blissful hiker ❤︎ inspiring you to hike your own hike
Long-distance backpacker Alison "Blissful Hiker" Young has walked over 13,000 miles on six continents including New Zealand's Te Araroa, Europe's Pyrenean Haute Route, Africa's Drakensberg Traverse and the Pacific Crest Trail in the United States.
In a series of personal essays coupled with found sound, this podcast explores her journey of self-discovery as a middle-aged titanium-reinforced cancer thriver, sharing the sometimes unglamorous but vital truth about empowerment, inspiring others to blaze their own trails in this journey we call life.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 14 minutes
- Episodes
- 150
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
Te Araroa: the road to Whakahoro
The Blissful Hiker learns how to be brave and keep the faith from a novice hiker friend who jumped on the Te Araroa before she was totally ready.
In this episode:
- Blissful leaves the Tong…
Te Araroa: crossing the Tongariro
The Blissful Hiker is gifted with good weather while walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on the Te Araroa, but it takes a fellow hiker to slow her down and help her enjoy the spectacu…
Te Araroa: beginners mind
The Blissful Hiker struggles with being a beginner at thru-hiking as she walks New Zealand's Te Araroa, but realizes that every step she takes brings her one step closer to being an exp…
Te Araroa: owner of the lonely heart
The Blissful Hiker learns that hiking all alone on the Te Araroa and managing her nervousness about what's to come is worth it, since she enjoys her own company the most.
In this episod…
Te Araroa: the "purist"
The Blissful Hiker learns that she actually misses the muddy, barely-there trail of New Zealand's "advanced tramping" and longs for the allure of the unknown.
In this episode:
- Blissful …
Te Araroa: prelude to "the afternoon on a farm"
The Blissful Hiker "sidles" the steep sides of a riverbank in the Mangaokewa Reserve and learns how "un-lonely being lonely can be."
In this episode:
- Blissful leaves Waitomo for Te Kuit…
Te Araroa: generosity
The Blissful Hiker descends Mount Pirongia on the Te Araroa in a driving rain on an infamously muddy, root-filled trail and works her way to Waitomo, shown generous Kiwi hospitality all…
Te Araroa: Kia kaha (be strong)
Two mountains bookend Blissful Hiker's walk of the Te Araroa in the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island – the Hakarimata Range and Mount Pirongia, and she discovers that a hike…
Te Araroa: Cathy's Pies
The Blissful Hiker is back on New Zealand's Te Araroa walking through the Waikato Region in the center of the North Island. She learns to face her fear – as well as ambivalence and irri…
Te Araroa: Thanksgiving
The Blissful Hiker is back on New Zealand's Te Araroa thru-hike, "slackpacking" through Auckland then celebrating Thanksgiving with her Kiwi hosts, discovering she has a lot to be grate…
The Kekekabic
The Blissful Hiker learns that not knowing what comes next in our lives can be difficult to handle and nearly intolerable. The power is in choosing between accepting limited circumstanc…
Isle Royale part 5
The Blissful Hiker is reminded that backpacking is her favorite activity because she is at her most mindful and feels closest to the Goddess, a spirit guiding her to see the beauty in a…
Isle Royale part 4
The Blissful Hiker learns to recognize and savor joy, not so much that joy is fleeting, but to remember when times are tough, that joy will return.
In this episode:
- Blissful forgets her…
Isle Royale part 3
The Blissful Hiker meets trail angels who share food, beer and good advice, learning to be flexible at times and not hold too tightly to plans, because sometimes that can lead to a dang…
Isle Royale part 2
The Blissful Hiker continues her magical thru-hike of the very special island national park, Isle Royale. She discovers that the animal she would most want to be in another life is the …
Isle Royale part 1
The Blissful Hiker visits a very special island national park, Isle Royale, a boreal forest and Canadian Shield "balds" wonderland in the far Northwest corner of Lake Superior that moos…
Te Araroa: infinity loop
The Blissful Hiker times the tides to kayak down the Puhoi River, rock hop then cross an estuary before walking down the North Shore to Auckland. Her young friend, Lydie, teaches her ab…
Te Araroa: wisdom of youth
The Blissful Hiker wakes up on Pakiri Beach and heads right back into muddy bush where she meets two young people, then two more, who give her some very good advice.
In this episode:
- Bl…
Te Araroa: the trail will provide
The Blissful Hiker learns that her subconscious needed this journey of thousands of steps on the Te Araroa as well as important lessons about taking measured leaps of faith and letting …
Te Araroa: the secret cove
The Blissful Hiker walks the Taiharuru estuary with a Te Araroa veteran, then heads to the summit of Bream Head where meeting people at just the right moment open pathways she hadn't no…