Reviews for Hiking the San Juan Islands: Island Hikes and Walks in San Juan, Skagit and Island Counties

The average rating for Hiking the San Juan Islands: Island Hikes and Walks in San Juan, Skagit and Island Counties based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-10-28 00:00:00 Diana L Bodine I really enjoyed the Ballards' perspective on the PCT experience and appreciate their sense of humor and honesty about the difficulties they encountered. I'd recommend it to anyone considering hiking the PCT, especially if you plan to hike with a significant other. What makes this a 3 out of 5 for me is the Ballards' not-that-subtle irrational fear and judgment of Mexican immigrants (illegal or otherwise). The book starts out with them afraid of encountering a boogieman-esque illegal immigrant near Mexico, to the point that they're examining and fearing "illegal" looking clothing and candy bar wrappers as if they were bear or cougar prints. Though it's not unreasonable to be afraid of unstable or desperate people in the wilderness, it strikes me as irresponsible--bordering hateful--to assume that these immigrants would be unstable, murderous, or even desperate; these are human beings with a range of stories, characteristics, and reasons for being here. The Ballards demonstrate essentially no sympathy for the immigrants' plights, goals, or shared humanity. At the end of the book, when the Ballards finally make it to Canada, they reflect on how many millions of Americans and Canadians live within easy reach of the PCT but fail to take advantage of it. It's a good point with striking statistics, but they fail to mention how many Mexicans also live within easy reach of the PCT. Their omission isn't innocent; the implication is that the people who would want to hike the trail are American and Canadian, not Mexican. Mexicans are wild hiker-stalkers who illegally run along the trail, throwing t-shirts and candy bar wrappers behind them. Despite all my enjoyment of the trail stories the Ballards present in this book, I could never shake the frustration I felt over their apparent bigotry or, if I'm generous, insensitivity. So, I recommend the book for the PCT perspectives and for the humorous and heartfelt anecdotes, but I do so halfheartedly and with a bad taste in my mouth.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-06-13 00:00:00 Karen Welch I think this book has been harshly punished for what it isn't rather than what it is. If you already know a lot about distance hiking and the PCT, you'll probably find this book boring and the narrators annoying or even condescending. It is not a story of rugged people surviving in the wilderness. It's a narrative about two relatively inexperienced hikers hiking the PCT for the first time. It's about their struggles, triumphs and revelations as they make their way from Mexico to Canada on foot for five months. It's well written, enjoyable, and inspirational.