Packing for the Long Hike

I am getting organized for the first part of my adventure!



Time to take all of this...



...and sort and stuff...




...until my pack is ready.



My pack weighs in at 25 pounds for this leg of the adventure.
It begins April 1!

Location:Battle Creek, MI

 I spent the day in Wilmington today.  This lovely and historic city is on the edge of the Cape Fear River about 30 miles upstream from the Atlantic Ocean.  This river drains over 9,000 square miles in the midsection of North Carolina and these waters are used for industry, household use, and agriculture.  It is estimated that the water has been used and recycled back to the river twenty times by the time it reaches Wilmington.

 Fresh water is vital for life and we need to take better care of our fresh water sources.  The Great Lakes contain 90% of the fresh surface water in America!


I met up with the photographer Steve Brimm (in photo below) at a restaurant overlooking the river.  Steve splits his time between Michigan and North Carolina and has captured some beautiful images in both places (and beyond).  And he has put out a book of images taken in Michigan's Upper Penninsula.

Since my next adventure takes me along the shores of Steve's favorite lake -- Superior -- I consulted with him about this largest of the Great Lakes.  He has lived and hiked and biked and kayaked along Lake Superior for years and has a gallery for his photography in Copper Harbor, Michigan called Earthwork Gallery.  I will be certain to drop in the gallery when I hike the Estivant Pines Sanctuary in Copper Harbor on my next hike.  


Check out Steve's work HERE.

Moon Snails and Ocean Walks

 Have you ever strolled an ocean beach and come across one of these gasket-looking things in the sand?  I finally tracked down the answer to the question:  what is THAT?  It is the egg case of the moon snail.  The snail secretes mucus mixed with sand and places the eggs in this rather strange creation.  

I've had a few visitors down here in North Carolina where I am preparing for my upcoming 1000-mile hike.  My friend Stephanie "Stew" Lyon stopped by and we strolled the beach together for a bit.  

My next hike begins April 2 along the shores of Lake Erie!