Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6, Part 7 July 11, 2015 On to the Second Leg After making some purchases in Walmart, Jim, George, and I followed the aromatic smells to the McDonald’s corner of the building. We stood and gawked at the menu a couple of minutes. Turned out it was the same as every other McDonald’s. Good. That would make it easy. Our ordering completed, we staked out a table away from the other diners, assuming they would not like cheesy-smelling hikers with their Quarter Pounders. The skies had …

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 April 12, 2015 A Nineteen-Mile Test of My Hiking Legs The sky over Ring Mill the night before had been crystal clear, great for watching the space shuttle make its way across the vast, starry expanse.  But that same clear sky had also drawn the coveted warm air upward, causing us to spend an uncomfortably cold night. Just after sunrise we layered up and ate breakfast in the shelter, grateful for the roof that separated us from a thick layer of frost. Steaming …

Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 February 17, 2015 Our Journey to Hoot Owl Ridge Road The big hike was finally approaching. It would have to wait a bit longer, however, for today was stash day.  Jim, George, and I sat in Lori’s Restaurant in Caldwell chewing on some fourth-quarter strategy, as well as one of our last table meals for a while. I was doing my best to load up on vittles. I bragged to our waitress about our upcoming adventure, hoping she’d throw in an extra scoop …

Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7 February 2, 2015 Bonnie and I have been busy working on the marketing aspect of Hiking Without Dave, so I’ve had my latest hiking story on hold until now. It was the biggest backpacking trip I’ve ever taken, so big I’ve divided it into multiple chapters. The Preparation My hike had to be big. After all, it commenced on my wife’s birthday. I wouldn’t have missed her big day for something puny. Another reason I supersized it was that it would be taking …