Message from Jim

Hi All:

Thank you for following my adventures here on the Jim Hike blog. With the trip now half done, I am pleased to get this far with only minor physical issues. The 2+ days of rest here in Minneapolis will do me a lot of good as I prepare for the remaining 165 miles.

Unlike my previous cross-country segments, this one will include brief visits with three of my college classmates: Buck Foot in Red Wing, Jim Smith here in Minneapolis, and John Gordon this Sunday in Edina. It's a great pleasure to be able to create these mini-reunions along my journey.

Thanks for all of your blogposts giving me encouragement and support. Special thanks to those of you that have pledged a total of $8.80 per mile for the NY-NJ Trail Conference. With 194 miles completed in the last 10 days, we have raised just over $1,700 for the NYNJTC. My goal remains $10 per mile for the estimated 360 miles of this segment. So if you aren't yet on our donor list, please consider making a pledge for the benefit of the thousands of folks that hike our beautifully maintained trails in the NY-NJ region.

My break from the roadwalking is well-timed, as the weather forecast for today and tomorrow is RAIN, heavy at times, including thunderstorms. I've already had a fair share of that on this trip, so am glad to be inside a hotel instead of my tent. Please continue to enjoy my travels through this blog.