A Little Background on Why I’m Walking Across America

Rick Hammersley & His Trusty Walking Stick. Photo Courtesy of the Indianapolis Star.

Hi, I’m Rick Hammersley. In the 1990’s, I had talked a lot about walking the Appalachian Trail. It was something I wanted to do the year I turned 50. Well…for one reason or another, it didn’t happen. The thought of it never really went away though, and a few years later, I saw a documentary on PBS or somewhere about this guy who hiked theAppalachian Trail and filmed it. After seeing that, the thought of me walking the Appalachian Trail definitely went away.

But, I still wanted to do something on that order. I walk a lot in my job, doing safety inspections on natural gas systems, and am happiest when I am walking across country inspecting gas transmission lines. It is usually just me and nature, with my wife Valda moving the car along the route.

I started thinking about walking the Appalachian Trail again. However, it just didn’t hold the same feeling it had ten years earlier, probably because of that documentary I had seen. I realized that the walking I did in my job meant that I could probably walk highways. They are all usually on a walkable grade, and also provide a place to drive the car. That’s when I thought about walking across the country. When I turn 60, it will also mark the 5 year anniversary of my colon cancer surgery. If I have no further health problems, the walk will be on. If you keep reading this blog, you can join me along the way.