Welcome to my Blog!

Hey guys! We're off soon to hike the Southwest Coast Path in England and I'll be posting pictures and trip updates to this blog. I'll get some pics onto Facebook but the blog format seems easier when I want to say anything other than "Look at me!" And for those of you who know me and my photography skills don't worry, I won't be hiking alone. I'll get good pictures from Rhonda and Matt for Facebook and for posting here too.

Posts and pictures will be on the main page, ordered from most recent to oldest.

Touching this little hamburger bun thing will show you what time it is in England right now, in case you want to give us a call or something.

Below the Time gadget is where you can sign up to follow the blog for updates, and below that is another of my awful selfie photos and an 'about me' blurb.

Touching the menu bar here where it says More...opens a page menu.

And there you'll find...

"Where are they?" a map showing the trail and our latest camp locations.

"Rick's Book- Walking Home" A convenient link to my Amazon page so you can buy another copy or two of my first book.

And three 'essays' about the why's of walking the trail and who's going out there with me. And maybe fodder for a possible second book.

At the bottom of each page is a little box where you can post comments.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy. -Rick

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Salt Path Schedule

Second Week Change

Well, we've had a week of fantastic scenery and sights. The coastline is breathtaking more often than not and ever changing. The villages along the way with their stonework buildings and slate or thatched roofs are picturesque and old. We had dinner in a pub that had been built in 1756, and it wasn't the oldest building built in it's village, Westleigh- the church was. The churches are usually the oldest buildings in any of the villages, most of them built 600 years before. Everything is draped, clothed, or consumed with vegetation. In the forests, there's ivy on the trees. In the fields, anything that hasn't been mowed or grazed recently is overgrown with vines, shrub, or ferns. I'd thought I was used to veg, but I was wrong. I feel like I've been overexposed to chlorophyll. The plants seem gentler or more civil here, less pokey, clawy, or prickly than at home. Matthew invented a game he calls 'Nettled or Not', where he sticks his han...

Fifth Week

I went nowhere today and am feeling a bit guilty about it. One of the things I learned hiking the PCT, was how important zero days are for the long haul. You know, those occasional days you take off trail going nowhere, washing and drying your gear, resting your knees. My gear and my knees are thanking me, but I'm feeling restless. It will take me 20 more days to finish this trail if I follow the Southwest Coastal Path recommended schedule. My flight reservation has me boarding a Boeing 777 for home in 20 days. I can't fritter. I think I'll make it, though. The path's terrain seems to be getting more refined and less ridiculously rugged as it works it's way along the ocean back towards London. A bit smoother, a bit wider, and crossing fewer unnecessary contour lines. There's been less need to leave the main trail and travel inland to save my feet, but I do it anyway once in a while so I can visit cows. I escorted a retired fisherman through a herd tha...

Walking Cliffs & Coves

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