Love and the Long Path

by Houskeeper, Heather A.

• ISBN13: 9781098375751
• ISBN10: 1098375750
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2021-08-05
• Publisher: Betula Press

Summary

Heather and Scott set out in search of wilderness and adventure, carrying on their backs only the essentials. Their route—the Long Path—a little-known 358-mile trail that stretches from New York City to John Boyd Thacher State Park on the edge of the Adirondacks. Heather is an experienced long-distance hiker, herbalist, and forager. Scott, fifteen years her senior, is a rock star turned wanderer. Together they share a deep reverence for nature and a blossoming love for each other. They know not how they will fare as they traverse the winding trail along the cliffs of the Palisades and the sun-drenched ridges of the Shawangunk Mountains, and up arduous ascents through the Catskill High Peaks. Among their challenges: ever-fluctuating weather, curious wildlife, injury, and learning to work together as a team. Tiny towns offer respite, wild plants provide both food and medicine, and the beauty of nature abounds.

Ignite your passion for exploration on a trail less traveled and discover a path to wonder that requires nothing more than your own two feet. Lace up your hiking shoes, the Long Path awaits!

This unforgettable book is filled with spirit and heart and will be enjoyed all who love a good adventure. It has received endorsements from multiple authors and fellow hikers who have been touched by Heather's journey.

- "A must-read for Long Path enthusiasts, thru-hikers, Hudson Valley nature lovers, and anyone who yearns to follow the path. Heather's story is a spirited account of the joys of the trail, as well as the trials, and how the shared experience of walking together can strengthen a couple's love." —Kenneth Posner, author and record-setting Long Path runner

- "The Long Path links together distinctly unique landscapes, from remote wilderness to small towns. Heather illustrates, in vivid detail, the diversity of plants to discover, the beauty to be found, and the kind townspeople to meet while walking this very special trail."—Andy Garrison, chair of the Long Path

- "Hikers like to say there's nothing a long walk can't fix. Heather shows this to be true through a physical journey that offers healing and deep connection. Her adventure is compelling and her insight makes this a book that will appeal to anyone who is trying to find their path." —Jennifer Pharr Davis, Hiker, Author, National Geographic Adventurer

Author Biography

Heather "The Botanical Hiker" Houskeeper is an herbalist and long-distance hiker. She has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, Mountains to Sea Trail, Long Path, and Florida Trail, and is the first person to have hiked the Finger Lakes Trail and its six branches in one continuous trek. She holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Warren Wilson College and a certificate in herbal medicine, botany, plant identification, and medicine making from the Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine. As a lifelong student of Nature, she utilizes the trails that crisscross her meadows, thread through her forests, and climb her mountains as pathways to deeper learning.

In her profession as The Botanical Hiker, she guides others into the natural world through seminars, workshops, and plant walks, striving to deepen their relationship with the natural world and its botanical inhabitants. She is the author of two books about edible and medicinal plants, and the Wild Food columnist for Dirt Magazine. This is her first narrative book.

She resides in Milford, Pennsylvania, with her partner, Scott, coonhound, Amos, and a whole mess of wildflowers.