Yesterday we left the HoJo’s in North Platte Nebraska, and then had lunch (upon recommendation of Missy & Dave) at the A&W.  We tried the fried cheese curds… and they are things of evil.  Great to try once… but not something you want to make a habit of.  Yum.

We took to the road and got through the rest of Nebraska, and most of Wyoming.  From perfectly flat, to amazing rock formations in every direction.  It was amazing.  I don’t think the photos will do it justice.  It’s just something you’d have to see in person.

Last night we stopped and had “breakfast” at the TA rest area at a restaurant called “Fork in the Road”  I ordered the buscuits & gravy, and Shaman had the hash.  It was ok…  not like southern biscuits and gravy… but Shaman said the hash was good.

After that we drove 25 miles to Evanston where we decided to rest at the Hojo’s here… wher I am writing from now.

Today, when we take to the road, we’ll be hitting Utah and Nevada.  I can’t wait.

It’s been an emotional week to say the least.  Of course when you decide to sell most of what you own, and pack the rest into a van and a uhaul then head out west, that’s to be expected.

Our goal is to drive from NY to CA where Shaman will be taking some classes.  Originally we were supposed to be to Cali by the 6th, and since that was yesterday… you could say we are a little behind schedule.  That’s ok though… because we are not in a big rush.

Day 1 was pretty uneventful… we drove from our home for the last time with me crying my eyes out, which has become a daily ritual.  Not always due to sadness… just change.  I didn’t realize how much I had come to depend on a routine.  That is bad, and that is one of the things that I plan on changing about myself.

Our first stop was supposed to be in Michigan where we have family, but due to a late start, we ended stopping just outside of Cleveland at a Red Roof Inn for the night.  We chose the RRI because it was a pet friendly hotel.  The first hotel we stopped at was called “Best Value Inn America” - they wanted $60 for a room with one bed, and then $20 per pet… come on.   Red Roof only charged us $60 for a really nice room with 2 beds for 2 people and 2 pets… Nice!

After catching some Z’s we started to make our way to Michigan.  We arrived at our destination at around 5pm.  It was wonderful to see some family (Missy, Dave, Xavier, Zophia and a variety of pets)  They served us dinner and gave us a place to stay for the night.   When we were leaving, we decided to leave our long time pet Luna, an Indian Ringneck Parrot with Missy and family.  The kids simply adored the bird, and we felt that with what we were planning, it would be in Luna’s best interest to stay with a family rather than be a road pet.

We cried for a while, and it was very sad for both of us because Luna had been in our family for 9 years… and still is… which makes it a little bit easier.   We can go and visit whenever we want, and check in daily if we desire.  It’s much better than giving him to strangers… which was something we previously discussed.

Our cat Indigo is still with us.  He rides between us in the van, and sleeps most of the time.  When we stay in hotels… he is a terror all night long… nothing new.

After leaving Missy & Dave’s we made our way back through Michigan, and met up with i80 and drove through Illinois and stopped at the World’s largest truck stop, the Iowa 80… which is where we are now.  The Econolodge I am writing from has free WIFI and is also pet friendly.

In an hour or so, we will be hitting the road again… hoping the current storms stay far, far away.

I have been talking to my family every day on the trackfone we picked up… thankfully… because I miss them very much already.

I will check in soon.  Peace.

It turned out to be a perfect day by the river…  here are the photos from our Jet Ski/Picnic excursion at the Marina in Stillwater next to Admiral’s Bar/Pub.

I changed the setting on my camera, so the photos turned out to be smaller than usual… to view the full size picture - click on the thumbnail below, and then again on the smaller photo that you are taken to… that will bring you to the original photo size.

Enjoy

I have become obsessed with trails, and finding new ones to explore.  For quite some time now I have wanted to explore the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail. 

Yesterday, Shaman and I took a bike ride from the Blatnik Park in Niskayuna to the Colonie Town Line.  It was a beautiful ride with amazing views.  The best part is that there is a asphalt trail… but it runs along side grassy paths… which, as we’ve come to know, is a lot easier to walk on than asphalt.

My bike isn’t really designed for trail riding, she’s only got 3 speeds… and to top it off, she’s more of a designer bike.  Not really functional.  (see photo)  Shaman, on the other hand, has an on/off road bike with 21 speeds… so taking hills etc was a lot easier for her.  I had to work twice as hard because of my bike.

I cannot wait to walk this trail… essentially what we’d like to do, is get dropped off at the Colonie Town Park, and then hike the trail.  We saw some amazing wildlife including different varieties of butterfly, and baby red squirrel.

 I’m trying to decide whether to start out with my sneakers or hiking boots… need to think.

We picked up a new pedometer today since our cat Indigo used our last one as a plaything… needless to say - it broke!  The new one is a TIMEX Step Distance Calorie Pedometer (see right) .

It was around $20, and was a lot more simple than the last one… but I think I like this one better… and it seemed a lot more accurate.

We tested it with a short hike around the Albany Pine Bush (red trail - white trail - red trail.  When we got back to the car the pedometer read 4.21 miles… Should be 4.5, but we’re chalking it up to an inaccurate stride.

My legs were really sore today… we hiked/walked a lot last week and then took a few days off.  Never again. 

Shaman wanted to hike the Plotter Kill… but I just wasn’t feeling it today.  I am eager to do the RT-5 walk from Schenectady to Albany…  so I wanted to do that.  Shaman really wanted to immerse herself into nature, so we compromised on the Pine Bush.  I notice, right after it rains, the sands become easier to walk on

It’s been raining for days, so I was expecting the trails to be a lot worse.  The day started out drab, but it really started to heat up once we were on the trail.  After a while it was down-right hot.  I did a lot of sweating, but I was anxious to log some miles.

Overall, thistrek hurt.

So I purchased some great wicking gear from SmallFart (you may know it as SprawlMart or something similar). And after breaking in my Asolo Stynger GTX Boots (about 50 miles or so on them now) and a couple pair of Eddie Bauer Convertible hiking pants. I have to say that no one should go trail hiking with out the proper gear. I am amazed at the difference proper gear makes in the comfort and in the end the total miles I can walk.

I grew up on a mountain top and hiked many miles in the many acres surrounding my family’s property. Sometimes hiking ten or more hours a day in shorts or jeans, a cotton tee shirt or tank top and sneakers. We never thought of proper gear on the hill, but man I wish I had this when I played sports in high school. I just might have been able to run that 7 or 8 minute mile. Well, maybe not. I’m a born hiker with a natural sense of direction and Special relationship with Nature.

But first a public service announcement ~

Of course you should always consult a doctor or other health care professional before any significant lifestyle change including change in diet or activity level and even taking over the counter medications and herbal or dietary supplements especially if you are unhealthy or significantly overweight. Those who have some form of health insurance have no excuse not to go. So go if you can and if you can’t then try and go anyway.

Now on to the gear guide ~

I feel that proper gear is NOT OPTIONAL when doing any kind of trail hiking in the woods. The reasons are many but suffice it to say I think that the average person in the U.S. is sufficiently inept in natural surroundings that this gear may just save their lives. If you think that is an understatement continue reading. However there are still affordable ways to get gear and you don’t need to buy everything at once. But you do need to prioritize and what follows is what I think is most important to have and why. We did not always go with the cheapest option available but tried to get the best bang for our buck in most cases. This is especially important if you are overweight and/or in poor shape when you start hiking.

First, and most important is proper socks and sock liners. I know it seems socks don’t matter or sock liners are unnecessary. What’s all this business about liners anyway??? But these two pieces of gear can greatly reduce the amount of hiking you can do at any one time and the enjoyment and productivity of any hike at any time.

Proper socks include moisture wicking capabilities and build in support in the arch and a seam on top of the toes (reinforced heal and toe with cushioning are always a plus too). They can be made of any material with these qualities. My personal preference is a wool poly blend warmth and wicking all in one.

Light, medium and heavy weight socks are required for four season hiking and most thru hikes due to elevation changes. Light and medium weight should be purchased by all in all climates as medium weight socks may be more comfortable even in 90F/32C degree heat. One pair of either light and medium or medium and heavy weight starting with those you will be needing for the current season you will be hiking in. That way if you start hiking in July, like we did, you won’t be spending money on heavy weight socks until October or later. Two pair of each should be bought for thru hiking or long distance backpacking rotated in a bounce box as necessary.

Sock liners : First let me be honest and say that I thought sock liners were unnecessary and a little over the top. Then I decided, after having suffered two of the worst blisters I have ever suffered through in my life while breaking in a new pair of work boots this spring, that anything that could help prevent a blister like that was worth the 5 bucks. So I bought a pair for each of us. These were on sale as well and I think they were about $8 a pair. I still think that’s a steal for the comfort and fit they provide me.

I have to say they do a great job of reducing heat buildup and pull the moisture away from your skin even when they’re soaked really quite amazing. They also offer support of the lower leg helping to reduce swelling, and there is absolutely no rubbing or chaffing. They really do offer blister prevention during the break in period of my boots on my day hikes. If they are less effective on a longer trail I will be sure to post. But as it stands right now they are a must have item. Two pair of these and up to four if you can afford it and that’s just for day hikes. You can be sure that we’ll go through many pair on a long distance thru hike. These should probably be added to mail drops along the way.