported Fastest Known Time record on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2013, Heather “Anish” Anderson still had such deep-seated insecurities that she became convinced her feat had been a fluke. So two years later she set out again, this time hiking through mud, rocks, and mountain blazes to crush her constant self-doubt and seek the true source of her strength and purpose.

The 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Maine to Georgia, did not make it easy. Anderson struggled with its infamous rain, humidity, insects, and steep grades for 54 days. But because she had to fight for every step, she knew when she reached the summit of Springer Mountain, the AT’s southern terminus, that she had fully earned the trail. Of greater value, she learned to love herself and her body, and to feel the depth of her power. Examining emotional scars as well as her relationship with her mother, Anderson’s deeply internal yet highly physical journey in Mud, Rocks, Blazes is an essential story.

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

Audible Audio

First published March 1, 2021

About the author

National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Heather Anderson is the only woman who has completed the Appalachian, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide National Scenic Trails each three times. This includes her historic Calendar Year Triple Crown hike in 2018 when she hiked all three of those trails in one March-November season, making her the first female to do so.

She also holds the overall self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Pacific Crest Trail (2013)–hiking it in 60 days, 17 hours, 12 min, which broke the previous men’s record by four days and established the first female record. She also holds the female self-supported FKT on the Appalachian Trail (2015) in a time of 54 days, 7 hours, 48 minutes, and the Arizona Trail (2016) which she completed in 19 days, 17 hours, 9 minutes.

She has hiked over 40,000 miles since 2003 including 15 thru-hikes. She is also an avid mountaineer and peakbagger working on several ascent lists in the US and abroad.

As a professional speaker, Heather speaks regularly about her adventures and the lessons learned on trail. She is the author of Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home (chronicling her Pacific Crest Trail record) and Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail (2021) about her 2015 AT record.

To stay up-to date on events, book releases and more sign up for Heather's newsletter: http://eepurl.com/g_Tt5D

As a welcome bonus you'll receive a deleted chapter from her first book, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home …available only to newsletter subscribers! 

Reviews

[Drew Boswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hikers who write are many. Hikers who write well are more rare. Heather "Anish" Anderson is the latter. She deserves to be read, not because of who she is or what she has accomplished on trail, but for her ability to create prose that reads like poetry. I barely began reading "Mud, Rocks, Blazes" the day I bought it and immediately found Chapter One more than worth the cover price, bringing literal goosebumps. In just three short pages Heather evokes the transformative power of willing suffering, a topic of great interest to me personally. This is a powerful, deeply personal story by someone who is turning out to be an impressive wordsmith. Forget the hiker; celebrate the writer. Read this book.

[Christie Bane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a “road trip listen” during our 47-hour drive around the country, and I realized that I have read/listened to enough Appalachian Trail books. They are all, basically, the same: food fantasies, crying/discouragement with bad weather, wrestling with wanting to quit, finding surprising strength that you didn’t know you had, and gutting out a finish. In this one, the author was also trying to get a Fastest Known Time, or FKT. The book was written well-enough, and I will say that the author did a good job of getting the reader inside her head. It’s just that inside this particular writer’s head is not a very interesting place for me to be. It’s full of stress, worry, self-doubt, and other unpleasant things. It reminds me too much of being inside my own head at endurance races. Why would anyone want to hang out there? I don’t, and therefore, no more AT books for me unless they promise something really unusual. (Like a thru-hiker with a sense of humor, for example.)

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I finished reading Heather Anderson's book Thirst I remember thinking that I hoped she found happiness because even after setting the women's self-supported PCT FKT she was still unhappy with herself and had low self-esteem and a lot of self-doubt.

For almost all of this book, save for the last 20 pages, Heather went through constant self-doubt, unhappy and unhealthy thoughts of never being good enough, thin enough, fast enough, athletic enough, she was worried that her PCT FKT was a fluke, etc. It was very frustrating and not fun or inspiring to read. Her entire FKT on the AT sounded like one horrible struggle. As if setting an FKT and hiking nearly 50 miles a day on four hours or less of sleep was not hard enough; Heather's sadness and self-doubt and nearly daily breakdowns and thoughts of quitting made her hike miserable. Like I said, she came to terms with herself during the final 20 pages and I hope that she really did accept herself for who she is.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

This is a tricky book to rate - I admire the author’s incredible physical endurance but felt uncomfortable with the unhealthy (in my personal opinion) mindset that motivated her in the first place. Her negative self-talk made me feel badly about myself at times; if she, a triple-crowned fastest-known-PCT-hiker, felt like a weak charlatan, what on earth am I supposed to think of myself? My discomfort has everything to do with how much I could relate to that cruel inner voice.

Throughout her journey attempting to break the self-supported speed record on the Appalachian Trail, she battles her inner demons & eventually finds peace with herself. So I can’t fault her for being brutally honest about that inner battle. Her final thoughts gave me a bit of that adventure-inspiration that I was looking for.

This was the first thru-hiking memoir I’ve read by someone experienced, & I loved getting immersed in the lingo & locations specific to that community. It made me excited to start prepping for a backpacking trip myself, even if my adventures are still in the beginner’s realm.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Heather Anderson covers the beauty and inner turmoil of these journeys so well. Similar to her first memoir, "Thirst," I felt distinctly uncomfortable while reading the book. I think for me, her inward journey is just a little too familiar, and the subject matter hits a little too close to home. Anderson puts herself through a depth of suffering and I often find myself asking "to what end? To prove that you're worthy? Of what? What does a speed record accomplish in the end, for anyone, including yourself?" Those who know me will see irony in my asking of these questions. So I appreciate this book for both Anderson's lovely perspective, and for her blunt honesty that caused me to ask myself some difficult questions.

[Kelli Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I’ve never hiked the AT or the PCT, I feel like a small part of me has because I’ve gotten to walk with Anish in her books. I loved this book and thoroughly enjoyed following Anish’s trek on the AT and through her own mental and emotional struggles. I highly recommend this book!

[Marion Atkinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book was supposed to be inspirational, but to me it read more like a tragic account of someone who will never believe they're good enough. Most of the book she is constantly berating herself. "Why can't you hike 50 miles in a day, loser!" I'm paraphrasing, she didn't call herself a loser. In one part she talks about having overcome her disordered eating...I'm sorry, but if you think "oh it's fine that I'm eating a lot because I'm literally hiking 45 miles a day and pushing my body to it limits and now I'm skinny!" that doesn't seem like you've healed your relationship with food. She set the fastest known time on the PCT and then goes on and on about needing to prove that it wasn't just a fluke. Towards the end she says she overcame her self hatred and doubt, but if she hadn't also set the fastest known time on the AT, somehow I don't think she would've felt that way. The about the author at the end also shows that she didn't just stop there, going on to do the PCT, AT, and continental divide trail in one season (another record). I feel sorry for people who feel like they need to break records and push themselves to the brink of death or serious injury to feel like they are worth something.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thirst was so compelling, but Mud, Rocks, Blazes mostly made me sad. After setting a fastest known time (FKT) on the Pacific Crest Trail, Anderson started to question what it meant and whether it was all a fluke. So much of her FKT attempt on the Appalachian Trail, then, came down to a desperate attempt to prove something—to herself, to strangers on the Internet. It's basically a book of impossible goals and impossible pressure, self-defeat and eventually growth. There's certainly no one 'right' way to approach a long-distance trail, but I don't think this sort of experience—chasing an FKT while being chased by your own demons—is ever one I'd seek out.

[Martha☀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

After setting the overall, self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the Pacific Crest Trail, Heather/Anish often finds herself wondering whether her amazing accomplishment was the real deal or merely a fluke. She questions whether or not she merits the accolades she received after the record-breaking 2652 mile hike over 60 days in 2013. When she has to bail out of an FKT attempt on the JMT, her self-doubt takes over. She decides to give herself one last chance to prove herself as worthy.
This book is an almost daily account of Anish as she takes on the Appalachian Trail self-supported FKT, southbound. As with her fabulous biography Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, Heather focusses more on her on-trail experiences, landscapes and incidents, rather than just the burgers and ice cream stops along the way (as so many other thru-hikers do). We get to learn of the terrain, the weather, the darkness and the suffering that become common-place obstacles for her. We have a window into her pain, discomfort, starvation and sleep-deprivation which are all necessities for accomplishing this task.
It is truly hard to see her suffer in so many ways for such a long time. Unlike Thirst, Anish struggles every day on the AT, puts immense pressure on herself all the time and berates herself whenever she isn't able to achieve her high expectations. She rarely shares any joy or satisfaction in this account.
In the final days of the trek, she shares some enlightenment that comes from accepting who she is and how far she has come as a person, irregardless of setting a record. Sadly, this felt false - merely created for the flow of the book. Perhaps, in her recovery from this event, she recognized this inner growth and acceptance of who she is but I highly doubt that this happened out on the trail. The whole full-moon-dance part, communing with her former self, felt out of place and odd, especially since her FKT record was not yet in the bag.
Despite how difficult this journey was for her and how hard it was to read about the torture she endured, Heather/Anish is truly a one-of-a-kind athlete and adventurer. I hope that she finds some satisfaction in the aftermath of this accomplishment and isn't haunted by this trail.

[grimalkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ridiculous. By the end I was reduced to guffawing at what ridiculous statement the author made next. She quips (the only word for it) that a section of the trail known as the roller coaster is “more like a rocky coaster” and that is also an accurate description of being in her brain. It is called “letting go on the at” and I would say that all she let go of were the shreds of her sanity but that would imply she started out with some, which I doubt. The writing itself is not bad, if a little dramatic, but I have read and enjoyed a lot of trail journals and I would not count this as one. Despite what she writes, I did not find any enjoyment of the trail, only the drive to beat the speed record and with it, “her demons.” My understanding is that you don’t actually conquer demons by giving in to the doubts and having to prove them wrong— you do it by coming to the mentally healthy realization that the demons are already wrong. Nothing about the experience she shared with us seems positive, healthy (physically or mentally), or enjoyable to me.

[Rhinnan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I enjoyed the author’s account of her PCT hike and was really looking forward to this book about her AT hike. Unfortunately, she spent half the book whining about—well, nearly everything and especially her failure to achieve an FKT on her JMT attempt and then for a good chunk at the beginning of her AT hike when she began missing daily mileage goals. It just got repetitive and boring until she finally hits less challenging terrain. But she would still occasionally fall back into obsessional thinking about making the FKT which just made the story of her hike pretty much about that rather than about the actual journey itself. It’s as if she feels no reason to hike unless she’s going to land a time record so she can prove to her former (self-admitted) overweight self that she’s worth something, when we all know this is not how to go about doing that.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It takes a certain level of insanity to seek a record on a twothousand-mile-long trail.”

“Perhaps I'd been born that way, but my many miles on trail had made me more comfortable in nature than anywhere else.
More comfortable in the presence of wild animals and trees than with people.”

Well done, Heather! A beautiful documentary about strength and perseverance. I admired her strength and resilience so much through this book, even though at times she was hard on herself. You have to be mentally strong to take on the AT, let alone set a personal record time to complete it. I always get so emotional reading thru-hike documentaries. There’s something to be said about the way the trail reforms your soul
5 stars. I will recommend this to all of my trail friends.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written memoir of a fastest known time attempt of the Appalachian Trail. Anish is great with words and explaining how she feels. I really loved this book, the only thing I struggled with is why she was doing this attempt. To prove to herself that she can? But also to others on the Internet and such? She was obviously in so much pain and misery, why would she put herself through this? Maybe I don't understand it because I don't really care about FKTs. I'd rather take my time, enjoying everything to the max instead of ploughing trough misery day after day. But, other than that, wonderful memoir.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will echo another reviewer, through hike books are often the same book. It was ok, good parts boring parts, and ok parts.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit obsessed with watching videos made by AT through hikers, so this book was fun to find on my library list. "Anish" is inspiring! And her story is written well.

[MK ( MaKayla)]

Haether Anish Anderson is quite the person . Though I admire her mental strength ,I won't praise her for her Triple Crown , or go into length about how she ran 5,000 miles in a year . She has expressed in this book the desire to be more than just the girl who broke a record . She reminds that she existed before her fame, and she liked the life that she had. I wonder if she has grown to despise that fame . In this review I will treat like the person she wants to be seen as , not a record breaker , not an athlete,just a normal girl .

The irony of the events in this book is she likely wouldn't have attempted to beat her goal if she hadn't felt so pressured by her fame and the scrutiny of critics . After completing ( the PCT I believe ) in record time she broke both the men's and women's record , by running the length of it . This book finds her in a low place , she feels so pressured to prove that her success isn't just a fluke , more to hersefl than others that she pushes herself to terrifying lengths . She doesn't care about the permanent damage it has on her health. She runs for 24 hours only stopping for a ten minute nap . She explains in detail her body shutting down , how she can't eat , hallucinations. It is absolutely terrifying. I couldn't go on . I don't know how this book ends but I hope and pray that she is in a better place mentally .

[Indy Ink · Rating 2 out of 5]

TW for people with eating disorders

The author opens the book with a brutal hike. She pushes her body beyond horrific warning signals, eating little to nothing, just to prove to herself she’s good enough.

When she nearly runs herself to literal death, she leaves the first trail in total self loathing.

I abandoned the book at that point. Not for me

[Diane Law]

If I was this author's friend I would be seriously worried about her. There is some hope towards the end, but her negative self-image is heartbreaking. 'I can suffer more' and 'my body is useless' are two quotes I remember.
The book is well written, but on the whole I would not recommend it.

[Matthew Gibble · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had previously read Thirst and looked forward to this new book by Heather Anderson. I must admit that, at times, this book was difficult to read. Anderson's relating of her journey is one in which she is ripped open at the soul, baring her vulnerability and the difficulty of the task at hand.
I can relate to her endeavor and the correlation between success and self-worth. It is a subject that often seems cast aside, yet Anderson puts it on the table to address.
Because of all the various FKT attempts over the years I wasn't sure how the book would end, causing me to want to finish it, but afraid to finish it if the outcome was not what she desired.
I've enjoyed following her endeavors over the years through social media. However, in this book, and her first one, I get a truer understanding of whom she is at the heart. This makes the book valuable to me and sets it apart from other thru-hiker accounts of long trails.

[Naturegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Heather’s first book about her PCT record, so reading this one about the AT record felt a little closer to home. There were so many places I recognized, so much that felt familiar, but I will never take for granted the ability I’ve had to enjoy each section and take my time as I go. Setting a record is a mind blowing feat of endurance that few will ever attempt. It’s a souls searching, body crushing, intense endeavor that leaves the reader aching in muscles and bones, imagining the sting of bad weather and a strong desire to quit. There are lessons on acceptance, on listening to that little voice inside, on pushing through pain and self imposed limits. This book is raw and beautiful, and I really want to take a quiet hike with her one day.

[Lauren Kraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

The facts of Anish’s life and hiking are more impressive than her story of it, sadly. The crescendo of the FKT does culminate in a beautiful moment of raw self-love and that j can totally dig on. But there are so many moments when she states the facts of the day like a captain’s log rather than explaining the journey like a true story-teller. Likely more for AT lovers and die hard hikers than the casual reader.

[Misti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew, what a book! I think I identified with this one more than Thirst because I've hiked the AT and not the PCT but I also think Heather developed more as a writer for this one. The mental hurdles of any extreme sport is always the greatest thing to overcome and Heather writes about her struggles and triumphs wonderfully.

[Ken Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the least likely person to enjoy a book about hiking a long trail. My concept of a grueling voyage is making the trek from the back bedroom to the kitchen to grab another Pepsi. And now, with a torn medial meniscus in my right knee, walking, let along hiking through a 2,000-plus-mile trail is simply painful.

Yet, Heather Anderson has written such a beautiful book about her journey that I couldn't put it down. Obviously, one of the markers for trail books and introspection is Cheryl Strayed's "Wild." Put that book down and read Heather's instead! It is far better.

Sure, the book is about her hiking the Appalachian Trail, but it's so much more of a personal journey. Heather is crippled with self doubts and low self-esteem despite her accomplishments and fandom. It's a harsh look at someone who, despite the accolades from others who praise her as amazing, thinks she's not doing enough. I think perfectionists often feel this way, regardless of their talents and their own successes.

So many times, she wanted to quit walking the AT because of pitfalls, accidents, poor hiking times and bad weather. Yet she pushed on.

And the ending! Her mother suffered a stroke just before Heather took off on her two-month hike. The last paragraph totally sums the theme of the book up and moves the reader to tears.

Heather took an amazing voyage, both on the trail and in her own heart. This is well worth the time to read and it's one that will stick with you for a long, long while.

[Lisa Brandl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was difficult to read the endless self-doubt that comprises most of the book. This is one of many adventure books I’ve read that is goal-focused to the most extreme. And as I read, I can’t help but feel a little sad that she’s missing out on the beauty of the trail, and the wonders of what her body is capable of. It’s non-stop berating and self-hate and disappointment. I slogged through it. And then I couldn’t help but think….couldn’t she at least pack one extra pair of socks? I get the ultra-light goal, but one extra pair, especially on the AT, a notoriously rainy and muddy trail , would be wise? Surely she would have done that? Much like her other book, “Thirst”, where she was always searching for water in continuously and notoriously dry California, for such an experienced thru-hiker, couldn’t she plan for at least that??? A crucial detail that she didn’t plan for that endlessly plagued her throughout her journey.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a thru-hiker and not even really a Hiker, but when my son did the PCT I read as much about it as I could and found Heather Anderson's first book, Thirst. It was interesting, gritty and crazy how she was able to do that trail in under 60 days. And she does it again in this story but on the Appalachian Trail.

It's so interesting to read about the terrain, the night hiking, the spiders and odd people-encounters. The bears. How her body responded to the abuse of this incredible hike.

This seemed to be a very meaningful hike to her personally, and I was choked up when she called her mom.

I'm rooting for her. And personally I DO think she's athletic.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Heather "Anish" Anderson's previous book, Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, this one also made me tired (and hungry) just reading it. Anderson tells the day-by-day, step-by-step story of setting the FKT (Fastest Known Time) Unsupported on the Appalachian Trail, starting in Maine and ending in Georgia. And what a story it is: full of physical privation, but emotional and spiritual growth. Well done, Heather! Highly recommended.

[Adam Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anish’s mission to set a new record on the Appalachian Trail is as emotional as it is exciting. It was rewarding to experience her journey towards self-acceptance while she trekked south. Also — and this part is just unfair to the rest of us — on top of being an incredible athlete, she’s a really good writer.

I do have to say that sometimes the writing is a BIT much, and it comes off as pretentious. The pacing was kind of weird too; it felt like she got tired of writing around halfway through the book.

Finally, I must confess I was pretty choked up at the book’s conclusion.

[Corinne Kenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an inspiring story of perseverance in spite of discomfort and possible failure. Heather Anderson admits to feeling insecure in her ability in spite of her setting the fastest known time (FKT) hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Her doubts don’t stop her from focusing on pushing herself to do her personal best and ultimately finding success setting the FKT for hiking the Appalachian Trail.

[Erin McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Heather's (Anish) story is moving and powerful.

She shows with it means to have perseverance, grit, and be intrinsically motivated. I loved the following quotes

"Will I ever be good enough for myself"

"Deep down I knew that though I gave my inner pain no conscious thought, it had been there with me all along"

[shayda :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me a while to get to and get through. My brother bought it for me a few years ago, and it’s signed:

“Shayda- Best of Luck on the PCT!
Happy Trails,
Anish”

So I knew I needed to get through it at some point. I’m so happy to have read it, but now I am absolutely positive that I never want to hike the AT. PCT it is!

I also sobbed the last 20 pages.