John Rutkowski III

AKA Tercius. I started camping at age 6 doing a coast to coast camping trip. This was BEFORE Interstates and seatbelts.My AT Section and Horsehoe Trail hiking started when I was 14. And AT section hike from NJ to Leigh river to celebrate graduating from high school.College job was at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports and UVaOC sent me on many adventures and introduced me to lifelong outdoor friends. And introduced me to the Whites in winter and the AMC.I was a guide after college, Holubar Kit Specialist (the first male to hold that role), then store Manager. Fast forward to the creation of Mountain Mend which cleaned, repaired and made custom outdoor gear.Which led me to The Wilderness Group in Ventura as a Production Manager (The first days of the Ultralight trend). LOTS of 100+ road bike rides.An ex-Holubar manager offered me a job in Minden Nevada, a startup making orthopedic knee braces. It was a bike trip to Yosemite where I was filling in as Sag Wagon driver, where I met Karen, I was awestruck by her scent. She asked me to warm her feet at the bluegrass concert that night, I proposed in six weeks.Then life happened, started an IT company, BOLDER Designs selling AutoCAD. Eight years later we had a son, who was introduced to the outdoors with many car camping and he did the Whites Presidential Traverse to celebrate graduating from 1st grade.More life, at 63 started a series of cancer surgeries and treatments. Getting back on the trail was my method of recovery. I'd be sweating bullets just walk the gentle valley loop in the White Clay Creek park behind my house.In 2019 I recover to be able to walk Hadrian's Wall from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. With my son, climbing buddy from Utah days, and a college outdoor buddy that I had not seen since 1975, and the father of my son's friend who did the Presidential Traverse 3 times.I sold my business in 2022 and retiring on 2024-04-01.Now at age 70 we are off to Spain (4 of us) to Walk the Camino Portugues, and if we are feeling good, on to Fisterra. Nothing like a good walk with friends.

Posts

2024-04-27 Back to Santiago

2024-04-27 Back to Santiago

Thoughts on the Camino There is a trail community wherever there are trails. I’ve met people from all over the world, countries like Cuba, Georgia

Apr 28, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-25 Day 4 Finsterre – Cee to Finsterre

2024-04-25 Day 4 Finsterre – Cee to Finsterre

The End of the Earth is within grasp Today I slept in, I was feeling sore, and I slipped in defending the goal by a bunch of kids. (They ran over

Apr 25, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-24 Day 3 Finsterre – Mazaricos to Cee

2024-04-24 Day 3 Finsterre – Mazaricos to Cee

A lovely day to walk with my Tramily Dropped back off in the morning, the rural trail was nice, we still had some stretches climbing to the wind

Apr 24, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-23 Day 2 Finsterre – Negreira to Mazaricos

2024-04-23 Day 2 Finsterre – Negreira to Mazaricos

Out to the country This leg had no accommodations along the route and doubtful cell service, so I lopped 12km off with a taxi ride, benefit of

Apr 23, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-22 Day 1 of Finsterre

2024-04-22 Day 1 of Finsterre

Off on a solo walk to the Ends of The Earth So it’s just me on the trail now. A little trepidation, a lot of excitement in wandering on my own.I

Apr 22, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-20 to 21 Zero days

2024-04-20 to 21 Zero days

Rest those feet! The other penguinos are flying back to their nest soon, Percius, Dave and I did laundry, and wandered around Santigo for 2 to 3

Apr 20, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-19 Day 6 Padron to Santiago de Compestelo

2024-04-19 Day 6 Padron to Santiago de Compestelo

Final Push to Santiago The day started very cool, my Reynauds Syndrome made some of my fingers white, but they warmed up. Then the day got too

Apr 19, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-18 Day 5 Caldas De Reis to Padron

2024-04-18 Day 5 Caldas De Reis to Padron

To the home of Padron Peppers! A day of nice country walking, small villages, more blues sky. We have had clear blue skies since the beginning.

Apr 18, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-17 Day 4 Pontevedra to Caldas De Reis

2024-04-17 Day 4 Pontevedra to Caldas De Reis

The Peregrinos Herd is getting bigger! Leaving the old city of Ponteverdre, we encounter the zombie  herd. Other Caminos have joined the push to

Apr 17, 2024 : John Rutkowski III
2024-04-16 Day 3 Vigo to Pontevedra

2024-04-16 Day 3 Vigo to Pontevedra

Escape From Vigo The Vigo escape was hard on the feet, the prior days beating was alivied by a taxi ride to Redondela - Rotonda Farola. This was a

Apr 16, 2024 : John Rutkowski III