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Rebecca:
How did you get the name Sheltowee, & why on earth did you decide to walk out of your door in Bloomingdale, Ohio one day & head for California?
Dan:
I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1999. That's where I got my trail name. I chose “Sheltowee” for several reasons. Sheltowee is the Shawnee Indian name given to Daniel Boone & means Big Turtle. I took the name because of my love for Ohio history & deep respect for the Shawnee people as well as Daniel Boone.
After hiking the Appalachian Trail & getting a taste of absolute freedom, I returned to the factory I had worked at for more than a decade. I made it about a year- &-a-half & felt a strong need to get back out on the trail.
I spent months planning a 6 year 24,000 mile walk of the lower 48 states. My father passed away in January 2001, & that was the final straw, I knew I needed to get busy on my “one of these days” list now, indeed we don't live forever.
Rebecca:
About how many miles a day did you walk, what kind of walking do you do & what do you love about this mode of transportation?
Dan:
I averaged about 18 miles a day, my biggest day was 42 miles. Certainly a full day of walking. Once in New Mexico I had to cover 120 miles in 4 days because of a lack of water. I do not “power” walk, just a regular guy out there discovering America.
What I love about hiking is that at 3 mph you really get a chance to see & learn about the places you visit. The towns, & the diverse ecosystems. You have time to stop & read a historical marker, & to daydream. Long distance hiking provides a level of freedom few people today will ever get to experience. No alarm clock, no boss, no schedule ... freedom. That is what I love about this mode of travel.
Rebecca:
What kind of gear did you take, & which were the most important tools on your walk?
Dan:
When living out of a backpack, you have to carry everything you need. The kitchen, living room, bedroom, dresser, entertainment center & so on.
I carried a tent, 2 sets of clothes, a cook pot & a small stove, sleeping pad & sleeping bag & duct tape. Camera, computer & radio. That was about it.
The most important pieces of gear were my shoes (New Balance tennis shoes) & my sleeping bag & tent. They provided comfort when the going got rough, & security when the weather got nasty.
Rebecca:
What were the most irritating things you came upon?
Dan:
Blisters on my feet, & blisters on my blisters. I really don't recall ever being irritated. It was a very upbeat journey, people I met along the way treated me so well.
Rebecca:
What were some of the most exhilarating?
Dan:
Crossing the White Mountains in Arizona, The Daniel Boone National forest in Kentucky & the Natchez Trace Parkway in Tennessee & Mississippi. I tremendously enjoyed discovering the history in the many places I visited.
Seeing the mountains in western New Mexico, some 75 miles away was a high point .... knowing I had walked across the Great Plains. It was so good to see trees again after more than 400 miles of desert plains.
The highest point of all was the wonderful people I met along the way, from Mr Sanchez, an 80+ year-old rancher to the young girl in Ohio whose dog chased me down the lane to play. The people made my journey what it was.
Rebecca:
How did you choose your route, how did being an Eagle Scout help, & had you read any books about walking across America?
Dan:
I chose my route after months of planning. The goal was to make a circular route that would allow me to walk through the entire lower 48 states, with as much of it as possible on established trails. The hardest part of that 24,000 mile journey is complete, as the remaining miles are almost entirely on trails.
Being an Eagle Scout was certainly a help. I got my earliest lessons about camping & hiking from the Scouts, but more importantly Scouting helped to develop my character, to make me a better person.
Some long distance hiking books I have read include Peter Jenkins' A Walk Across America & The Walk West.
The Complete Walker by Colin Fletcher.
Backpacking in the 90's by Victoria Logue.
Long Distance Hiking by Roland Mueser.
Ten Million Steps by Paul Reese & Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods.
Rebecca:
I thoroughly enjoyed travelling the back roads of America with you, where are you off to next?
Dan:
My next journey will hopefully begin in the spring of 2006. It will begin where this one left off, at the Old Point Loma lighthouse in San Diego. From there I will walk east to Campo California & then hike the Pacific Crest Trail 2,600 miles north to Canada before turning east on the Pacific Northwest trail to Montana. I do plan another book after that leg of the grand journey.
Rebecca:
Thank you, Dan, for taking us along in your pocket as you walked across America One Step at a Time
Do catch my review of Daniel Rogers' America One Step at a Time - I hope it makes you go out & buy yourself a copy!
Rebecca Brown
04/04/04
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RebeccasiReads.com
