A study of the nearly lost art of Walking

  We have all seen them.  Hurtling down the highway in the daily commute cell phone attatched to one ear foot on the gas moving a 1500 pound peice of steel down the pavement at 75 miles an hour.  I am guilty of it as I am sure most who read this blog are.  With this I decided to dedicate a blog to the lost art of walking.
  As time has gone by we have dedicated less time to simply moving by foot.  The irony of it all is that even though we can now travel greater distances in a shorter amount of time we miss so much more of whats going on around us.  I have walked thousands of miles in my life.  Through rain, and snow and wind.  Hot desert sun, energy sapping high altitude sand water swamp bugs and all other manner of unpleasantness.  The truth is that the great memorable things of all of those walks far outweighed the bad parts.  These are not really difficult skills to acquire.  There is no degree or university study program.  In truth its simply one foot in front of the other.  People have been crossing continents, mountain ranges deserts and plains since we stood upright.  Perhaps we should all go for a walk!
  So what kinds of things does one need for a long walk?  Well it all starts with your mind.  Your never walking the entire distance.  For example you are not going to walk across the United States in a day.  Instead you are going to walk to the next town or even the next neighborhood.  Thats all it is.
 Stay tuned and feel free to talk about your long or short walks.  Meet your neighbors.  Find a cool tree to sit under.  Take some time to experience things by the speed of your own two feet.  As this Blog progresses I hope to discuss technique, style, and a few gear tips all things to help you get out and discover the world.

Todays Idea:  The next time you are hiking try putting a little duct tape around your water bottle.  It is a quick and easy way to solve the hot spot on the bottom of your foot. Simply slap a piece of tape on the hot spot and pour on some more miles.  Also try to keep your feet as dry as you can warm damp feet inside hiking boots with a little friction = blister......stop and take a break with your shoes off wiggle your toes and let those dogs dry out a bit before getting back on your feet.