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I woke up and Domino was ready to go but I wasn’t. I laid there much longer than I should have but my body just wouldn’t get up. It was already hot by the time I started.

I was miserable this morning. I had anxiety about how I was going to handle this heat with Domino. I know I’ll be ok but I really stress out a lot about all the logistics of keeping domino healthy in the heat of this summer. I didn’t know what I was going to do but I just kept walking. What else was I gonna do?

I get into Boonville and I made a few wrong turns. I was feeling very defeated. When I was leaving town, I came across a crossroads. I could either get off of the Katy Trail like I planned to or I could stay on it a little longer. Getting off of the trail means more hills and less shade but shorter distance to Kansas City. Staying on the trail means that I could remain comfortable but it adds distance to the total trip. At the last second, I opted to stay on the trail.

I planned on camping in a small town that was only 15 miles from where I started this morning. I figured an easy day would help me have time to focus on my next move.

I was thinking about it and I talked to my dad on the phone and I guess I just have to wing it. Nothing else to do but to figure something out. I think I’ll be ok now, I just needed some time to prepare mentally. I’ll be getting off the trail tomorrow and staying on small backroads. I think the change in scenery will serve me well. I’ll throw the shoes on domino and set her up in the shade as much as possible and make sure that we both stay hydrated. Boom.

I was met by a group of cyclists who stopped as the were approaching me to hear my story. I look like I’m pushing a hot dog cart so maybe they were hungry. Anyways, they were very nice and thought that what I was doing was great. I needed that jolt right then. They donated money and I did a small interview on on of their cellphones to help raise awareness. I am sorry if I got the names wrong but I think I remember. Mark, David, Julie, Mary from Wisconsin. Thank you for stopping 🙂

I was pulling up into town shortly after. I was dripping with sweat so I sat on a bench to cool down before getting to where people could see me. A kid about 8 years old came up and played with Domino and was asking about my cart. We talked for a while and then he offered to lead the way to the town park that has a pool. That’s where I was told that I could camp when I called ahead to the police department earlier in the day.

I got there and asked some kids to watch domino and jumped right in the pool haha. I took everything out of my pockets and I took off my shirt shoes and socks and then went right in. It felt so good! I went back over to Domino and dried off in the sun. Dom stayed in the shade.

I went to the gas station to get pizza and a soda and when I came back there were 4 cyclists hanging out. They were traveling across America also. One couple was from New Zealand and they were on a tandem bicycle. One woman from England, who was really cute but had a boyfriend. And a guy from Tennessee who went to Georgia Tech. We all got along great and got to enjoy the evening together.

Some kids from the pool kept coming over and I could tell it was the bad crowd of the town. They were young but I made sure to let them know that I was doing this walk because my sister died from using drugs. I made sure that it stuck with them. The town has less people than my whole freshmen class in high school had. All there is to do is go to the pool or go to the bar and the pool is closed for half of the year. So yeah…

Well I guess I should try to get some rest… night!

The new sleeping pad I got is amazing! I sleep so much better on it. I woke up early and was on the trail at 730 am. I tried to walk quickly to beat the heat. I saw an email from someone who had found a card that I left somewhere saying that he appreciated my walk and that he is a year and a half sober. He told me where he found the card and it was the one I left at an overlook yesterday. I told him to look out for me if he was riding west.

He met up just about an hour later. I was honored to meet him. We talked for a few about the disease and I congratulated him on 18 months. He congratulated me on my accomplishments as well. He rode on ahead on his bicycle.

The trail was pretty cool at this section. High cliffs were on the right and the Missouri River was on the left. I came upon my first stop in Rocheport and was welcomed by a few pretty women that were there hanging out. They came over to see what the hell I was doing so I told them. They were nice and asked if I needed anything but I didn’t at the time.

Another guy I had met on the trail was there and he told me he’d buy me breakfast. We went over and ordered a breakfast sandwich and some gatorade. His name is Tony and I didn’t catch his wife’s name. They were awesome though. Very nice and helped me out a lot. Tony used to drive the tour bus for Van Halen and had some stories that related to my cause. He gave me some energy snacks and some money to buy Casey’s pizza later in the evening when I get to my destination.

It was a pleasure meeting them. The owner of the bike shop/ cafe was very nice too. He hooked the breakfast sandwich up. Added all kinds of goodies to it. It was one of the best things I’ve eaten yet on my trip. He also had a couple of innertubes that I bought to end my dilemma of flats. He helped me with information on what was ahead on the trail too. It’s always good to know what you’re getting into…

It was hot by the time I left Rocheport. I had 10 miles to the next stop. I knew it would take a while. I had to stop often for water and to cool down. For me and Domino. There were only a few people on that section of the trail so I was mostly alone out there.

I came up to a hump in the trail. I ran up the slope and then at the top decided to ride Lieutenant Dan down the hill. I sat in the front (domino’s seat) and had my feet sticking out for brakes and steering. I rode down and it was fun. I got out and was laughing to myself and I turned around and there were two cyclists behind me who saw the whole thing and were waiting to ride by.

Oops. Hahahaha. I just laughed as they passed by. I was just having some fun. I walked on further and there were these little white puffs balls flying in the air. Some sort of seed from a tree I guess. They were annoying at first because they fly right into your face. But I chose to make that fun as well.

I pretended that I was flying through a meteor shower and made sound effects as I dodged them. Yeah.. it can be boring sometimes. I came upon a bench next to some old silo and hung around in the shade. I was so hot that I didn’t even care about all the bugs all over me. I just laid there and cooled off. Then one of those little guys bit the hell out of me. I thought that I got stung by a wasp at first but the pain went away in a couple of minutes.

I kept pushing closer and closer to the campground until I finally got there. I rolled up and a guy saw my cart and asked about the walk. I talked to him about it and he offered to take me up to the gas station and buy me some pizza and drinks. The A/C in his car was the best feeling ever. He let Domino ride with us. I got some pizza and green tea and went back to eat and then shower and then set up my tent.

I laid there feeling refreshed until I started sweating again. It’s just hot. I’m gonna have to deal with it. I’m still having fun though!

I camped right across the street from a place called Dotty’s Cafe. I was told that it was the best breakfast on the trail. It opened at 7 am and I walked in shortly after. It was 50’s themed with decor and music. They even had old newspapers that you could read from that era. That was really cool.

I ordered my food and it came out looking amazing. It tasted even better. Definitely lived up to it’s expectations! Great way to start the day.

As I was packing my stuff up a neighbor came by to say hello. We talked breifly and then I continued packing. I think it was right at 8:30 when I got on the trail. Later than I wanted to and it was already hot as hell. I rolled for about 4 miles with my flat tire and came across a tiny little store just off of the trail and hoped that they may have something that could help.

A sweet lady comes to meet me when the bell rang as I walked in the door. I asked her for what I needed and she had a patch kit. I bought that and a cold Gatorade. I put the patch on there and Domino was in a staring contest with the cat. The patch seemed to be holding up so I put the wheel back on and felt happy.

I probably walked for about an hour until the patch stopped holding air. It was just too hot today for the glue to hold. I pushed on to the next spot on the trail called Cooper’s Landing. This place looked crazy. It’s right on the river and it’s a campground and restaurant. I could tell that it was a weird tight knit community that only dealt with tourist because they had to.

I didn’t feel very comfortable at first. I walked in thinking that I’d just grab a quick lunch and get the eff outta there. Well as I rolled in, a few people stopped and asked about my walk. They saw that I had a flat and tried looking around for stuff to help. Everyone was very nice and helpful.

I met another guy walking across the country named Matt. He started in Chicago and made it to this place and he’s going to stick around and work there for a month or so to make money and to wait out the summer. We swapped stories. I met a guy named Dan and I didn’t get his girlfriend or wife’s name. They were headed out to the store and told me they’d grab an innertube for me if I could wait. Heck yeah I’ll wait!

I could tell he was serious so I instantly felt better. I knew that I’d be rolling good for the rest of the day. It was getting hotter and hotter. I talked to a few other people for an hour or so and they came back with the innertube, some bones for domino, and even a cash donation. Great people. They told me that they were struggling with addiction and really commended me for walking for that cause.

I wish I could’ve snapped my fingers and cured their addiction but I can’t do that. I just chose to enjoy the moment. We were all happy. Right then and right there was just perfect. I hung around a little more and then I just had to go. I knew that if I didn’t leave then that I would probably end up staying all summer with Matt. It was a really cool place. They had just started playing live music when I was putting my new wheel on. I made the choice to be good and keep moving though.

On the other side of the campground, I walked by and saw like 8 boats sticking straight up out of the ground. A redneck art piece. I stopped for a picture and then rolled on. With air!!! Oh it was so nice. But HOT!

I had to stop frequently to cool down and hydrate. I got to a spot that said I could do a strenuous climb to a beautiful view. I had to do it….

I walked up and it was in fact strenuous. I got to the lookout and it was worth it. A great view. I hung around for a second but not long because there was no shade and I was melting. I walked back down and decided to set up my hammock for a nap while I let the hot part of the day pass by.

I knew where I needed to go tonight and I would rather wait and walk in the evening than try to suffer through the hot part. I laid there for a while and was in heaven. I look down at domino and mosquitoes are all over her and she couldn’t relax. Poor baby. I wasn’t sure if I could put my bug spray on her or not so I didn’t. I decided to just pack up and go. I’ll look into the bug spray thing later.

We pushed through and talked to a few people along the way that were on the trail. We finally make it to the campground and it is under construction and closed. I saw a spot that I could set my tent up at next to a picnic table and went for it. No one would be bothered by it.

I set up and made dinner. A couple of girls pull up to go for a walk on the trail. I talked to them for a while and Domino played with their dog. I asked them about camping there and they kind of had the same reaction. I’m not bothering anyone so it should be ok. I stopped worrying about it and ate my dinner.

Laid down and now I’m under the stars with the rain fly off of the tent so I can see out and get some good ventilation. Me and Domino are both out. Have to rest up for a long, hot 20 miles tomorrow!

I got a few things done on my day off. I went to the store and was able to buy a summer sleeping bag and a better sleeping pad. Both needed to be replaced and I got a great deal. I also resupplied on food for me and Dom. I planned out my route for the rest of Missouri and I did laundry. I couldn’t get any news interested in me 🙁 That was a big part of why I walked 3 miles out of my way to go into the city. Oh well…

The next morning I tried to get out early but just couldn’t do it. It took me forever to pack up because I was doing a gear swap. I was going to send all of my cold weather stuff home. I’m not going to need it for a while now. I finally got it all together and it was around 10 when I finally left the hotel.

10 minutes later I was at the post office and was already pouring sweat. It was going to be hot hot hot today. My hottest day yet. I send a huge box back home and set up the shade canopy for domino. She would need it today. I walked back towards the Katy Trail. Had about 2 miles to go.

I passed by a bike shop and thought that I should have gone into it to buy a spare innertube since I had to swap mine out back in St Louis. I figured I would be ok until the next one. I kept going. As soon as I was far enough away to not want to turn back I noticed the wobble. Flat fucking tire. Go figure.

I pushed just a little farther to the trailhead because I knew they had tools there. I was going to try to patch it up and see if it would hold. As I was working on it, a couple pulls up and they offer some patches that are made for innertubes. I was going to use something else because I am totally unprepared and have no clue what I am doing out here.

I was very thankful for that. They live in Douglasville GA which is only about an hour away from Atlanta. We talked about GA and I thanked them so much for the patches. They also donated $20. People are amazing. That’s all.

Well it didn’t take long for me to realize that the patch didn’t work. I could see the tire laying flat again. Screw it. I started walking with the flat. The only problem with that is that I can’t let Domino ride with a flat tire because the extra weight makes it impossible to move forward. So I had to try to get her to walk in the shade from the umbrella I had set up.

She wasn’t understanding what I was trying to get her to do and she could tell that I was frustrated. It was hot enough outside that she could literally die from standing in direct sunlight. It was vital that she got in the shade. Her and I went back and forth for a long time about this issue. She wasn’t getting it and I was getting so mad. I was the maddest that I’ve been yet on this whole trip.

I yelled and said some things that I’m glad she couldn’t understand. She sat on the side of the road and stayed there. I walked away in anger and she didn’t follow. She’s never done that. Ever. I walked farther and farther knowing that she would eventually come. Nothing. I even whistled for her which always works. Nope. Not this time. She wasn’t playing my game.

I got livid. I walked all the way back to her and yelled for her to come. She did but was staying far behind me. In the sun. Dying. Literally. I had to stop myself. This was going nowhere. I took a breather and had the idea of leashing her in a way that she had no choice but to walk in the shade.

I don’t know why I was mad at her. I had spent months teaching her to walk to the left of my left heel. She was great at it. I knew that changing that up was going to be difficult. I was just upset and took it out on her. She finally got the stride right now that I cooled down and that I had the leash on her. I was able to relax a little but I was still pissed about the flat tire.

I decided that it would be worth it to try to repair it again. If the tire was fixed then all of my problems would be solved. I spent a good 30 minutes on it and thought that I may have gotten to finally work. It seemed to be holding up so I let Domino back in the stroller. That worked for a while and then the wobble started to come back.

I think it was so hot that the glue from the patch was melting. It just wouldn’t hold air. Ok that’s that. I have to deal with that for a few days now. I may try to call a bike shop and see if they’ll send an innertube down to me via a cyclist. It’s a long shot but they may help out. Whatever. I accepted it at this point.

I hated today. It was the worst day yet. But even going through all of that, I knew that I was still far from my tipping point. Not once did I even get close to considering quitting. It was a comforting thought to know that even when faced with a challenge that I had the confidence that I would think of something so that I could keep going.

I pushed on and hated every step. I even jogged some to get to the town faster. I just wanted to be done with the walk today. I finally made it and felt instantly better.  Very cool small town and a little shady spot that the town made for people on the trail to camp on. I set up my tent and a neighbor came over to say hey. We talked and I let the bad day fade away.

I finished setting up and then went over to the town watering hole to get some pizza. Boom. Had a few and some good conversations with the locals and went back to my tent. There was a cyclist that set up a tent also and we talked for a while about the trail and other long distance trips that he had taken.

I got to my tent and laid on my new sleeping pad. Wow. Worth every penny. I’m hoping to get up early so that I can walk in the morning and then take shelter and read or something for the hot afternoon hours and then walk some more in the evening. With a flat tire..

Ugh.

I did not want to get leave when I woke up. This hostel was amazing. I was so comfortable. I debated taking a day off there. After breakfast I decided to keep going. Jefferson City was only one day away and I’d be able to go to a hotel and so all my resupply shopping there. As well as do some media and PR stuff.

Said bye to Tom and I took off. I was wired from caffeine and energy foods. I loaded up this morning for some reason. I was really zooming. I just kept walking and wasn’t fatigued at all. I got a call from an AJC reporter who is going to do a feature story back in atlanta when the walk is finished. Usually I would sit down to talk on the phone but I didn’t stop. Just kept stepping.

I put Pandora radio on and was just cruising. In the zone. A friendly cyclist rode by and asked about the walk. Her name was Hope. I loved her. She was so kind and I found out later on that she donated money to my gofundme account. I may start calling Lieutenant Dan the Hope Mobile.

I had to cross a huge bridge to get into Jefferson City. You can see the Capitol building from far away. I was excited. I had a feeling that I’d be able to do some great work for the cause there. Not tonight though. I’d save that for tomorrow. I get to the hotel and checked in. I met a few people in the lobby and then went to my room.

Before I settled in, I looked on my map and noticed a chipotle was nearby. Well, a mile away. Worth it! I walked the mile to get there and then the mile back. I laid in bed and ate the whole bowl while watching sports. I was in heaven and needed it.

Late at night, around 1145, I get a knock on the door. It was Noah, a guy I had met in the lobby earlier. He had gone to the store and brought me back a bag full of goodies to help with my walk. That was awesome. He seemed like a great guy. I wanted to talk more but I was so ready for a good night’s sleep!!!

Tomorrow was a day off of the walk but still a day full of working. I had a lot to do so I needed some good rest….

I woke up early and wanted to go back to sleep but I got up so that I could hang out with the crew. How often will I have the chance to hang out with 4 other people on adventures!? We all talked while packing up and enjoyed the moment. I was the last to leave and went down to the river before starting to walk.

I took in the moment and got myself psyched up for the day. Walking was pretty boring actually. I saw a few turtles soaking up the sun but nothing else really. I started singing out loud. Whatever song came to mind.

I saw a pretty house on a hill far away and stopped to take a picture. While I was holding my phone up, I heard the sound and looked up and Lieutenant Dan took off rolling on his own down into a ditch. Luckily, he remained upright and I was able to fetch him out without any issues. It was kind of funny. Luckily, Domino wasn’t in it at the time…

I was approaching a town and read the signs about the history of the town that they had posted. It’s an old railroad town from the late 1800s. It’s been vacated and rebuilt 3 different times. One time, in the early 1900s, they decided to build a jail. A very small stone structure. The guy who the town hired to build it got arrested for public intoxication and was the first person to be held in it. If you build it….

When I walked into town the fire alarm started going off. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard a small town fire alarm but it’s pretty intense. I had to make sure domino’s ears were ok. She is used to loud noises by now I guess because it didn’t seem to be phasing her much. It stopped after a few minutes anyways.

We roll up to a restaurant. A really neat bar and grill that has probably seen some great times. I walk in and a man told me to pull up and grab a seat and that my meal was on him. Sweet!

Great guy named Tom. He had hosted another cross country walker at his house just a week or so before and we talked about that and about his mission that he is on. He has gone from 600 pounds to around 300 from dieting and riding his bike. Very motivational and inspiring guy. I enjoyed his and his friend’s company and we became friends on facebook.

With a full belly, I went on back to the trail. I had heard about a hostel up ahead and wanted to stay there for the night. I get there and it’s a tiny little town and the building stood out. I pull up and was met by a small town reporter to do an interview for the Fulton Sun newspaper.

I did the interview while sitting outside and right when it finished, my friend Tom that is cycling from Orlando to Oregon rolls up. I say goodbye to the reporter and hello to Tom. Tom decides to stay there with me for the night. He was the guy I ran into just a couple of days ago. We talked for a while on the patio and then went inside.

This place was amazing! Only $5 and had everything you could ask for. Supposedly it was donated by a woman who loved the Katy Trail. It’s totally on the honor system and people respect the hell out of it. The place was in great shape to have no overseer. Tom and I enjoyed it.

I made Ramen noodle tacos for dinner. Yeah. Don’t ask. They were freaking amazing. Then laid down on a double mattress and slept great!!!!

 

Woke up early but I went back to sleep for another hour or so. I could barely even walk over to the bathroom and I knew my feet needed some more rest. Around 8 I peeked out and saw Tom packing up. I wanted to catch him before he took off so I got up and went over to talk to him some.

He is cycling from Orlando to Oregon because he wanted to. His kids are grown now and he had an empty nest and decided to give this thing a whirl. He is loving his experience as much as I am enjoying mine. We told stories about how amazing people were and we both had crazy dog attack stories. He was a very nice guy and I was glad that our paths crossed. He was taking the day off and I contemplated doing it myself and hanging out with him but I chose to keep pushing. Even though domino and I both need a break. We’ll take one soon though. Tom left for breakfast and I said goodbye so that I could start packing up and getting ready to head out.

I called the local paper and told them I was in town and we set up to meet at a restaurant over breakfast. I headed there and everything from my waist down was in agony. I had originally planned for an 19 mile day but I looked at my map and there was another stop 13 miles away and I thought that I may do that instead.

Anyways, I got to the restaurant and their breakfast was soooooo good. The editor of the paper came to do the interview and take a picture. He was awesome and was genuinely interested in my story. Not just for the sake of the paper but he just enjoyed talking to me. It didn’t feel like an interview at all. It felt like I was telling a story to a friend over breakfast. That was nice. He picked up the tab for me and told me he’d send a copy of the paper to my mom’s address.

I headed back towards the main drag on Hermann. It’s a total tourist river town that is all B&Bs and wineries. I went to the welcome center to thank the woman that I had spoken with over the phone yesterday. She helped me out a lot with good information. I popped in and she wasn’t there but another sweet woman was there and listened to my story and even gave a donation to show her support.

Hermann was a lovely town and just beautiful. I enjoyed walking back through it. Even though it hurt and it was already getting hot. As I was crossing back over the Missouri River a car swung to the side of the road ahead and a guy popped out and started taking pictures. Not much alarms me anymore so I just went with it. I got closer and he was nice. He had long hair in a ponytail and a beard. Both white from wisdom. He reminded me so much of my friend Joel who helped me make the awesome video on my website. The man told me about a Facebook group that he has and wanted to share my message. He saw me on the news a few days before so he knew what I was walking for. Cool guy.

Not long after that, I was still thinking about Mike, the guy who took the pictures, and I swear on everything that I saw a meteor fall from the sky. I heard it first and then saw something that was probably between the size of a bowling ball and a yoga ball and it had a trail of fire shooting back about 50 feet long. It was zooming. Just before it hit the ground the trail stopped and I didn’t hear anything land. It seemed like it just evaporated. If it landed it had to have been only about 200 yards away.

I hurried over there and didn’t see any signs of it landing. I figured that it wasn’t really a meteor but probably just a big ole frozen hunk of poopie. I don’t know and I never will but I definitely saw SOMETHING fall from the sky and it was pretty awesome.

I had only gone about 2 miles and it was hot and I was moving like a slug. I came across a gas station and figured I’d get some caffeine in me before I got on the trail. I had to pee too. I went in and walked to the bathroom and just as I was going in, another guy was coming out. If there was a contest for the guy who has the world’s stinkiest poop this guy would get all the bets. He would’ve won the damn contest too. I walked in and nearly passed out. I used my shirt as a gas mask and relieved myself as quickly as possible. When I left there was another guy waiting to go in. I was going to say that it wasn’t me but I was still holding my breath. I grabbed some energy drinks and fresh air and got the heck outta there.

All of this happened and I wasn’t even back on the trail yet. I finally get back on the Katy Trail and it was noon already. Talk about a slow start. The first 2 hours didn’t go much faster. It was hot as hell and hardly any shade. Every time that there was shade me and Domino would stop to cool down and get some water. At one stop I decided to be somewhat efficient and call ahead to some of the campsites to try and figure out the next couple of nights. Everyone a spoke with was very helpful. It cheered me up a little.

I was still sluggish and hot but I had a moment of “this is so cool” to myself. I mean it really is. I’m walking across the freaking country!  It still blows my mind every day. I perked up a little but was still moving slowly from one shady spot to the next.

Hours later I get to a campground named Steamboat Junction. I was debating staying here as today was just not my day for walking. They had a little hut with a refrigerator filled with snacks and cold beverages that were on the honor system. Always honor the honor system. I grabbed a cold Gatorade and put some money in the money slot and sat in the shade and it had to be one of the best drinks I’ve ever had in my life.

I plugged my phone in and was going to do some Facebooking but didn’t have internet service there. It made me consider walking the extra 5 miles to the next campground. I wasn’t able to reach anyone on the phone there so I was still a little iffy about it.

Just then a guy comes walking up. He was in his cycle gear and I told him that I didn’t work here and it’s all self-serve. He grabbed a Gatorade too and started asking questions about my walk after seeing Lieutenant Dan. Other cyclists that he had encountered had told him about me as the guy walking across the country for overdose. That’s what I want! For people to talk and to talk about overdose.

Anyways, we talked about me and then I asked about his ride. Oh my gosh. This guy and his wife started in the same place I did on bikes and get this….. they brought their 9 year old daughter!!!! I love this guy and I love that he did that with his family. He told me his daughter made it all the way to St Louis and she was going to take a break with her grandparents for a while. I had to know more. He told me he was headed for the next stop and I asked if he had info on the campground. He assured me that it was all good and that he’d save a spot for me.

Boom. Decision made. I pushed the next 5 miles just so that I could talk to him and his wife all evening. It wasn’t easy. But it started to get shady. That helped a ton! I saw a huge buck. A male deer that is. It was the first time I’d seen a deer with antlers. It still had the velvet on it and were probably still growing. He bounced off happily and I kept doing my thing.

There was a slope for the last 3 miles and it got fairly steep. I was crossing a bridge and looked up and a groundhog came running right at me. I was startled by it because it came out of nowhere. At the last second it darted off the bridge into the water. The weirdest thing.. Domino saw none of this by the way. Sometimes I call her Dumb-ino. This was one of those times.

I get to the campground in Portland and there were a couple of guys that I met back in marthasville there too. Looked like it was going to be a fun night. We all hung out and set up camp and ate at the gross and dirty restaurant next door. The river is on the other side of the trail and it’s beautiful!

I hung out with Rob and Sarah and we talked about their ride and we swapped stories. I was in awe of their trip as they were of mine. They picked up my bill for food and for the campground. They told me they were impressed that I was walking and they were glad to have met me. I was just as glad to have met them.

The other guys were super cool. 2 guys that are now retired and just met like 6 months ago and since then have been on numerous bike rides together. Just a fun thing they do to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Roy and Alan. They are cycling the entire Katy Trail out and back. Having a great time and it’s showing.

We all hung around together and Domino got some loving and playtime in. Such a cool group to be a part of. The whole day was one that I’ll never forget!

There were a few things I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post. The town of Marthasville was on a boil alert. Meaning that the entire town’s water supply was contaminated and non-potable. Luckily, I had enough water to make it through the night. A few people helped with that by giving me their extra containers.

When I was at the station at Marthasville, I met a guy who’s brother is in jail right now for drug stuff. He lost another brother to leukemia a few years back and started a nonprofit to help people with Leukemia. Givetolife.org … I was so glad to have met him and hope to catch up after the walk.

After I posted the blog last night, I heard a bunch of kids playing baseball. There was a church group of teenagers that were cycling the trail and camping at the same spot. I wasn’t tired at all so I went over and joined in. I had a blast. No one had gloves and there only about 8 people playing but we had fun and it felt good to run and play. The kids were awesome. I told them about the walk and didn’t preach to them but I made sure that they knew what happened to Brittany. Hopefully, they will remember her story if they ever face the choice to use drugs or not.

Ok back to today….

I took a shower in E.Coli water. I was hoping that I didn’t die later but I wanted to take advantage of having a shower handy. I packed up and said goodbye to everyone. The church group gave me some food and water and the leader of the group had lost a brother to an overdose. They were all good kids on a very cool mission and I hope the best for them all.

The father and son duo that I met last night came over and prayed for me and offered a place to stay if I pass through their town in the suburbs of Kansas City. Very nice guys and I love that they were doing this trip.

I also said bye to Eddie. He was hilarious. He rode on the trail for a day or 2 and realized he didn’t like cycling anymore so he set up his tent for the weekend and hung out at the ball park. His sister is supposed to pick him up and take him home later today. He had a lot of good insight for me and my trip. I enjoyed talking to him.

I set off for the day and the weather was beautiful! I felt good and decided I’d go for a long day today. I looked at my map and it looked like the next place to camp was 22 miles away. I had plenty of time to make that. The views were gorgeous and I was coming up with some good ideas on ways to raise more awareness for my cause.

I came up to a resting place in the town of Trelour. It’s a stop along the trail with a restroom and some information. I was looking at the map and a few people pulled up also. In fact, it was a busy station. I must’ve talked to about 10 people. Everyone was super nice and interested in the walk. Then we started talking about the drug crisis and most of them had someone that they knew who was either gone or going through it now.

One couple was really cool. They ride the trail often. The guy told me a story about how one time a guy told him about a hostel that was just up ahead. He had never heard of a hostel so he thought he meant that there was a ‘hostile’ guy up ahead. He said, “I’ll watch out for him.” Anyways, it was funny when he told it. They donated some money and headed out.

I was looking at the map and the sign said that I was about to be on the longest stretch between stations on the entire trail. 16.something miles of nothing. I knew it would be a quiet day. I was looking forward to it. My gears were turning in all kinds of good ways and I wanted the time to think.

Shortly after I left Trelour, a guy on a bike passes by and slows down to ride at my pace while asking me some questions about my trip. Turns out, he was riding from Orlando to Oregon. We found out that we’d be camping at the same place tonight and decided we’d talk then…

A while later, the ‘hostile’ couple came back and donated a larger amount of money as they passed by. They had found an atm and wanted to give more. Just amazing. And a great help to me and Domino. Acts like that just keep me going with a pep in my step.

Kept walking and the views were gorgeous. I stopped here and there for pictures. I was in a dense wooded area of the trail and came across an older couple walking. They were dressed to handle the outdoors. We talked about my walk and then they told me about theirs. They are walking the entire Katy Trail! I was in awe. I knew they were a happy couple to be doing something like that. They said they are doing it to stay fit and because they wanted to. I was very glad that I ran into them.

The trail connected closer to the Missouri River and you could see breathtaking views. There was less shade now that one side of the trail had no trees. It was getting hot in the sun. Domino was cracking me up. I had her off the leash because there were very little people all day. She would speed up to get in the shady spots and slow back down when she got there. If there was a section with no shade from the trees she would go over to the shade that Lieutenant Dan provided. It’s cool to see how she has adjusted during this walk as well.

I have been talking with a volunteer for a group in St. Louis called Walking for Wellness: Stop Heroin. It started by a woman who lost her daughter, Nicky, to a heroin overdose and they have given hope and support to many people since then. They put on the brightest clothes they can find and walk through the community talking about heroin. Very powerful. We were arranging to meet up later in the day. Samie, the girl I’d been speaking with, and Gee Vigna, the founder of the group. I looked at the map and picked a time and place.

Walking further, I noticed an awful smell ahead and saw a buzzard in the road. I knew right away what the animal was that he was having for lunch. A skunk. I got closer and closer and the smell got worse and worse. I almost threw up as I passed it. I had to look. I don’t know why but I had to. I literally had to hold back from puking. I’ve had a lot of bad smells on my trip but this was by far the worst yet.

I was in the middle of nowhere. There was a small town named Gore. Maybe it used to be a town. Anyways, that was where I was planning on meeting the girls. I got there and they were running a little behind so I looked at the map and picked another spot 3 miles ahead. One hour. I needed a break but didn’t want them to be waiting long so I took off and pushed through knowing that I’d get a chance to break when they came.

It was hot and I was pushing 20 miles already. I don’t know how it happened but I had read the map wrong this morning. My destination was 26 miles away not 22 as I had thought and planned for. Anyways, I fought through and got to the next “town” and there wasn’t even anywhere for us to meet and sit down lol. We had to stand on the side of the trail and talk.

I was so happy that they came. They had their bright shirts on and brought some swag for me to give out along the way and a couple of shirts of my own. Samie was super cute and Gee was buckwild! It was nice to have the boost in energy. I’d walked 20 miles and still had 6 to go. I still thought it was less at that time though. I’ll get to that in a minute..

We talked and talked and took pictures and I felt so connected to them. I wished I wasn’t standing on the side of a trail sweating in the sun in the middle of nowhere. It would’ve been nice to stay a while and get to know more about them and their walks for heroin awareness. They walked with me for a while and I loved every second of it. They took turns pushing Lieutenant Dan. We got to a point to stop and we said our goodbyes and they went their way and I went mine.

I plan to come back to do more work with them. I needed to pick up the pace after that because I was running out of daylight. I walked on and while the views were pretty, my feet were now killing me and I still had a long way to go. I was on cloud 9 from Gee and Samie though. They were awesome and I may have been crushing on Samie a little…

Anyways, I got to a small town which was really scary looking but beautiful at the same time. I looked at my map and this is when I realized that I had farther to go than I had planned for. I looked at the sun and at the distance to the next campground and knew I’d be setting up in the dark. I just couldn’t make it in time. I knew if I hurried that I could at least make it to the park in time so that I wouldn’t be walking at night.

So I went on. It hurt like hell. And it was 3 miles out of my way. Off the trail. I figured it was a good time to make up for some of the miles I’d skipped by taking the 3 short rides that I’ve taken so far. One, over the bridge into Annapolis. Two, in Clarksburg WV. And 3, with Chris to avoid a sketchy road.

I came up to a bridge to cross the Missouri River and the view was worth the pain in my feet. I knew I would like Hermann, the town I was going to camp in. I cross the river and walk through town and saw the park. There was a Hardee’s across the street. The sun had already set and I went into Hardee’s and ordered 2 of the biggest hamburgers they had on the menu. Grabbed them and walked on to the park.

It was getting dark now. But I’d made it. A marathon distance and tons of excitement. I celebrated by scarfing down one of the burgers. I set up my tent while eating the other. Tom, the cyclist I’d met earlier was there and came over to say that we’d talk in the morning. He was taking tomorrow off and I knew I’d be sleeping in so I thought that was a good plan.

I laid down and that was that. Out. I didn’t even write my blog. I woke up around 6 am and my legs are shot. I’m hoping that by the time I finish the blog that I can stand. I’d like to get about 18 miles in today. We’ll see…!!!

Woke up today and it was raining. I laid there and relaxed some until it let up. My weather channel app said that it was just about over and that it would clear up after that. Once the rain stopped I got up and began the packing up routine. I took a shower at the campground shower house and felt so much better afterwards. The showers were the exact same type of showers that they have in the jail that I spent many months of my life in back when I was going through all of that drama. It was funny. I never thought that I’d be taking a jailhouse shower again haha.

When I got back I realized that Dave and his friends had left. He was the guy I wanted to go hang out with last night but was too tired. I felt bad that I didn’t get to talk to him some more. I really wanted to.

I packed up and said goodbye to the couple that let me stash my food bag in their car. I headed over to the trail and was swarmed with people. The new signs on Lieutenant Dan are drawing a lot of attention. I was able to talk about the walk and about the cause. People were so nice. It was a wonderful way to start the day. A few people offered donations as well.

Shortly into my walk, I came upon a large group of people and it looked like they were set up for a big race. I asked what was going on and they were having an 82K relay running race today. At first I was concerned about getting in their way but everyone was super nice and even gave me thumbs up as they passed by. Some people even stopping for a picture. That was really fun to have witnessed. It looked like a great race and great group of people.

I walked far without breaking today and felt great. My new shoe and insole setup is working great. I stopped for lunch in a small town with a lot of runners and got more attention there. After lunch it was really hot out. Luckily, the trail I’m on provided a lot of shade.

We came up to another stop at Marthasville and a group of cyclists told me that we could camp at the ball park across the street. I had wanted to go farther today but the idea of a legit campsite was too hard to pass up. We went over and got to meet a lot of people. Most of them were cycling the Katy Trail. It essentially goes from Kansas City to St. Louis. Everyone was awesome and it was so fun to be a part of the crowd. Domino got to play a lot and had a blast. I am sitting here now at sunset and it’s just beautiful. Looks like we’ll all be up for a while hanging out.

The Katy Trail is awesome. I highly recommend hiking or cycling it at some point in your life…

So sorry that it took so long to post a blog. My family came in town and I took a break to spend a few days with them.

Monday I walked from downtown St. Louis to the Katy Trail. It was 24 miles and most of it was in bad neighborhoods. The last 5 or 6 miles of the day were all on bike paths so it made it easier. My mom and sister and my 5 year old daughter came to pick me up and we went to a hotel in the burbs for a while.

We went shopping, I took domino to the vet, I went to the podiatrist, we went to the top of the Arch in St. Louis, and relaxed and had a good time with each other. Sorry for the breif summary but I don’t want to put my family time out there for everyone. It was amazing though. The walk is very consuming so it was nice to remember that other things still exist.

The vet that I took domino to was awesome. They didn’t charge me a thing. It was just a check up to make sure she was holding up and she also had an infection in her ear. Something very common for Domino. I got some medicine and some better cleaning solution than I’ve been using all for free. How amazing!

Also, I had some foot products sent to me. Noene insoles, featured on Shark Tank. Super thin pads that go under the insole to help disperse the impact evenly. I got some orthotics from Powerstep which held up great today on my 20+ mile day. The combo of the 2 should work great.

I also got some compression socks sent to me from CEP. Oh my goodness they are amazing! I’m wearing the recovery ones right now.

A TAM mom and her coworker came to visit me this week also. Two big fans of the walk and I was honored to meet them. They brought donations and gifts. More importantly, they made me feel very special. My family got to witness the kindness that I’m receiving first hand. My mom was so happy.

While we were all talking, the idea came up for me to make bracelets for people who support my walk. They will be coming soon. Be on the lookout for a post about that.

Now to today….

I woke up sad knowing that I had to say goodbye to my family but also excited to get back to the walk. I ate a big breakfast and packed up the car and we all drove to the place where they picked me up a few days before.

I unloaded everything and had to say goodbyes again. It was easier this time than it was the first time but it was still hard. I don’t talk about her much on my blog because I try to keep her out of all this, but leaving my daughter was the biggest sacrifice I had to make to do this walk. It kills me everyday.

I said bye and was standing on the trail as they pulled away. I stood there for a minute and fought back tears. I took a deep breathe and a step forward and was back to walk mode in an instant.

The Katy Trail is amazing! I saw a hiker sleeping on a bench with nothing but a backpack and a jug of water. I wanted to say hey but if I was sleeping on a bench I wouldn’t want anyone to bother me so I left him alone. I knew I was in the right place though.

The trail is more commonly used by cyclists and many passed by. I made signs to go on the sides of Lieutenant Dan (my stroller) so people were stopping and talking with me. It was a great way to get people talking about overdose and addiction. I was throwing stats out all day and telling people about the problem in our country. People were so nice. Everyone was easy to talk to.

I called Klondike Park to reserve a campsite. It’s a park along the trail and has a shower house and campsites available. They were full. Shit. She said they keep 4 sites vacant for people passing through on the trail but they are first come first serve and I couldn’t reserve one. I freaked out a little but then realized that I’d figure something out. I was hoping that one would be available but if not, I’m sure someone would let me crash at their campsite in exchange for a few stories. I decided not to worry about it but to pick up the pace just in case.

I saw a lot of wildlife on the trail today. Cool bugs, snails, little frogs, a big turtle, a little turtle, rabbits, a beaver, a peacock, some cool birds, and even a little snake. Mosquitoes came to the party too. Oh well..

I finally made it to the park after a very long day and the last hour or so in light rain. I walked to the section of campsites that I was told about and there was a few spots open!!! I grabbed a good one and it was still raining so I just sat there at the picnic table to rest my feet.

I had to walk some more to go to the kiosk to pay for the site and when I did I ran into some guys that had met Chris a couple of days ago. I got back to the site and set up the tent. A couple that was staying close by came over and saw my sign and we talked for a while about the walk and cause. They offered for me to put my food in their car because raccoons are an issue at this park. I was thankful because I didn’t feel like hanging my food bag in a tree. I was feeling lazy by this point. I still had to cook and do domino’s ear medicine.

Another guy came over and he asked about my walk. He is staying close by also and had some friends coming later and invited me to come hang out and have some drinks. He also gave me a very generous donation. He was from Georgia too. I told him I’d come by and I wanted to. I thought it’d be fun.

After I ate, I didn’t want to do anything but lay down. I put my food in my new friend’s car and went to my tent. I’ll hang out with the other guys tomorrow morning. I just couldn’t do it tonight. I’m beat.

Good day though. I’ll try not to get so backed up on my blogs. I’ll try to remember to start taking more pictures too!

Thanks for following along with me 🙂