blissful hiker ❤︎ inspiring you to hike your own hike
Episodes
Te Araroa: Lake Tekapo
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker says goodbye to her young friend Tomáš who helped her through the toughest parts of the trail, including reaching a sum...
Te Araroa: hitting the wall
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker discovers hope because repair happens simultaneously with her trailside breakdown. In this episode:Blissful continues her...
Te Araroa: all we have is today
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker learns that worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. In this episode:Blissfu...
Te Araroa: letting the day unfold
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker is astonished when she lets the day take care of itself, miracles occur. In this episode:Blissful continues her journey...
Te Araroa: sending out an SOS
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker's friend from Day 1 falls and dislocates her shoulder and another tramper needs rescuing, and she decides to take th...
Te Araroa: these feet were made for crossing
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker learns a new skill crossing rivers in cold and dangerous rapids and falls in the South Island of New Zealand. In this e...
Te Araroa: rivers run through it
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker finds she is like a river, following a path and forging a new way. It may be hard work, but it's in her natureIn thi...
Te Araroa: comrades over the pass
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker discovers the difference between loneliness and solitude, appreciating the camaraderie crossing a difficult mountain pass...
Te Araroa: in the teeth of the gale
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker learns what she plans to do with her one wild and precious life by heading into the mountains when weather moves in. In t...
Te Araroa: go while the going's good
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker discovers that if you have the energy, the daylight and the weather is good, you should always try to get some distance w...
Te Araroa: ego tweaks
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker discovers that having her ego tweaked just a little by a braggart can be a good thing, because it helps her decide what m...
Te Araroa: the here and now of the sandfly
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker learns about the Maori legend of the sandfly, created to remind us that this Garden of Eden is something ephemeral, and o...
Te Araroa: stealth campsite
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker takes a chance stealth camping at a lookout and shares spectacular views with one cheeky weka. In this episode:Bli...
Te Araroa: end of an island
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker is snubbed by a young hiker causing her to question friendships and her solo walk as she finishes the North Island with t...
Te Araroa: new year's summit
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBlissful Hiker watches the sunrise from the summit of Mount Taranaki on the first day of the year and learns that getting to the top is ...
Te Araroa: tramping buddy
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker meets an English ex-pat in the Tararuas named Julian and they bond like war-buddies, but are unsure they'll co...
Te Araroa: The Tararuas
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker takes a calculated risk to cross the glorious, but dangerous, Tararua Range all alone, the most difficult section of ...
Te Araroa: hiking her own hike
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textOn day 59 of hiking the Te Araroa, the Blissful Hiker gets in touch with her inner brave spirit and gets more comfortable hiking her own...
Te Araroa: a return to the sea
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker completes the "thru-canoe" section of the Te Araroa on the Whanganui River, and meets "Guardian" ...
Te Araroa: the 50/50 rapids
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker continues the section of the Te Araroa on the Whanganui River, learning that aiming your canoe – and life – strai...
Te Araroa: I am the river, the river is me
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker begins the section of the Te Araroa on the Whanganui River, a body of water precious and deeply spiritual to the Maor...
Te Araroa: the road to Whakahoro
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe 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 total...
Te Araroa: crossing the Tongariro
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker is gifted with good weather while walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing on the Te Araroa, but it takes a fellow hiker...
Te Araroa: beginners mind
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker struggles with being a beginner at thru-hiking as she walks New Zealand's Te Araroa, but realizes that every ste...
Te Araroa: owner of the lonely heart
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker learns that hiking all alone on the Te Araroa and managing her nervousness about what's to come is worth it, sin...
Te Araroa: the "purist"
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker learns that she actually misses the muddy, barely-there trail of New Zealand's "advanced tramping" and...
Te Araroa: prelude to "the afternoon on a farm"
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker "sidles" the steep sides of a riverbank in the Mangaokewa Reserve and learns how "un-lonely being lone...
Te Araroa: generosity
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker descends Mount Pirongia on the Te Araroa in a driving rain on an infamously muddy, root-filled trail and works her wa...
Te Araroa: Kia kaha (be strong)
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textTwo mountains bookend Blissful Hiker's walk of the Te Araroa in the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island – the Hakar...
Te Araroa: Cathy's Pies
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker is back on New Zealand's Te Araroa walking through the Waikato Region in the center of the North Island. She lea...
Te Araroa: Thanksgiving
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker is back on New Zealand's Te Araroa thru-hike, "slackpacking" through Auckland then celebrating Thanksg...
The Kekekabic
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker learns that not knowing what comes next in our lives can be difficult to handle and nearly intolerable. The power is ...
Isle Royale part 5
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker is reminded that backpacking is her favorite activity because she is at her most mindful and feels closest to the God...
Isle Royale part 4
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker learns to recognize and savor joy, not so much that joy is fleeting, but to remember when times are tough, that joy w...
Isle Royale part 3
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker meets trail angels who share food, beer and good advice, learning to be flexible at times and not hold too tightly to...
Isle Royale part 2
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker continues her magical thru-hike of the very special island national park, Isle Royale. She discovers that the animal ...
Isle Royale part 1
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker visits a very special island national park, Isle Royale, a boreal forest and Canadian Shield "balds" wonder...
Te Araroa: infinity loop
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker times the tides to kayak down the Puhoi River, rock hop then cross an estuary before walking down the North Shore to ...
Te Araroa: wisdom of youth
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker wakes up on Pakiri Beach and heads right back into muddy bush where she meets two young people, then two more, who gi...
Te Araroa: the trail will provide
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker learns that her subconscious needed this journey of thousands of steps on the Te Araroa as well as important lessons ...
Te Araroa: the secret cove
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker walks the Taiharuru estuary with a Te Araroa veteran, then heads to the summit of Bream Head where meeting people at ...
Te Araroa: movin' on
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker is tripped by a branch, rolling her ankle and falling down hard. But miraculously, she can still walk and is offered ...
Te Araroa: trail angels exist
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textPeople show up right when the Blissful Hiker needs them in Northland, New Zealand on the Te Araroa trail, making her believe trail angel...
Te Araroa: thru-kayaking
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textA risky kayak portion of the Te Araroa up the Waikare Inlet in the Bay of Islands leaves the Blissful Hiker wondering if, in the words o...
Te Araroa: "easy tramping" on sheep poo
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textA selfie reveals a face battered by a week of long distance backpacking and the Blissful Hiker considers her mortality and how to keep h...
Te Araroa: Muir Woods of Australasia
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIt's not until the end of the day when the Blissful Hiker enters a magical forest preserve of towering Cathedral-sized Kauri does s...
Te Araroa: epic mud in the raetea forest
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textSlogging through epic mud in the New Zealand bush, the Blissful Hiker learns about plunging straight through difficult passages, never m...
Te Araroa: ninety-mile beach
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Te Araroa – or long pathway – dispenses with formalities, taking the Blissful Hiker onto an exposed start of drenching squalls, ...
Te Araroa: where the Tasman and Pacific meet
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker flies to New Zealand, drives to the Meeting Place of the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean at Cape Reinga and within 36 ho...
Te Araroa: kia ora, be well!
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker realizes there's no "there" to get to, learning to live in the moment, face vulnerability straight on ...
Te Araroa: a flute for a hike
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe Blissful Hiker sells her flute to make the dream of walking a long-distance thru-hike a reality before it's too late and arthri...