Blog Post 8: Mikes Hike For Zimbabwe Old Age Pensioners
In walking, as in life, appreciation often turns on variety. Even the most beautiful surroundings lose some of their lustre after regular viewing. I thought that had happened to me on the PCT. The trail has so much spectacle that my capacity for wonder had diminished – or so I believed. The Goat Rocks Wilderness... Read More
Blog Post 7: Mike Walks the Pacific Crest Trail – Spring Has Arrived
Long trails started in the spring display some commonalities. There is the rush of being out in the wilderness again, which can make hundreds of miles feel nearly effortless. There is the wintry weather, especially at altitude, and I had that around Mount Baden Powell this time. There is the coming together and breaking apart... Read More
Old Legs Tour To Kilimanjaro For Zimbabwe Pensioners: The Final Chapter
The Old Legs Tour 2019 has come to an end and all sixteen of the riders made it from Harare to Kilimanjaro – what an absolutely amazing achievement. The blogs posted by Eric De Jong have been entertaining and humorous and I know I speak for all the friends of ZANE across the world when... Read More
Old Age Home in Zimbabwe Being Crippled by Inflation
ZANE has been helping BS Leon for many years now but the need is rapidly outrunning the amount of money we are able to allocate to that particular home when there are so many others depending on us. As you can see from the appeal below, things in Zimbabwe are beyond desperate and the elderly... Read More
Blog Post 7: Mike Walks the Pacific Crest Trail – My Achilles Tendon
Over my Appalachian Trail hike last year and the PCT this year, I was fortunate never to have to leave the trail for injury or illness. Sadly my fortune ran out a few days ago. That morning, I felt a little twinge in my left ankle but chalked it up to the aches and pains... Read More
Blog Post 5 and 6: Mike Walks the Pacific Crest Trail – 1490 Miles Walked
The Sierra Nevada are like nothing I’ve seen, let alone walked through. The snow appears gradually. First, there are a few white patches that you hardly notice. Then drifts appear on the eastern and southern slopes, draped over the mountainside. Presently, they sprawl and the trail disappears beneath them. Your feet may not touch the... Read More
Old Legs Tour Raising Money For Pensioners in Zimbabwe: Completed In Style
The Third World as seen from the saddle – 29 of June 2019. The Old Legs Tour – pedaling from Harare to Mt Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for Zimbabwe pensioners. Moshi the Gateway to Mt Kilimanjaro I’m blogging to you from Moshi, the Gateway to Mt Kilimanjaro where we are resting up before... Read More
Blog Post 4: Mike Walks the Pacific Crest Trail – Kennedy Meadows
After 700 miles, I reached the end of the desert section and climbed up to the hamlet of Kennedy Meadows, gateway to the Sierra Nevada and staging point, I saw, to scores of hikers, resting in the shade, eating, drinking, and talking shop. In a typical year, much of the snow on the trail may... Read More
Old Legs Tour Raising Money For Pensioners in Zimbabwe: Now In Tanzania
The Third World as seen from the saddle – 16th of June 2019. The Old Legs Tour – pedaling from Harare to Mt Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for Zimbabwe’ pensioners. The Swahili phrase Pole Pole means slowly slowly. It was first coined by a cyclist, on his way up up up the Kitulo... Read More
Blog Post 3: Mike Walks the Pacific Crest Trail – Mount Baden Powell
The weather has reverted to the usual dry sunshine around here. But a few days ago, there was another snow storm on the trail. I hiked close enough to the next town – Wrightwood, California – that I would arrive the day of the storm, walking only a few hours in the snow. As I... Read More
Old Legs Tour To Mt Kilimanjaro For Zimbabwe Pensioners Is Under Way
The Third World as seen from the saddle – 1st of June 2019. The Old Legs Tour – pedaling from Harare to Mt Kilimanjaro to raise money and awareness for Zimbabwe’s pensioners. Finally, after months and months of training and preparations, the Old Legs Tour to Mt Kilimanjaro is underway. And what a send-off we... Read More
Blog Post 2: Mike Walks the Pacific Crest Trail – Sheep Mountain Wilderness
The Pacific Crest Trail has a reputation as a dry trail. About a week’s worth of rain usually falls on a thru-hiker, over the course of five or six months. Well, it’s been two weeks of the PCT and there have already been six days of rain. Even more surprisingly, it’s been cold and windy... Read More