The Trek
Status as of June 24, 2008: 411 miles walked (31.5% done), 894 miles to go. Best time to date: 11 miles in 2:54 (15:49/mile). The trek was on hiatus for several months due largely to various health problems. I started walking again on Feburary 29th (2008) but then had some more problems with my feet and one knee (and the weather). I’m now trying to do at least 4 miles each day.
Who: Bruce F. Webster, age 55.
What: Walk 1305 miles (2100 km).
Where: Most of the walking will be 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.
As noted above, some problems with my feet caused a long hiatus. I’ve restarted using a 4-mile route (from my house to Inspiration Drive and back) and then will add in a 6-mile route, eventually adding the full 11-mile route back in.
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 October 2008. Note that the Mormon handcart pioneers typically covered the same distance in one-fourth of the time (~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 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) and a High Sierra Whitewater hydration pack (which I picked up at Costco for $20). I listen to a current-gen iPod Shuffle using Etymotic ER-4 earbuds; most days, it’s a random selection of classical and ‘new age’ music and scripture audiobooks (Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price).
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. Even though I put hot water into my hydration pack, the drinking tube froze up by the time I was about half way through. On the other hand, during warm weather, I put ice into the water pouch in the hydration pack. And on my shorter walks (e.g., 4 miles), I don’t use the pack at all.
Biggest challenge: After all my various problems with feet and tendons, just to get out and walk.
