"The following is an account of my hike from Mexico to Canada in 1977 on the, not-yet-completed at that time, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Actual journal entries are in actual spelling and grammar with more recollections of the events from my memory over the past 30 years (currently 2007) in parentheses. Please excuse the numerous miss-spellings, poor grammar, and abbreviations that have been preserved here from my original handwritten account; in a plain, black, hard covered journal with a Pacific Crest Trail sticker on it. The Pacific Crest Trail 1977 On the first page of my handwritten journal I wrote: “ . . . And These Are The Memories That Make Me A Wealthy Man . . .” These are lyrics from the song “Traveling Man” by Bob Seger. They conveyed for me what I believed, before embarking on this adventure, that it would provide me a lifetime of great memories and hard earned lessons. The actual lyrics are; “And these are the memories that make me a wealthy soul.” Either way, I can now appreciate this phrase even more, 30 years down the road of life, looking back upon this incredible adventure in my youth and recognizing how the intense physical tests that I endured taught me about how really large the physical limits can be when pushed, about how the intense mental tests that I endured taught me patience and toughness and how the time I was given away from all of the intense intrusions of everyday life in our fast-paced society, formed my character and priorities that I still follow to this day."
"On the day that we started hiking it was raining lightly and thus my size 14 boots left large foot prints in the mud and my stride impressed those who came after. Soon, as they told me in Weldon, they began calling me "big foot" but then changed to "Strider" as they began seeing just how long my stride is. Upon seeing me in Weldon, at 6'8" then, and barely 200 lbs. they said, "Hey, you must be Strider!" I liked it and it stuck. I've yet to hear of another Strider before this, thus I believe that I am the original!"
Journal Entries: 159