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Josh Howell and Jodi Harrington are going to spend the next nine months together – every hour – as they walk the American Discovery Trail more than 4,800 miles across the United States.
And the first time they met was the night before they took their first steps on the sand Saturday, March 1, from Cape Henlopen State Park.
Hiker Ron Kessler changed his start date to coincide with their departure and joined the pair almost at the last minute. Kessler plans to hike parts of the trail in an accelerated pace to reach California in about seven months.
Harrington admits that it does seem a little crazy. “This is even more than a marriage,” she said. “Hiker compatibility is a big thing – what pace, when to stop and how often to stop,” she said.
Howell and Harrington had exchanged emails and messages on their MySpace accounts to coordinate their departure.
The trio is taking on the trek in support of three causes. Howell’s Hugs for Humanities will raise funds and public awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. He wants to hug 1 million people and raise $1 million. Harrington’s Hike Across America for NF will raise funds and awareness for neurofibromatosis. She wants to raise $100,000 - a dollar Trek
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for every American affected by the nervous system disorder that has no cure.
Kessler is walking to raise $1 million for breast cancer research as part of the Komen for the Cure campaign.
All three have personal reasons for putting their lives on hold and trekking across the land.
Howell, 33, of Biglerville, Pa., has watched his mother, Dianne Howell, 52, as she suffers from the early stages of dementia.
Howell got the idea for hugs from his mother, who is a resident at Walden Inn, a dementia unit at Mennohaven Retirement Village in Chambersburg, Pa. “Since my mother can no longer communicate as she once did and now is in a wheelchair, I will be her voice and carry her hug across America,” he said.
Harrington, 27, of Oregon, Ohio, has a friend, Jeremy Eby, who inspired her to take on the adventure. Although in a wheelchair, he was at the start of her adventure to cheer her on.
Kessler, 39, of Fort Collins, Colo., said one of his closest friends is a victim of breast cancer that has metastasized.
Harrington, a successful Realtor and personal trainer, said she took a solo 30-day trip out west last year that turned out to be a life-changing adventure.
Harrington said she realized she had to do something special to test herself and decided to walk the Appalachian Trail. “But I ran across the American Discovery Trail and got hooked on the idea,” she said. “It’s a nine-month commitment.”
Two other friends, Kevin Chirnside and Dustin Ulrich, joined with Harrington to help raise funds and also take part in the journey. They left Friday, Feb. 29, and plan to bicycle part of the route to cut short the anticipated nine-month time span.
Harrington said she had planned to set up a website to solicit donations and make a donation at the end of the walk. “But they [Neurofibromatosis Inc.] called me and asked me what they could do to help me make it bigger. We have been partners since day one,” she said.
Harrington said she has been inundated with emails and phone calls from people supporting her walk.
Kessler is the most experienced of the lot. He has crossed the country twice before on bicycle trips, and he hiked the entire 2,160 miles of the Appalachian Trail two years ago.
Howell was so committed to his mission that he quit his job as an operations manager of a successful concession business. He also gave away his car.
The hikers have been training by walking for months. They have also worked hard to get their packs down to manageable weights.
Howell and Harrington plan to average 20 to 25 miles per day with stops in 20 cities along the way to stage fundraisers.
They will be taking a northern route, ending at Point Reyes National Seashore, Calif., in mid-October.
Harrington said in order to keep what they carry to a minimum (they have 35-pound packs with camping gear) food drops have been pre-arranged all across the country.
Last summer, she went out west and buried water in the desert.
Howell said his initial plans called for a solo walk, but he is glad to have company. “This will be perfect and it definitely takes the fear factor out of walking alone. To be honest I had an uneasy feeling about it,” he said.
And he couldn’t resist a quick reference to another walker who attracted a crowd.
“I do feel a little like Forrest Gump,” he said as he took the first steps of 9.7 million more awaiting him.
Contact Ron MacArthur at ronm@capegazette.com
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