As you may have noticed, I’ve added a sidebar to this blog devoted to short updates w/r/t the planned 50-mile hike thing.
I’m currently scouring online and vintage maps, looking for a good non-highway route that will take us from Brandon to Onanole. I’m also perusing possible alternate routes, since the planned Pennywise-to-Poor Mike’s trek is closer to 60 miles than 50, and that’s if we stick to the (dangerous) highway. I think old railbeds and mile roads would be safer, but will probably add miles to the trip.
If we head along the train tracks, a la “Stand By Me”, we risk dodging trains.
But there aren’t any really long bridges along the way.
As I said, I can’t find any good north-south train tracks, but if we head out of town on the train tracks east, we’ll walk to Austin. I know there are tracks leading south-west, too.
I’m going to settle on a date, unless there are serious unforeseen objections, of Sunday, Oct. 4.
Here are some important caveats:
I’m pretty sure that walking along the highways and the tracks is officially discouraged — at a minimum. It’s also dangerous, even on low-traffic roads. This is a WALK AT YOUR OWN RISK event.
I am not, will not and can not take responsibility for anyone besides myself. I’m happy to walk and talk with a few friends, but I can’t guarantee that I won’t walk faster or slower than you, and any group might split up. I advise everyone to carry a cell phone, to let their friends and family know where they are going to be, and to arrange a ride home and the ability to be picked up along the route, if you twist an ankle or get dehydrated or something.
Speaking of dehydration, I’m planning on carrying water and food with me. You are responsible for your own well-being. There will not be water stations or food caches.
That said, I expect this will be fun — challenging, but fun.
Good luck on finding a suitable route. Seems we’ve spent a lot of time in the last 45 years building an infrastructure that doesn’t encourage walking long distances. I’ve got a century (100-mile) Livestrong charity bike ride on Oct 4, so I’ll be with you in spirit.
Aren’t you right about that! I have high hopes for projects where people turn old, abandoned railroad right-of-ways into multi-use trails, but even those are few and far between compared to roads.
Good luck on the bike ride!