Best Arizona Tramp Podcasts (2024)

1
Breast Cancer Trail: You're done! 7:58

1M ago7:58

7:58

Blissful is given the "all clear" by her surgeon and gets ready to step into the rest of her life. Surgery for breast cancer has completely changed Blissful's body, but has given her a new power of bravery and knowing herself better. One friend calls her a "sur-thriver" facing down the situation directly, and trying to do what St. Paul said, to "re…

1
cancer thriver 12:32

2M ago12:32

12:32

Blissful takes her first hike on a trail after surgery for breast cancer and decides she prefers to be described as a "thriver" – or even "aliver" – rather than survivor. It's a hot, humid summer day at Lebanon Hills, a region carved by glaciers with kettles and eskers, plus the singing of numerous birds. Blissful's surgeon tells her it's time to p…

1
Inhabiting the Vulnerable Space 8:36

2M ago8:36

8:36

As Blissful heals from a bilateral mastectomy due to breast cancer, she reflects on the person she wants to be going forward. Blissful is incredibly lucky in only having to undergo a radical surgery to rid her body of cancer. Step by step walking through her neighborhood, she slowly recovers back to her hiker self. The American writer Joyce Carol O…

1
Good Luck, Bad Luck 11:54

2M ago11:54

11:54

When Blissful is diagnosed with breast cancer, she undergoes a bilateral mastectomy to save her life and secure her future. A friend tells Blissful she has it easy because she has a partner in her husband Richard. Indeed, she is incredibly grateful to be part of a team because it's helped her navigate some very tough times in her life. Blissful's v…

1
Breast Cancer Trail: Bye, Bye Boobs 12:54

2M ago12:54

12:54

Blissful begins her cancer journey looking back at her life as a woman. Blissful spends the days before a bilateral mastectomy gathering together a team of supportive women who have been through the procedure. She also walks, hikes, bikes, swims, kayaks all in an effort to calm herself – or running away from panic. In looking forward to being flat-…

1
Appalachian Trail: going home 15:30

3M ago15:30

15:30

Blissful wraps up her hike of the Appalachian Trail in Maine to head home for cancer treatment. The two days between Monson and Caratunk are rain-free and magical with a winter wren, hermit thrush, northern parula plus warty frogs and a curious snake. It's two big mountains with views including Moxie Bald and Pleasant Pond with glorious views of hu…

1
Appalachian Trail: Magic at Moxie Bald Pond 15:16

3M ago15:16

15:16

Blissful makes it out of the 100 Mile Wilderness and receives a call from her doctor calling her home to have a bilateral mastectomy. It's wet and muddy but mostly road out to Monson, Maine, the first town in ten days. She has to go home, but not immediately, and can head back on trail for at least a few more days. And it's perfect timing in sunny …

1
Appalachian Trail: gratitude for hiker and creature alike 12:33

3M ago12:33

12:33

The trail is hard in rain, mud and cold, but Blissful gets the boost she needs from hiker and creature. It's mountainous now in the 100-mile Wilderness, revealing only misty views of distant lakes enveloped in thick forest. The "Sibs", two thru-hikers also from Minnesota, plus "Shoes," a barefoot hiker, meet her and offer encouragement. As does Fou…

1
Appalachian Trail: White Cap Mountain 14:05

3M ago14:05

14:05

Blissful crosses a high, exposed peak in fog and rain then discovers she needs to go further than she thought. Hiking south on the Appalachian Trail, it's the first high mountains since Katahdin, but the weather is manageable. And there are small surprises like twisted and stunted "krumholz" trees, wildly fluorescent fungus and wildflowers heavily …

1
Artist-in-Residence | Porcupine Mountains Wilderness 11:37

4M ago11:37

11:37

Blissful creates an audio narrative as an Artist-in-Residence at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Upper Peninsula, Michigan. During her artistic residency, she immersed herself in the vividly sonorous landscape , collecting sound as she hiked. Birds, falls and the wind spoke to her about spring’s message – a message of renewal and rebir…

1
Appalachian Trail: A River Runs Through It 12:29

4M ago12:29

12:29

Blissful makes her first dangerous ford over a swollen and dangerous river in flood from the non-stop rain. For a SOBO – or southbounder – on the Appalachian Trail, it's often wise to pay for delivery of a cache of food to break up the 10-day hike of the 100 Mile Wilderness. Right after the cache, the trail gets harder, steeply uphill into real mou…

1
Appalachian Trail: you're only passing through 12:11

4M ago12:11

12:11

When seeing two Pileated Woodpecker parents up close, Blissful learns that she is only passing through and to savor the moment while it lasts. It's an easy enough day on the Appalachian Trail (AT) though rainy without any views. Blissful stops at a lovely campground on the banks of Lower Jo-Mary Lake surrounded by pink Lady Slippers, as delicate as…

1
Appalachian Trail: do the next right thing 12:17

4M ago12:17

12:17

In constant rain and cold, Blissful learns the power in facing her negative feelings and using them to spur her to action rather than resignation. The trail has yet to get hard on the Appalachian Trail (AT) but the rain is drenching. Blissful can't stop in the cold and swarms of mosquitos even to eat, and is full of frustration but fellow hiker Ing…

1
Appalachian Trail: one fine day 9:07

4M ago9:07

9:07

Blissful is ill-prepared for the constant damp, but discovering an inner fierceness to solve her problems and keep moving ahead. The summer of 2023 on the Appalachian Trail (AT) is the wettest in memory. But this one day in Northern Maine is thankfully dry with big wind off Rainbow Lake where Blissful is able to dry out her gear. It's all easy trai…

1
Appalachian Trail: nature could care less 14:19

5M ago14:19

14:19

Blissful leaves Baxter State Park to enter the 100-mile Wilderness, learning that "everything changes" including the weather. Blissful is waiting a pathology report from breast surgery, unsure if she will get the all-clear or have to manage a cancer diagnosis. Her surgeon encourages just to start hiking while she waits and here she is. Lured into t…

1
Appalachian Trail: Mount Katahdin 13:13

5M ago13:13

13:13

Blissful decides to put her feet on the Appalachian Trail, beginning from the north on Mount Katahdin in Maine. Those in the know will laugh when the Appalachian Trail (AT) is described as a "footpath" as it's more a rock climbing challenge. And it's tough to get to the start, 100 miles from any airport, then a 4,000-foot climb in five miles up to …

1
Set Your Sights Low 6:30

12M ago6:30

6:30

Blissful shares insights about setting flexible goals. "Summit Fever" is one of the consequences of setting one single big goal and can cause us to fail every day, sometimes with tragic consequences. Rather than goals, setting systems can work in our favor because they are bite-sized goals more easily achieved. Systems allow us to succeed more ofte…

1
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Part 2 17:39

1y ago17:39

17:39

Blissful Hiker is honored to have been named an "Artist in Residence" by the Friends of the Porkies and will live in a remote cabin this spring to create audio narrative essays in Upper Peninsula Michigan in the Porcupine Mountains. In this episode, she revisits her fall backpack trip when she fell in love with the "Porkies." Awakening to a spectac…

1
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Part 1 13:46

1y ago13:46

13:46

Blissful Hiker is honored to have been named an "Artist in Residence" by the Friends of the Porkies and will live in a remote cabin this spring to create audio narrative essays in Upper Peninsula Michigan in the Porcupine Mountains. In this episode, she revisits her fall backpack trip when she fell in love with the "Porkies." In this episode: Bliss…

1
Ten Things I Learned While Long Distance Backpacking Vol. 3 8:40

1y ago8:40

8:40

This week, Blissful Hiker completes the list of ten lessons from the trail that are helping her now. In this episode: 7) :38 Everything changes “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” 8) 1:50 You will never pass this way again "Sooner or later, we must realize there is no station, no one place to arri…

1
Ten Things I Learned While Long Distance Backpacking Vol. 2 11:26

1y ago11:26

11:26

This week, Blissful Hiker shares some lessons from the trail that are helping her now. In this episode: :38 Let the day unfold “I think that’s what I love about my life. There’s no maniacal master plan. It’s just unfolding before me.” 3:02 Trail Angels exist "That’s what I consider true generosity: You give your all, and yet you always feel as if i…

1
Ten Things I Learned While Long Distance Backpacking Vol. 1 9:41

1y ago9:41

9:41

This week, Blissful Hiker shares some lessons from the trail that are helping her now. In this episode: 1:30 Take Risks “The most hopeful thing you are doing is taking these months to repair your body for the next hikes.” 3:42 Stay in the Present Moment Experience fully what each day brings, the surprises and tiny victories. 6:12 Practice Patience …

1
injury stops forward motion but not joy 9:27

1y ago9:27

9:27

One year ago Blissful Hiker set her feet on the Arizona Trail and planned to return to walk the final 100 miles, but an injury interrupted the trip. In this episode: This time of year is called "Lent" and is all about waiting and preparing, as well as contemplating the brevity of our lives. An injury is like that, a close up look at vulnerability. …

1
yes, regrets! 10:03

1y ago10:03

10:03

Regret can actually act as the motivating fuel to push us towards our goals. Phrases like "no regrets!" are helpful in keeping us focussed on the future and not on mistakes from the past. And yet, looking with openness at what we regret from the past can help us build up the courage we need in our present to take risks. And then we are better able …

1
why do I hike alone? 7:42

1y ago7:42

7:42

Blissful Hiker shares the reasons she hikes alone, to get grounded, to engage more deeply with the world around me and to do so at my own pace. Being alone in nature has been practiced by all civilizations to build self-reliance and connect with the spirit. As Emily Dickinson said, "The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic e…

1
Ask Me Anything! Volume 1 18:35

1y ago18:35

18:35

Blissful answers burning backpacking questions in the first round of "Ask Me Anything." In this episode: 1:26 – How do you secure your bag when checking it at the airport? 3:06 – Do you pack hiking poles on international trips or buy when you get there? 6:20 – How do you choose when to use rubber tips on your trekking poles? 8:36 – How do you take …

1
Arizona Trail: The Finish Line 15:58

1+ y ago15:58

15:58

Blissful meets the Southern Terminus of the AZT just as a windstorm picks up on the Utah/Arizona border. In this episode: After a night in the "cowpie" field – flat and squishy – Blissful sleeps well under moon shadows. It's easy walking towards Vermillion Cliffs where she meets a couple of hikers who give her sage advice about making intentional d…

1
Arizona Trail: The Grand Canyon 23:25

1+ y ago23:25

23:25

Blissful has one of the most extraordinary experiences of her hiking life – walking into and out of the Grand Canyon. In this episode: With a snowstorm coming and temperatures dropping into the teens, Blissful decides to catch a ride and skip ahead. It's just more ponderosa pine forest and straight to the national park permit office. It's down hill…

1
Arizona Trail: glimpses of the Grand 10:49

1+ y ago10:49

10:49

It's a long, undulating and dusty trail through more ponderosa pine where Blissful finally gets her first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. In this episode: Blissful wakes up 100% free of bug bites and happily puts all that awfulness behind her. It's up and down, but she sings as she walks recalling all the steps it took to keep moving ahead on trail. H…

1
Arizona Trail: back on trail 9:48

1+ y ago9:48

9:48

The son of a friend of an acquaintance helps ground Blissful and on her way continuing north towards the Grand Canyon, putting the bed bug nightmare in the rearview mirror. In this episode: Sam drives Blissful past the "Arizona Snow Bowl" still deep in snow, to meet dry trail on a high plateau. All alone, it's easy hiking, but dry and windy like Mo…

1
Arizona Trail: bedbug infestation 10:12

1+ y ago10:12

10:12

Blissful is covered in itchy, oozing, painful bites and realizes her gear is infested by bedbugs picked up on her last zero at the motel. In this episode: It's a short walk under the interstate and along the "Urban Trail" to Flagstaff with views of snow-frosted Humphrey's Peak. In town, once people see the swollen bites on her face, she's shunned. …

1
Arizona Trail: fairytale mountain, fairytale day 10:30

1+ y ago10:30

10:30

Unbeknownst to him, a camper becomes trail angel and helps Blissful find a perfect campsite after a long day of relentless forest and a glimpse of a fairytale mountain. In this episode: The ponderosa pine forest of the Mogollon Rim goes on though signs appear to describe life of lumberjacks from the past, burning 9,000 calories per day and working …

1
Arizona Trail: Mormon Lake 9:32

1+ y ago9:32

9:32

Blissful wakes to a soaking wet tent, gets lost and walks through deep snow and mud, but trail-angel beer and a lovely hiking partner make it a joy. In this episode: It's a new day, a better one, where Blissful can place her feet in someone's else's posthole through deep drifts. Walking with Joey, they come to a road where a trail angel offers a fe…

1
Arizona Trail: Game Player 14:05

1+ y ago14:05

14:05

Blissful becomes so frustrated trying to walk through the deep, sticky mud, she creates a game to keep moving forward – and is rewarded with a surprise.. In this episode: Blissful walks on a frustrating trail of mud making high-heels of her shoes and clinging to her walking sticks. Panicky and frustrated, Blissful realizes anyone can do anything fo…

1
Arizona Trail: The Mogollon Rim 12:32

1+ y ago12:32

12:32

Blissful climbs up the Mogollon Rim and it’s filled with pines, snow, and melting snow. In this episode: Blissful is reminded that if you sleep right next to a river, your tent will be soaking wet. It's an easy rise through deeply shaded Ponderosa Pine next to the rushing East Verde River, the same one crossed in the deserty Mazatzals. After a rock…

1
Arizona Trail: mud, mud, mud 9:01

1+ y ago9:01

9:01

After Blissful takes a forced break due to snowy weather, it's a sparkly day of gorgeous skies and sticky mud. In this episode: Blissful rides with a trail angel and three hikers to the Early Bird Cafe where someone pays for her breakfast. Her second hitch moves on before the door is closed, but gets her to the Highline Trail in Ponderosa Pine. The…

1
Arizona Trail: rocks, rocks, rocks 11:15

1+ y ago11:15

11:15

Blissful discovers more rocks than she thought possible on the Arizona Trail. In this episode: It's a beautiful morning with an orange sky, but straight up to weird skull-looking limestone, then pumice. The trail is hard and repetitive, not steep, just rocky and relentless. The trail is remote and feels lonely, harder than walking alone before. Mak…

1
Arizona Trail: what is happiness? 10:29

1+ y ago10:29

10:29

Blissful works here way through the Mazatzals, overwhelmed by the enormous, staggering and disorienting size and remoteness. In this episode: Things begin on the aptly named Rocky Ridge opening to huge views that overwhelm, even causing a bit a panic. There's plenty of water and plenty of steep ups and downs to Bull Frog Ridge. Blissful makes the m…

1
Arizona Trail: The Great Unconformity 10:12

1+ y ago10:12

10:12

Blissful hikes mostly alone in the Mazatzals with huge distances between water sources and is treated to a glorious sunset from my tent. In this episode: Blissful hikes in stunning and steep mountains of sandstone from the period known as the Great Unconformity, a gap of missing geologic time. Steep walking takes hikers from one exceptional water s…

1
Arizona Trail: The Mazatzals 8:29

1+ y ago8:29

8:29

Blissful heads up to the beautiful Mazatzal Mountains filled with flowers, birds, streams and amazing views. In this episode: Margaret of the trail magic new sleeping mat drives Blissful to the trail head. More magic happens immediately when Joey walks by just as Blissful gets lost. It's a race against bad weather on the way to walk 70 miles to Pin…

1
Arizona Trail: trail magic Arizona-style 14:43

1+ y ago14:43

14:43

After Blissful punctures her sleeping pad, she meets a trail angel who manifests her own magic and gets her replacement In this episode: It's an extraordinary night on the edge of a ridge in the Four Peaks Wilderness with wind like a jet engine in the towering pine above her tent. After gorgeous streams, the trail meets a road, dull and long. A tra…

1
Arizona Trail: Four Peaks Wilderness 9:50

1+ y ago9:50

9:50

Blissful climbs steeply up into the Four Peaks Wilderness, where she camps right on the edge of a cliff. In this episode: After sleeping on a wee bit of astroturf at Roosevelt Lake Marina next to the highway, Blissful hitches to the Vineyard Trail. The wide open trail climbs up past Saguaro and myriad wildflowers, including thousands of Mexican Pop…

1
Arizona Trail: Rocky Road to Roosevelt Lake 9:49

1+ y ago9:49

9:49

It's rough trail for Blissful as she works her way towards Roosevelt Lake mostly on rocky road, far harder going down than up. In this episode: From a camp above Walnut Spring in the Superstition Mountains, it's slippery and steep 1,000 feet straight down and 1,000 feet straight back up. The views are towards ancient seabeds, lifted up as mesas, th…

1
Arizona Trail: Superstition Mountains 9:38

1+ y ago9:38

9:38

Blissful sees her first cactus bloom and has a magical day of steep climbs and a little bit of thunder and rain. In this episode: After a brilliant night camped by a stream, Blissful sees her first bloom on a cane cholla. When she reaches a road, a couple of ATVers offer a beer at 9 a.m. It's a nice group of thru-hikers including "Clothesline" and …

1
Arizona Trail: Picket Post 14:32

2y ago14:32

14:32

Blissful meets a trail angel (who never knew he was a trail angel) and he advances her past the low desert to big mountains. In this episode: It's a very hard day up and down on rocky trail in hot sun with no water over Oracle Ridge with Holly Hobbit. When they reach American Flag Ranch, she's exhausted and has nowhere to stay in town. At the post …

1
Arizona Trail: Mount Lemmon 12:06

2y ago12:06

12:06

Blissful bumps into Holly "Hobbit" who steps right into the trail behind her for the steepest of all sky islands. In this episode: We're warned that we'll need to use our hands on the exposed rock up Mount Lemmon. It's hard but fun with a companion, exactly the same age and speed, who talks non-stop. The views to the desert are glorious, but nothin…

1
Arizona Trail: Hutch's Pools 12:48

2y ago12:48

12:48

Blissful heads into stunning Sycamore Canyon, where the mountains seems to part and reveal the final sky island. In this episode: Blissful awakens as the moon sets, sleeping out in the open between two mountain ranges – the Rincon and Santa Catalina. It's a winding trail, up and down and after such a long and hard day before, she's tired and her he…

1
Arizona Trail: Mica Mountain 10:13

2y ago10:13

10:13

Blissful climbs up and over the glorious sky island Mica Mountain, finding the descent far more difficult than the ascent. In this episode: It was a great decision to stop early in cool oak forest right next to a stream at Grass Shack, but it leaves a long up of 3,500 feet in four miles. Manning Camp is lovely under towering ponderosa pine, but col…

1
Arizona Trail: Saguaro National Park 11:30

2y ago11:30

11:30

Blissful is fueled by trail angels to climb steeply up into Saguaro National Park. In this episode: In only a few miles in the early morning cool, Blissful arrives at Magic Camp for a full breakfast on their very last day helping AZT hikers. She joins Jeff and "King Arthur" into beautiful Saguaro National Park, where the cacti crack her up in odd s…

1
Arizona Trail: angels of the desert 16:52

2y ago16:52

16:52

As Blissful crosses the desert between mountain ranges, she's cared for by five trail angels. In this episode: After her amazing cowgirl camp looking out to the next mountain range, Blissful walks on winding bike trails meeting lots of happy bikers in long rows. It's hot and water is limited beginning with "The Lake" where she's serenaded by hundre…

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