The Trek
Status as of August 3, 2009: 524 miles walked (40.2% done), 781miles to go. Best time to date: 11 miles in 2:54 (15:49/mile). The trek was started in April 2007, went on hiatus for some time due to health issues, and has been slow in being resumed, due to recurring problems with my feet. However, I restarted in earnest in early July 2009, limiting myself to no more than 6 miles/day and (so far) only doing that a few times per week. I hope to work up to 30 miles/week; eventually, I’d like to go back to doing the 11-mile route at least once a week.
Who: Bruce F. Webster, age 56.
What: Walk 1305 miles (2100 km).
Where: The original walking was done along an 11-mile rectangular course that starts and ends at my front door (Parker, Colorado). Elevation along this route ranges from 6320 ft above sea level down to about 5900 ft. The course has a lot of up-and-down to it; by my count, there are about ten (10) crests along the route (i.e., where the road has been climbing and starts down again). The majority of the route is semi-rural, but a few miles pass through suburban housing developments.
Since I am now limiting myself to 6 miles/day, the route is a bit different, and doesn’t vary quite as much in altitude. It is all semi-rural.
Why: I’m doing this to commemorate the 3,000 or so Latter-day Saint (Mormon) handcart pioneers who walk that same distance (or a bit less) back in the 1856-1860 time frame while emigrating to the Great Salt Lake Valley. Also getting my weight and blood pressure down. Here’s a more detailed description of why I started all this.
When: My original goal was to do this in six months, finishing by October 2007. At this point I’ll be happy to finish it by the end of 2009. Note that the Mormon handcart pioneers typically covered the same distance in about 3 months, across open country, pulling or pushing wheeled handcarts weighing a total of around 300 lbs. The mind boggles.
How: My gear is pretty simple. I wear jeans, a sweatshirt or t-shirt, thick hiking socks, and a pair of MBT Sport shoes. When the weather is really cold, I often wear earmuffs or a hooded sweatshirt, as well as gloves; on the other hand, when the weather is warm or hot, I wear a short-sleeved sweatshirt or a t-shirt, cut-off jeans, sunglasses and a hat. I sometimes use a Leki Sierra Photo walking stick (which I bought years ago for a hike up Mt. Timpanogas; my daughter Salem and I only made it as far as Emerald Lake). I listen to my iPhone using the standard Apple iPhone earbuds. Fr the first three miles, I usually listen to random chapters from the Book of Mormon; for the last three, I shuffle my Anthem playlist (rock/pop/oldies/alternative), largely to help keep my pace up.
Other details: Most walks start in the morning, between 7 and 10 am. I’ve walked during a light snowfall, but that wasn’t the coldest; one morning, it was around 25 degrees out, with a stiff, steady wind that I’m sure dropped the windchill factor down into the teens.
Biggest challenge: After all my various problems with feet and tendons, just to get out and walk.
