Warmup Walking

Wow, it’s been a rainy four months in the Philadelphia metro area, 24″ since 12/1/2023. That’s seven months of rain in four. Sure glad I’m not on the AT right now. I don’t mind rain, but I draw the line at walking in hurricane level of rain.

I popped up to Massachusetts to walk with Dave and Philip on St Patrick’s Day weekend. We got four days of walking in between the rain.

Here’s three of the Penginos, left to right, Tercius, Dave and Phillip

A small hill climb to get limbered up and another 15 miles over the next three days, I know you folks in GA, NC, VA will laugh at out elevation gain for the afternoon hike.

I’ve been cruising around White Clay Creek in DE, spring has come fast, I got in a 12-mile day, I had a good pace. But boy, were my calves sore. I have found that ToastedCBD is my go-to salve, rub it on the calves and feet, and the soreness disappears, and is not there the next AM. I’m packing four jars for the Camino walk.

Spring is arriving very fast on the east coast, the Skunk Cabbage is large in all of the wet areas, and the May Flowers are peeking out and it’s not even April!

So now down to a week before departure!

< Previous Post

Next Post >

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!

To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.

Apr 4th : John Rutkowski III

Author Page

John Rutkowski III's Bio

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.

Comments 1

Jim Sherner : Apr 17th

Hey John and Dave! Off on another hiking adventure, good for you two. Scenery looks great, the seafood looks amazing. Thanks for including me on your blog, fun to share your experience for sure. The mountains are still covered with snow here, but I am getting out for a walk most every day. Have been to Mexico twice in the past few months, thinking of heading south again before it gets too warm. Will leave to Portugal mid May with Marcie and my beautiful daughters, ought to be a great trip. Keep me posted as to your adventures, love hearing about your trip, take care👍

Reply

Warmup Walking

Comments 1

What Do You Think? Cancel reply