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Wired
01-10-2014, 14:28
For those of you who like to read trail books, there a couple available for free on Amazon for the the next five days or so. Julie Urbanski's 2011 AT hike book titled "Between a Rock and A White Blaze" is available for download for anyone that has the Kindle app on any device.
http://www.amazon.com/Between-Rock-White-Blaze-Significance/dp/1480230413/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389377428&sr=8-2&keywords=Julie+Urbanski

You can also do a search for her 2007 PCT hike book titled "The Trail Life". She and her husband will be relaeasing a joint CDT book this spring. A great couple that I overlapped with on the CDT last summer. Enjoy:)

Studlintsean
01-10-2014, 15:16
For those of you who like to read trail books, there a couple available for free on Amazon for the the next five days or so. Julie Urbanski's 2011 AT hike book titled "Between a Rock and A White Blaze" is available for download for anyone that has the Kindle app on any device.
http://www.amazon.com/Between-Rock-White-Blaze-Significance/dp/1480230413/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389377428&sr=8-2&keywords=Julie+Urbanski

You can also do a search for her 2007 PCT hike book titled "The Trail Life". She and her husband will be relaeasing a joint CDT book this spring. A great couple that I overlapped with on the CDT last summer. Enjoy:)

I read that book and thought it was pretty good. She is a very talented writer.

4Days
01-10-2014, 15:37
For those of you who like to read trail books, there a couple available for free on Amazon for the the next five days or so. Julie Urbanski's 2011 AT hike book titled "Between a Rock and A White Blaze" is available for download for anyone that has the Kindle app on any device.
http://www.amazon.com/Between-Rock-White-Blaze-Significance/dp/1480230413/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389377428&sr=8-2&keywords=Julie+Urbanski

You can also do a search for her 2007 PCT hike book titled "The Trail Life". She and her husband will be relaeasing a joint CDT book this spring. A great couple that I overlapped with on the CDT last summer. Enjoy:)

I don't seem to be able to stop reading the adventures of people who are Long Distance hikers. My first attempt will be the VT long trail. Thanks for sharing this information!!!! I have the gear now and am inspired by so many wonderful people.

Pringles
01-10-2014, 17:28
Thank you, Wired!

scrabbler
01-10-2014, 18:03
Good stuff, thanks!

Foresight
01-10-2014, 19:17
Thanks, man.

winger
01-10-2014, 20:22
Wired: since the book got mixed reviews, did you find her to be a whiner when you met her on the CDT?

Wired
01-11-2014, 02:51
Wired: since the book got mixed reviews, did you find her to be a whiner when you met her on the CDT?

Great question Winger. I can say without a doubt that she was definitely NOT a whiner in person. We spent many days overlapping and I really enjoyed it. I can honestly say that she and her husband are two of the most quality people I've met along the trail. Funny enough, we had a good conversation discussing feedback I get on my blog and that she gets from her books. I haven't read any of her books yet, but she mentioned some saying she whined. We've all seen those people who love to harshly criticize from the sidelines everyone and everything. From what I understand, she writes very honestly and isn't putting on a facade to make things appear as though they are better/worse than they are. Her trail name "Stopwatch" as I understand it, comes from her worries about the details. Always checking the time, miles, dates, etc. I'm like that too and understand what it's like having many anxieties and worries myself as I hike(and in life in general). I won't give too much away about the CDT, but it's very interesting. She and her husband have teamed up to co-write that one and I think it will be quite good as it will come out this spring. I have to say they are pretty badass ultra runners who like to challenge themselves in all aspects and they do these trails in fast times. Not because they are fast, but because they hike ALL day and work their butts off with little to no days off. I wish we could have overlapped more, but they were on a schedule and pushed ahead. They are quite the team and it was great to see two people who really cared for one another.

Wired
01-11-2014, 02:56
I don't seem to be able to stop reading the adventures of people who are Long Distance hikers. My first attempt will be the VT long trail. Thanks for sharing this information!!!! I have the gear now and am inspired by so many wonderful people.

Carryon, that is great to hear. My hope is to do the rest of the Long Trail right after the AT if the stars align and my body is still up for more hiking. I'm really looking forward to it! Kinda like the icing on the cake:)

colorado_rob
01-11-2014, 09:41
Yikes! Another AT book to read???? Well, I can't wait. Thanks! Got it.

drifter
01-11-2014, 09:59
Got it last night, will help this winter week go by more quickly. Thx!

aficion
01-11-2014, 10:17
Thanks...my first download on recently acquired Kindle castoff from my kind kid. Now I can take my reading material with me for these long winter nights. Really appreciate the post!

Coffee
01-23-2014, 21:59
I just finished Stopwatch's PCT book and liked it. It wasn't what I necessarily expected since it was not so much a trail journal as a thematic self examination of how the trail changed the author in various ways. But that's part of a thru hike that I'm interested in as well. She does complain about a number of things but clearly recognizes that doing so while on the trail limited her experience.

Foresight
01-23-2014, 22:39
I read the book. She whined. In fact, she whined a LOT.

There were several times early on where I was saying "if you don't dig yourself out of this funk and quit bringing me down with this incessant bellyaching I'm ditchin' ya". Each time it seemed to get a little better so I cruised through the middle of the book waiting on her "AHA!" moment....it never came. THEN....she quit.

The rational side of me kept saying "you can poke the screen with your finger and see that this book is nowhere near finished, she's IS going to exorcise these demons and become a decent human being that you might possibly be able to tolerate.....

This cycle keeps repeating itself. It's akin to losing control of your vehicle on ice, but you still haven't crashed. You go side to side and each time you gain just a tad bit more control until finally you get back on top of the situation and get her pointed straight ahead. And just like losing control of your vehicle and nearly dying takes a toll on your nerves, this book took it's toll on mine. Until.....

I finally came to grips enough with her style to actually enjoy the book. Someone mentioned it above, she is brutally honest with herself and THAT, my friends, is not something a lot of people can say about themselves. Get the book, keep an open mind if you catch yourself getting disenfranchised as it is worth it in the end and join me in saying "God bless you, Matt....you're a better man than me" :D

Wired
01-24-2014, 02:49
Yep, just started the PCT one and understand the comments on the complaining, but give her credit for being honest. Great to hear that you stuck with it Foresight and that you were able to appreciate the other aspects of her account. I know each book has it's own theme or way it's written, so all three of hers are not written in the same style. It is interesting to me because having met and hiked with Stopwatch and Optimist, they are kickass hikers who do incredible mileage and long days...and two of the nicest people ever I've met on trail.

Rocket Jones
01-24-2014, 07:12
Just finished the PCT book and thought it was pretty good. I didn't think she did much whining as much as being honest about her sometimes crappy attitude. I also liked her style of writing where she would make a point and then hammer that point home again and again by looking at it from different perspectives.

It's not a traditional trail journal type book, but there's definitely something to be learned from her self-analysis.

Foresight
01-24-2014, 10:22
Yep, just started the PCT one and understand the comments on the complaining, but give her credit for being honest. Great to hear that you stuck with it Foresight and that you were able to appreciate the other aspects of her account. I know each book has it's own theme or way it's written, so all three of hers are not written in the same style. It is interesting to me because having met and hiked with Stopwatch and Optimist, they are kickass hikers who do incredible mileage and long days...and two of the nicest people ever I've met on trail.

It's a damn fine book and God knows I love her for her style. I was actually so worn down at one point in the book that the only thing keeping me going was knowing she was from Cincinnati and the remote possibility that she might mention being a Reds' fan which would allow me to accept her unconditionally :D

I read a LOT and this is by far the best non-fiction trail book I have read to date. This is not your run of the mill "I walked to here, I ate this, I slept there" book. In fact, I would dare say the trail, while beyond prominent in the book, is not the main focus. I will definitely read her other books.

The Digger Stolz 2 part fiction work is incredibly good if you need something a little more lighthearted after reading Julie's book.

Hot Flash
01-24-2014, 11:02
I read it. The author is a self-centered, whining, complaining b*tch who hates being on the trail, and doesn't like socializing with other people. She's even narcissistic enough to complain about her husband having the completely UNREASONABLE desire to have sex. HOW COULD HE? Even free, this book was too expensive. Let me sum up the story for you:

Whine, complain, moan, whine, rage, pout, whine, pout, complain, complain, whine, I'M QUITTING, whine, pout, whine.

Take a pass on this one, people.

Foresight
01-24-2014, 11:08
It's kinda hard to hate on yourself and be a narcissist.

Wired
01-24-2014, 11:36
Gotta love your attitude Foresight!

mak1277
01-24-2014, 11:47
I am about halfway through the book...reading it on my lunch break at work each day. I suppose I'll finish it, because I rarely drop a book halfway through. But really I just feel like the author should've just kept the manuscript to herself. There's nothing inherently entertaining about the book...and I couldn't care less what actually happens to the author and her husband. If she gained some personal perspective by hiking and then writing the book, bully for her. But honestly, who really wants to read about it (aside from her close friends & family)?

I am not so proud as to think that anyone would want to read about my life, and I just don't think she's all that much more interesting than your average, everyday Joe or Jane.

I am glad I got the book free on Kindle. It's not worth sacrificing the money when you could spend it on a few extra snickers for your next hike.

Coffee
01-24-2014, 11:54
I do think that it would be better if these types of books made it more clear at the outset what the focus is (the trail or an introspective look at the author's life). For example, AWOL's book was a combination of both but I felt like the trail experience was the main focus. Stopwatch's PCT book had very little about the trail itself and was almost entirely an introspective journey. Personally I prefer books where the author is involved in the story (obviously) but the main focus is on the trail, towns, other people met along the way, etc. Mostly I'm looking to read *about the trail* through the eyes of people who have hiked it rather than reading about an individual's life journey that just happened to be on the trail. In any case, I think that some of the comments here are overly harsh and I liked the book overall. The nature of the book was pretty darn clear within a couple of chapters and no one forced me to continue beyond that. I got the book free but I'm sure a kindle sample would have been enough to figure out the focus of the book.

letshike2
02-15-2014, 13:44
Very interesting thread. I have wondered about Stopwatch and Optimist often. I have read many trail books and blogs as I prepare for a long-distance hiking retirement. Wired's blogs have been one of my favorites and I enjoy the hiker's blogs from her "hiker family" the most. So when this large group of hikers met Stopwatch and Optimists on the CDT in 2013, and liked them, I was quite intrigued.
The reason? Stopwatch's trail books are the only trail books( or any book) that I have not been able to read. It was just so negative that it was oppressing. Both of them. I tried really hard to read both books, then I tried to read thier blog. I really just could't take her. She was just , uuugghh, stressful!

So how does someone that comes across likeable in person come across so unbearable in writing?

Wired
02-16-2014, 01:47
I'm perplexed by this too letshike2. I hadn't read the books and just seen a few things on fb and on their blog and also had expected a completely different person than the one I met in person and spent some days overlapping with and camping with on the trail. It just doesn't match up. I have just now finished the first book and am starting the AT book. Knowing them in person, I can say that they were wonderful people to be around. I commend Stopwatch for her honesty and for her ability to reflect honestly on her shortcomings on the PCT and put it out to the public so rawly. That doesn't mean it's great fun to read, but it is authentic. I notice at the end of the PCT book, she mentions learning that she may not be in control of her surroundings, but that it's how she chooses to react to her surroundings that she can control...then she goes on to admit that it's something she can objectively say and understand, but putting it to practice in real life situations is much more difficult for her to do in the moment and that she knows she wants to improve in that way. I know she also struggled on the CDT, but it was not something this was dwelled on and at no time did I even feel a hint of negativity. Just honesty in struggling which we all have. Of course we met in 2013 after she had completed two trails and many years had passed since the PCT. I don't know, maybe she found a way to keep it more internal and it all comes out in the writing. Knowing how the CDT ended up, and knowing them a bit personally, I'm interested to see how the third book comes out. Stopwatch touches on the bigger struggle she has without outwardly labeling it and I think many can relate to her struggles so I am glad that there is a voice there. It just isn't something others who don't experience these thoughts and emotions can relate to and it can come off as whining and complaining.

bamboo bob
02-16-2014, 07:38
This a very interesting discussion to me. I never consider myself to be a negative person but some people think I am on the trail. I'm the first one to say it may rain. Or ***** that stream is deep. Or Oh chit the woods too wet to burn. Or Jesus, I'll never make it up that hill. I'll run out of food before VVR. OW, that thorn hurt. Until I realized it's just my mechanism to deal with adversity. I think swearing at inanimate objects is better than swearing at people. "better to curse the darkness than get burned by the candle" I want the books.

SunnyWalker
02-17-2014, 13:23
Missed this! Maybe it'll happen again.

Dad
02-17-2014, 21:42
I am about half way thru her PCT book now (on my kindle) and am enjoying her take on things. Also read her other book in the past. Honestly I have not read a book about hiking any trail that I have not enjoyed, given the fact that a person writes a book and puts it out there for us to read if we want to. She has her own style and the only thing I can think of is that I remember thinking sometimes that she has already said that and seems to have repeated herself. Sure, we have our preferences in authors about hiking or any other topic. I have read every book about hiking (US trails) that I can get my hands on over the last 15 years and they are what they are - from factual day to day records of the hike to philsoophical descriptions of the hiker finding herself and re-thinking her life. Take them for what they are. I often laugh when I read or talk to hikers who complain about PUDS - pointless ups and downs. "Why did those stupid trail crews make me climb up here, etc..." When I start out on the trail I assume I am signing up to walk it where it goes and can't imagine complaining about something as mundane as the route. Same for the books. I'm sure the authors hope you (we) like their work - kind of like I hope folks enjoy my trail journal. But, hey. Nobody is making us read them, and I am so thankful that people put themselves thru the pain of writing a book and the fact that I can read their take on it between my own trips. I'm glad we have young, old, conservative, liberal, male, female, pot smokers, losers, winners, empty-nest moms and high school graduates etc, writing about their trips in every way they do it - hardcopy books to blogs to tj.com. Don't remember thinking this lady whined alot, but happy to have a whiners take on it anyway.

Foresight
02-17-2014, 22:20
Very interesting thread. I have wondered about Stopwatch and Optimist often. I have read many trail books and blogs as I prepare for a long-distance hiking retirement. Wired's blogs have been one of my favorites and I enjoy the hiker's blogs from her "hiker family" the most. So when this large group of hikers met Stopwatch and Optimists on the CDT in 2013, and liked them, I was quite intrigued.
The reason? Stopwatch's trail books are the only trail books( or any book) that I have not been able to read. It was just so negative that it was oppressing. Both of them. I tried really hard to read both books, then I tried to read thier blog. I really just could't take her. She was just , uuugghh, stressful!

So how does someone that comes across likeable in person come across so unbearable in writing?


It's two entirely different audiences (much like this reply, I'm typing "audiences" to you and thinking "audii" in my head because, much like haiku's, I get an internal kick out of pluralizing words with "ii"). Reward her for the fact that she is cognizant of the difference and doesn't bring those around her down by being as hard on them as she is on herself.

There's bitter truth to her words and I like it. I know it's not directed at me, but I also recognize that it's there for me, whether intentional or not, to learn from her introspection.

Hill Ape
02-17-2014, 23:05
isn't narcissism the highest form of self hatred?

Foresight
02-18-2014, 00:10
Quite the opposite.

letshike2
02-23-2014, 17:40
Personable on paper or not, Stopwatch and Optimist have lived an amazing adventurous life based on their tough standards and goals they have set for themselves. So no matter any of our opinions on the books you do have to admire their sense of adventure and desire to experience life. I like your reply and thoughts on this Wired.