Hitherin Yawn

After several marathon days, we took it easy today. We even took time to poke around the Pipestone National Monument — which is just as well, since it was already drizzling. The rain fell steadily most of the afternoon, but tapered off and stopped not long after we crossed the South Dakota border. Getting close…

I’m exhausted. Since our last hotel break, we hiked 131 miles and had our sleep interrupted twice by critters of the night. I considered stopping an extra day here in Pipestone, but the hotel is booked solid, so I consider us lucky to get the one night. Tomorrow we’ll be in South Dakota. Beyond that,…

Sometimes walking gives you time to think. In today’s vlog, I think out loud about some career advice I’ve gotten over the years. I also discuss General Delivery, the US Postal Service mechanism by which travelers (a.k.a. transients) can receive mail when they are away from home. And finally (hearkening back to that career advice)…

Today began bright and early: as bright as the full moon, and far earlier than I would have liked. That’s what happens when you camp under a mulberry tree, and something comes along in the middle of the night looking for fresh, ripe, delicious mulberries. I still don’t know what it was, but when the…

Long day. We did 30 miles from 5:30 a.m. to ’round about 8:30 p.m. After that, we really needed a good night’s sleep — which we didn’t get, but more about that tomorrow. We did, however, try out a new method of getting ourselves cleaned up. The method took us a small ways out of…

Today was a tough day. You may recall Minnesota State Highway 60, which was a two-lane road we followed heading into Faribault. Well, now it’s a four-lane divided highway, and we walked its shoulder for most of the day. We leaned in against a strong headwind — which, combined with the gusts that slapped at…

I have a new theory about mosquitoes. Perhaps I was wrong about why we haven’t seen very many since crossing the Mississippi. Perhaps the season is not winding down, after all. Also in this episode, I meet another long-distance hiker — and completely fail to get a conversation going, let alone catch his name. Plus,…

I spoke too soon. Just when I thought the mosquitoes were beginning to wind up their affairs and pack it in for the season, they launched a sneak attack. Again, not in large numbers, but enough to raise welts all over my arms and legs. The attack came in a state forest — lots of…

Just a short vlog today: we are on the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail that runs between Faribault and Mankato. After doing nearly 70 miles over the previous three days, we calculate to go only 43 miles between now and Sunday. That’s because I need to be in a hotel on Sunday, and Mankato seemed…

I’m only gonna tell you one story today. It’s a scary story. No fooling, this is the scaredest I’ve been this whole trip — but it wasn’t me I was scared for. Parts of it were so scary I didn’t turn the camera on, because I didn’t want to film the bad end I knew…