Husband would be glad to help you out. If you need a ride around Cave in Rock, IL., he would be happy to give you a ride to Elizabethtown. He thought the River to River Trail was there. If you need anything, let me know! Be safe!
Surprised you didn't have any trouble on the rail trail before Salem. I went on it several years ago and it basically went through people's backyards. There were so many loose dogs that I had to turn back because I felt unsafe.
I feel like there has been a bit of an improvement in the dog situation these last few years. Maybe it’s the more general avalibility of things like the invisible fence collars or people are starting to realize they are liable if their dog hurts anyone. Also the majority of dogs are usually just coming out to bark and aren’t actively attacking. Sadly I’ve had to become quite good at fighting off dogs with my trekking poles
Wow! You put on the miles. Envious! I really appreciate your video portions of the towns you go through. I was happy for you to find a place to camp but then you mentioned possible poison oak and the sounds of the peepers!😮😮😮. I doubt you slept a wink. It happened to me once. Camping out after a long drive and the those look F in Peepers!😂. Good luck, Matt! Keep on trucking!🐸🐸🐸📣📣📢🤣🥾⛰️👍
I’ve been wearing new balance shoes for almost 20 years. Not the same pair, and not any special ones mind you, but they have always been comfortable and long lasting. Great shoe company as far as I’m concerned and I’m glad they are working out for you.
I liked New Balance but started wearing Hoka when they came out and liked them better. Put 3,200 running miles on one pair. The last few hundred were trail only as they were pretty worn down.
Hokas are just not wide enough for my foot which I unfortunately found out the hard way when I started the PCT warm-ups. New Balance doesn’t feel quite as good as Altras shape wise but at least they can last for a good 500 miles. Thru hiking tends to put a lot more wear on shoes than my running friends seem to deal with
"So what the heck am I doing on the American Discovery Trail versus Wilderness miles ... Seemed like a good way to celebrate the Triple Crown - do North-South and then cross them all!"
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes Yeah, I understand... But you could still do a lot in the time you have and you can see some old stuff as well. Our house was built in 1890 and has loads of character (but is falling to bits as well)... We live in Bath, southwest England- it's a World Heriage City dontchaknow 'cos of the Roman remains and Georgian buildings- it is very beautiful. Anyway my good man, do please take care of yourself and have an awfully good time, I'm going to go and have a jolly cup of tea and some biscuits. Rather splendid I should say.
I saw signs for that when I was doing the Key West Canada thing. I would love to do more hiking in Canada, but I’m not wild about multi season or multimodal trails in general. From what I recall, it also wasn’t really intended as a through hike thing.
Hey it's where I live! On the people talking about crime in Clarksburg: it's not as bad as people make it out to be. The majority of crime comes from the poverty and drug problems that come with it. It's mostly just possession and petty theft around here. People mostly keep to themselves.
I think drug use and mental illness are the core behind a lot of the areas that people think of as bad or high crime since they tend to be a lot more visible. Jen and I are legally homeless, but are not the sort you would really notice driving through our home area. On the other hand, the shirtless guy having an argument with the mailbox tends to stand out a lot more.
Is that Yukon source to sea drawing going to be your thumbnail/credits/intro image on your videos for that trip? Because it's hilarious. Love it. Had to go back and look at it again. AI image? One of the few uses of AI that I am actually in favor of.
Road walks, traffic, few camping options- won’t that be a continuous problem until you get to the Rockies? You should jump to Colorado when Jen joins you, then go back to Midwest states later.
Cicadas? I know some f the midwest swarms are at their 17 year emegence this year but they should be done by the time you get there. Not sure about some of the eastern groups. If you get into a full emergence area you'll need earplugs all the time. It can be really annoying.
there is actually a conjunction of the 13 and 17 year broods for the first time in centuries this year. he will be right there depending on how soon it warms up.
What would you think about a support person and truck for a couple of weeks. All the coffee and hot food you can stand. You could get all the miles in every day and not worry about a place to camp. Drive you to a camp site and back to the same spot you were at the day before.
i appreciate the offer and I am generally appreciative of the occasional ride off trail to resupply or find a place to stay, but I have avoided the multi day supported hike style just because it kind of distracts from what appeals to me about thru hiking. Same as slack packing and such
ummm sooo was there someone else in that tunnel? because when you zoom in on that funky water, i can hear someone speak....? anybody else? am i hearing things?
After watching the distasteful areas you're having to walk through, I have a trail suggestion: what about LEJOG in England (Land's End to John o' Groats)? Walking the length of the entire island, through charming little villages, instead of meth-ridden rural decay. There's no official route, more of a choose your own adventure, so the redline is what you decide it is. And much more available camping options, especially once you're into Scotland. Are any non-USA trails on your radar?
I would rather live in those meth ridden rural decay areas over any big city! Those towns are mostly pretty nice. I have run races 5k, 10k etc in most of those WV towns
Jen and I are hoping to do a summer hiking across Europe sometime in the relatively near future. The trick is I want to find ones where we can actually camp and we don’t have to stay in the personal hell that is hostels.
At least so far I have not had any major dog issues. That is always one of my major concerns out here. As far as the unfriendly people there is just kind of a default reaction in some places when they catch sight of me. Distaste or disapproval or flat out telling me I need to move on. Often though they realize I’m a hiker after the initial reaction
I wouldn’t say that. Most nights are awesome if I am secure and camping. Most of the time when I’m taking a random clip of the trail it’s because I was just struck by how pretty or unique something is.
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes I completely agree with the Sarah. "Eeyore Goes Hiking". Personally, I'd like to hear a little more about the areas you are hiking through, and I don't mean how much traffic there is, how bad the camping vibes are, how steep the hill is, how close is the nearest Dairy Queen that's not open because it's Sunday... I mean something of interest about the area, the history , the geography, etc. But that's just me - hike your own hike, and may you always find security and camping.
Fair enough. But consider with the amount of distance I am covering and how obscure some of the trails I do are if I was saying something about history of the trail I would basically just be looking it up off the Internet and reading verbatim. When I’m hiking in the Sierra or places, I am more familiar with. I have different things to say. But at the end of the day my goal with these it’s just to capture what it was like out here so Jen and I have something to look back at. And all those worthless details that you list are the things that actually make up the experience out here
Thanks for the experience. I could not do it myself. I am happy to live it through you.
That hotel room had seen some rip roaring fun times - was it rented by the hour ?
If people are unfriendly, tell them you are crossing the country like Forrest Gump.
that yukon-source-to-see drawing is hilarious :D :D :D [5:05]
That tunnel was creeeeeepy.
Husband would be glad to help you out. If you need a ride around Cave in Rock, IL., he would be happy to give you a ride to Elizabethtown. He thought the River to River Trail was there. If you need anything, let me know! Be safe!
Nice offer - bad idea - that would be totally cheating on self-supported thru-hiking !!
Surprised you didn't have any trouble on the rail trail before Salem. I went on it several years ago and it basically went through people's backyards. There were so many loose dogs that I had to turn back because I felt unsafe.
I feel like there has been a bit of an improvement in the dog situation these last few years. Maybe it’s the more general avalibility of things like the invisible fence collars or people are starting to realize they are liable if their dog hurts anyone. Also the majority of dogs are usually just coming out to bark and aren’t actively attacking. Sadly I’ve had to become quite good at fighting off dogs with my trekking poles
Always wondered what that super 8 hotel was like
Wow! You put on the miles. Envious! I really appreciate your video portions of the towns you go through. I was happy for you to find a place to camp but then you mentioned possible poison oak and the sounds of the peepers!😮😮😮. I doubt you slept a wink. It happened to me once. Camping out after a long drive and the those look F in Peepers!😂. Good luck, Matt! Keep on trucking!🐸🐸🐸📣📣📢🤣🥾⛰️👍
Love you’re channel great content
Glad you made it through Clarksburg, the highest crime and poverty level in the state.
I was thinking the same thing.
That probably explains why the trail tries to take you around the perimeter…
I’ve been wearing new balance shoes for almost 20 years. Not the same pair, and not any special ones mind you, but they have always been comfortable and long lasting. Great shoe company as far as I’m concerned and I’m glad they are working out for you.
Me too, because they have extra wide models.
I liked New Balance but started wearing Hoka when they came out and liked them better. Put 3,200 running miles on one pair. The last few hundred were trail only as they were pretty worn down.
Hokas are just not wide enough for my foot which I unfortunately found out the hard way when I started the PCT warm-ups. New Balance doesn’t feel quite as good as Altras shape wise but at least they can last for a good 500 miles. Thru hiking tends to put a lot more wear on shoes than my running friends seem to deal with
"So what the heck am I doing on the American Discovery Trail versus Wilderness miles ... Seemed like a good way to celebrate the Triple Crown - do North-South and then cross them all!"
Man, you (and (Blondie) should still come and hike here in England!
We’re looking at maybe hiking somewhere in Europe summer of ‘26. Problem is the visa stay limit gets in the way of the big plan we liked
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes Yeah, I understand... But you could still do a lot in the time you have and you can see some old stuff as well. Our house was built in 1890 and has loads of character (but is falling to bits as well)... We live in Bath, southwest England- it's a World Heriage City dontchaknow 'cos of the Roman remains and Georgian buildings- it is very beautiful. Anyway my good man, do please take care of yourself and have an awfully good time, I'm going to go and have a jolly cup of tea and some biscuits. Rather splendid I should say.
As a 'Waste Management' shareholder, thanks for the product placement...
I did notice that !
If you want a real challenge then try the The Trans Canada Trail. Only 28,000 km from coast to coast to coast
I saw signs for that when I was doing the Key West Canada thing. I would love to do more hiking in Canada, but I’m not wild about multi season or multimodal trails in general. From what I recall, it also wasn’t really intended as a through hike thing.
I hope the rail trail has been good to you. It looks so much nicer than the side of the highway. Good luck!
I actually enjoyed it more than I did the C&O
Hey it's where I live! On the people talking about crime in Clarksburg: it's not as bad as people make it out to be. The majority of crime comes from the poverty and drug problems that come with it. It's mostly just possession and petty theft around here. People mostly keep to themselves.
I think drug use and mental illness are the core behind a lot of the areas that people think of as bad or high crime since they tend to be a lot more visible. Jen and I are legally homeless, but are not the sort you would really notice driving through our home area. On the other hand, the shirtless guy having an argument with the mailbox tends to stand out a lot more.
Day 27. Awesome coffee this morning, Hunter Bay’s Back Country. Curious to know why all these “homes” are built so close to the roads?
Also, if you need any supplies, would be glad to help!
Is that Yukon source to sea drawing going to be your thumbnail/credits/intro image on your videos for that trip? Because it's hilarious. Love it.
Had to go back and look at it again. AI image? One of the few uses of AI that I am actually in favor of.
Yeah, I was playing around with one of the AI generators a while back and made a few things to try and amuse Jen
10:00 min mark Chunkis has great food
😎☮
15:43 - Not only a prison, a prison for 12-20 year olds.
Road walks, traffic, few camping options- won’t that be a continuous problem until you get to the Rockies? You should jump to Colorado when Jen joins you, then go back to Midwest states later.
Eh, I’m not a fan of flip flopping. I like the adventure aspect of walking from A to B
Cicadas? I know some f the midwest swarms are at their 17 year emegence this year but they should be done by the time you get there. Not sure about some of the eastern groups. If you get into a full emergence area you'll need earplugs all the time. It can be really annoying.
there is actually a conjunction of the 13 and 17 year broods for the first time in centuries this year. he will be right there depending on how soon it warms up.
I was in the middle of the brood x thing that made the news in 2021. Biggest downside was the carpet of dead twitching bugs as it faded
What would you think about a support person and truck for a couple of weeks.
All the coffee and hot food you can stand.
You could get all the miles in every day and not worry about a place to camp.
Drive you to a camp site and back to the same spot you were at the day before.
i appreciate the offer and I am generally appreciative of the occasional ride off trail to resupply or find a place to stay, but I have avoided the multi day supported hike style just because it kind of distracts from what appeals to me about thru hiking. Same as slack packing and such
Nice offer - bad idea - that would be totally cheating on self-supported thru-hiking !!
i would take empty dirt road walking over this kind of road walk
ummm sooo was there someone else in that tunnel? because when you zoom in on that funky water, i can hear someone speak....?
anybody else? am i hearing things?
Running water can often sound like voices. It can mess with you when your set up somewhere at night your not supposed to be :)
If it's flinderation tunnel which it looks like they say it's haunted and the cemetery above it
Hey Matt. At least it was natural noises that forced ear plug use.
Cicadas?
Peepers
After watching the distasteful areas you're having to walk through, I have a trail suggestion: what about LEJOG in England (Land's End to John o' Groats)? Walking the length of the entire island, through charming little villages, instead of meth-ridden rural decay. There's no official route, more of a choose your own adventure, so the redline is what you decide it is. And much more available camping options, especially once you're into Scotland. Are any non-USA trails on your radar?
I would rather live in those meth ridden rural decay areas over any big city! Those towns are mostly pretty nice. I have run races 5k, 10k etc in most of those WV towns
Jen and I are hoping to do a summer hiking across Europe sometime in the relatively near future. The trick is I want to find ones where we can actually camp and we don’t have to stay in the personal hell that is hostels.
tell us more about these non friendly people.
Lots of homeless in those areas so people are defensive about it. Thats about it.
Any non friendly dogs?
At least so far I have not had any major dog issues. That is always one of my major concerns out here. As far as the unfriendly people there is just kind of a default reaction in some places when they catch sight of me. Distaste or disapproval or flat out telling me I need to move on. Often though they realize I’m a hiker after the initial reaction
High crime rates and loud bugs/frogs, etc! You do live, don't you? Walking on the wild side but still making good miles. Hike on! Tortoise
I occasionally am walking through a section going what the heck am I doing…
West Virginia mating call is shaking a pill bottle. Probably why folks are a bit on edge.
Creepy area.
Hmmm.I don't think you have had anything positive to say about your entire experience. Kinda sad..
I wouldn’t say that. Most nights are awesome if I am secure and camping. Most of the time when I’m taking a random clip of the trail it’s because I was just struck by how pretty or unique something is.
@@FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes I completely agree with the Sarah. "Eeyore Goes Hiking". Personally, I'd like to hear a little more about the areas you are hiking through, and I don't mean how much traffic there is, how bad the camping vibes are, how steep the hill is, how close is the nearest Dairy Queen that's not open because it's Sunday... I mean something of interest about the area, the history , the geography, etc. But that's just me - hike your own hike, and may you always find security and camping.
Fair enough. But consider with the amount of distance I am covering and how obscure some of the trails I do are if I was saying something about history of the trail I would basically just be looking it up off the Internet and reading verbatim. When I’m hiking in the Sierra or places, I am more familiar with. I have different things to say. But at the end of the day my goal with these it’s just to capture what it was like out here so Jen and I have something to look back at. And all those worthless details that you list are the things that actually make up the experience out here
Hiking and bicycle trails should be priority for all, but then this is America. They Spend money elsewhere
America is crumbling from the inside out.