Musings from my second walk across America. I left Crescent Beach near Portland, Maine on April 11th, 2018. Over the next 150 days, I walked 3,402 miles, eventually reaching the Pacific in Seaside, Oregon on September 8th.
Why Walk Again?
It has been three years since I began my first walk across America, and two-and-a-half years since I stepped into the chilly Pacific Ocean outside San Francisco. In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago. But now that I’m mere days away from another cross-country trek, it feels like a matter of weeks. I’m…
A Maine(ly) Chilly Start
I knew the water in the Atlantic would be chilly in mid-April, but I had to walk in anyway. The veins on the tops of my feet popped out as I entered and officially began my second crossing of America on foot. I touched the ocean at 6:30 PM April 11th. Just getting to that…
Border Bound
The last nine days and 220 miles from Conway, New Hampshire, to Montreal, Quebec, Canada have had a little bit of everything…I checked out of my hostel in Conway and headed into the Appalachians on April 17th. Highway 302, which I followed through the White Mountains outside of Conway, was not only beautiful, but had…
Ouest We Go
When I arrived in Quebec April 24th, it was a bit of a shock. The street signs, shop names, detour signs, menus, you name it, were all in French. It was surreal to cross a single border, walk two miles, and be transported to a French world. My foreign language skills are limited to basic…
Ottawa to a Deep River
I left downtown Ottawa on May 2nd and began the trek to Deep River, 115 miles away. Google’s Map encouraged me to cross the Ottawa River and walk through Quebec for another 30 miles or so, before crossing back into Ontario (across the Ottawa River again) and eventually meeting up with the Trans Canada Highway…
Deep River to Sudbury
It has been a very memorable battle with the Trans-Canadian Highway since Deep River. I arrived in Sudbury, Ontario on May 14th after a seven day, 183 mile stroll down the Can-Can. For the first time on the trip, I sustained a marathon pace (26.2 miles per day) for a week. Mattawa, with a population…
The Twin Soos
I left Sudbury, Ontario on May 16th and finally had my sights set on Sault Ste. Marie, the first big “Milestone City” of my walk. The Soo was just under 900 miles from my starting point, and is roughly one-fifth of the way between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on my chosen route. I came…
North?
PJ and I continued our walk across America and Canada on May 24th after we successfully crossed the International Bridge back into Ontario, cleared customs, and connected about a half-mile worth of steps. It was much simpler getting back into Ontario than it was entering Quebec. The border agent only asked a few questions and…
A Superior Walk
The 11 day, 291 mile walk from Wawa to Thunder Bay has had its fair share of ups and downs….And I’m not just talking about walking the hills and mountains surrounding Lake Superior! The mercury soared on my way out of Wawa. Afternoon highs were in the low 90’s and humidity hovered around 70 percent.…
Land O’Lakes
From Wayne and Marie Ferguson’s house, the U.S. – Canada border was a mere 36 miles away. I left Thunder Bay on June 12th and began the last leg of my trek through Ontario. Highway 61 weaved through farm and ranchland and was surrounded by rocky hills with flat tops. They reminded me of mesa…
So long ‘Sota…Hello Dakota!
The walk out of Grand Rapids, Minnesota was filled with a handful of fun interactions that only added to the fond memories I will always have of the town. I swung by KAXE Community Radio and did a 15 minute live interview, which was a little intimidating, but a ton of fun. I had to…
The “Peace” Garden State
Many North Dakota license plates say “Discover the Spirit,” above an image of rolling plains, distant hills, and a buffalo. I have yet to see a buffalo, but I have been discovering that spirit for the last nine days and 251 miles while walking from Michigan to Ray. It has been a wild, loud, and…
How ‘Bout ‘Dem (Washington) Apples?
It was a great four day Montana holiday with my dad. He certainly succeeded in spoiling me. Four nights in hotels, access to a vehicle, coffee on demand, and daily showers were a much needed respite from the walk. We saw a lot of sights, had a lot of laughs, ate heartily, and did plenty…
A Big Sky Walk
After a quiet day off in tiny Ray, I was ready to finish the North Dakota chapter of my walk and start fresh in Montana. However, the state line was still 50 miles away and I needed to pass through the oil boom town of Williston. I had a feeling that was going to be…
Rocky Mountain Hi
When I left Jordan on July 22nd, 132 miles of ranches, farms, and the Judith Mountains separated me from Lewistown. My stopping points on the five day walk were pretty straight forward – Sand Springs Campground, the Hill Family Oasis Bed and Breakfast, Winnett City Park, and Little Montana Truck Stop. It was nice having…
The Oregon Trail
Washington was a grind. The seven day, 187 mile trek through the Evergreen State gave me all I could handle! I left Tekoa on August 19th with my sights set on an RV Park in Steptoe. Considering the previous two weeks (with the exception of one clear day between Missoula and the Idaho border), smoke…
Pacific or Bust
After a quiet night of sleep in Three Mile Canyon, I set my sights on Portland. I didn’t know it at the time, but that would be the last night I would sleep in my tent on my walk. Part of the reason I had taken the previous afternoon off was to plan out my…
Do the Walk of Life
I played a lot of games to keep myself entertained during my 150 day Maine to Oregon walk. One of my favorites was “How did Ben’s walk across America end?” When I found myself doing a necessary, but often ridiculous trip task, like hanging a bear bag in the dark or running across a narrow…
Ben Clagett 