As a kid, I loved the stories about Johnny Appleseed. It wasn’t so much because he planted apple trees. To me, the apple tree thing always seemed like the thinnest of covers for the real business at hand: a long getting out.

These days, I still follow long distance hikers. Lately, I’ve been paying attention to Nimblewill Nomad, an almost 70-year-old man hiking toward North Central Washington and Chelan County’s high country on the Pacific Crest Trail.

I first came across Nimblewill in 2007 while following the online postings of uber long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka.
Skurka and Nimblewill (that’s his trail nickname) crossed paths and
Skurka mentioned the older hiker in his journal.

So, I tracked down Nimblewill’s journal and back-read the entries as he wrapped up his hike.

Nimblewill’s journal entries were charming.

Day in and day out, despite long hours on the trail, he was able to find something to like.

Here’s a video Skurka shot of Nimblewill at that trail meeting in New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness. I think it gets across something of Nimblewill’s character.

Nimblewill’s sked, like that of many PCT through-hikers, has him passing through NCW late this summer, at Snoqualmie Pass on Aug. 28 and at Stehekin on Sept. 6.

It’s not a hike, but I’ve also been following Roz Savage as she tries to row across the Pacific Ocean. As you read this, she’s somewhere between California and Hawaii, all by her lonesome, rowing her way west. Oh yeah, and the machine that produces her drinking water just died. You can follow her at her Web site and through podcasts. There’s a good bit of stuff on Youtube, too. There’s even an Ocean Rowing Society keeping tabs on Savage and other big water rowers.