It was broad daylight. Around 11 a.m. I’d been trapped in Daleville for nearly two days. Holed up inside a kind of fortress that brazenly displayed a neon sign out front: “Super 8,” its bright yellow light screamed through the night.
I knew I had to get out, by any means necessary.
Daleville the town is harmless enough. A small burg in western central Virginia that specializes in strip malls, Cracker Barrell and unwalkable roads. Even the Super 8 served a purpose on my journey. Once. Twice. Now a third time.
I’d already spent a week at the Daleville Super 8 in late October 2022. It was the refuge I turned to when I hobbled off the Appalachian Trail with a stress fracture in my right foot, third metatarsal. The Super 8 was where I made the excruciating decision not to continue, to call a hiatus from the trail, return home and nurse my injury for the winter. It was from where I limped out every night back then, across the parking lot and up to the bar at Pancho’s, a Mexican restaurant, the only eating establishment within walking distance.
Super 8 of Daleville was where I returned once again on March 17, 2023. A place from which to launch my resumption of an AT thru-hike. Fly into Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport and the Daleville Super 8 is an easy enough Lyft ride away. I arranged a shuttle pickup to run me up to Jennings Creek, about 30 miles north, where I last exited the AT.
Two and a half days of hiking brought me right back to Daleville, to an annoying highway crossing two doors down from the Super 8. Back again. And again, the Super 8 offered the value of a room with Wifi to facilitate my writing deadline. For this third stay, having regained the benefit of my healthy foot, I could venture further from the Super 8, into Daleville proper. There I visited a series of establishments. Kroger’s, for trail resupply. Mountain Trail Outfitters for some sunscreen. And most importantly, Three Lil Pigs BBQ for sustenance, a much-needed change of pace from overused Pancho’s.
Three multi-night stays in Daleville. Three respites at the Super 8.
I knew I had to escape.
Breakout of the Super 8
High in the mountains above Daleville, Va., near Hay Rock.
It wasn’t an easy caper. I packed up in silence, hoping not to attract any suspicion. I pulled on my pack and surreptitiously descended the stairs to the lobby.
Melissa at the front desk appeared to know exactly what I was up to, and asked if I wanted a receipt. Surprised at her penetrating foresight, I stammered, unsure what to say. Finally, I whispered, “Can you email it?” She could, no problem.
She wished me well with all the transparency of a KGB thug. Behind her smile I suspected chicanery. She betrayed her motive and proved my suspicion correct when she welcomed me to “come back again any time” loudly enough for others to hear. “We love our regulars.”
So that was how it was. A Daleville Super 8 regular.
It was decided then. Escape I must, and quickly.
I smiled, too, playing Melissa’s game. Then I stepped out through the automatic sliding door. And I was outside. Ready to leave, it seemed. But surely this was too simple. I tried not to look back but relented to my curiosity. Back inside the lobby doors, Melissa watched me, the smile still on her face. I knew it. I would never be allowed to effortlessly walk away from Daleville and the Super 8 forever.
But for the moment, walk I did, continuing on my way. Past Pancho’s. Across the obnoxious, unwalkable highway (after waiting eight minutes for a break in traffic). I could feel Melissa’s prying eyes still upon me as I walked back onto the AT.
Was it true? Had I escaped Daleville?
Gone But Not Escaped
But of course, it was all a ruse. Even as I lost sight of the Super 8 for the moment, I could hear that incessant Daleville traffic. Would it ever cease its torment?
After more than two miles hiking, Daleville Super 8 remains in view.
I hiked for a full hour, climbing up, away, hope building with every step, every foot of elevation gained. I crested a mountaintop adorned with massive, humming power lines.
That’s when I fell to my knees in agony. Of course it was all too good to be true. I would never escape Daleville. For far below, even after hiking for two hours, lay an unobscured view of the town, splayed in all its mundane paleness. And directly across from me, glaring in a clearing, its neon sign reaching out to me miles away, pulling me back: the Super 8.
I hadn’t escaped anything. I hastened onward, still determined to leave Daleville behind for good. Another hour, another several miles along a mountain ridge. Still, relentlessly as I stopped for breath, the traffic and sounds of Daleville and that loud yellow sign yelling Super 8 reaching up to me in the hills.
I was convinced. I could hike all day, for days on end even, and still not escape this bland, nondescript town and the Super 8 that once offered succor.
If you squint, you can still see Daleville Super 8’s yellow sign far in the distance.
Even now, alone in the woods, night setting in, while I can no longer see Daleville below, nor hear its car horns honking, its truck engines whining, while the Super 8 sign doesn’t light up the forest, I know. It’s still there. Never far away. Beckoning me back. It will always be there. When I close my eyes. When in the silence I hear its echoes. Whenever I dine out on mediocre Mexican food.
I’ve left Daleville, but I haven’t really escaped. I will go back again someday.
I am, after all, as Melissa made all too clear, a regular at the Super 8.
Once wasn’t enough for Joan Young. The 74-year-old hiker from Minnesota is taking on the 4,800 miles of the North Country Scenic National Trail (NCT) for a second time. Her first NCT traverse took her 20 years to complete in sections. This time she’s shooting for a shorter timeframe.
The NCT is the longest of the 11 scenic hiking trails in the United States. It’s not as famous as its counterparts, such as the Appalachian Trail, but its length passes through more diverse terrain, covering eight states from North Dakota to Vermont.
Marge Hickman
Can’t Get Enough of the Leadville 100
Last August, Marge Hickman, 71, returned to the Leadville 100 for the 28th time. The legendary race is known as the first ultra-marathon, a 100-mile race over brutal Colorado terrain taking racers over more than 15,000 feet of elevation. Hickman has finished the race 14 times, more than any other woman.
She didn’t end up finishing the race in her 28th attempt. Didn’t matter. She proved once again that age, gender and other preconceived limitations are only self-imposed. The real race takes place between our ears.
May 2022
Adventure Inspiration
This past April, South African runner Jacky Hunt-Broersma, not only set a world record by completing 104 marathons in 104 days – an unbelievable mark in itself – but she achieved this feat as an amputee, running on a prosthetic leg.
Broersma has been running most her life. But when she lost her left leg from the knee down in 2001 due to a rare form of cancer, she didn’t allow that to stop her.
Broersma began her goal on January 17, 2022 by running a marathon in Arizona, near her home. She proceeded to run 26.2 miles every single day until she set the world record 104 days later, having run a total of 2,672 miles. Along the way, she raised $192,000 to help fellow amputee blade runners.
A Celebration of Life, Age and Adventure
In a follow up to Adventure in the News February 2022: Kane Tanaka, the oldest person in the world at age 119, died on April 19. Tanaka leaves behind an inspiring spirit for life, remaining spicy and funny till her final day.
Born on January 2, 1903, in Fukuoka, Japan, Tanaka, was known for her sharp wit and humor. Many reporters visited and interviewed her in her final years, which she enjoyed. When one young reporter asked her what kind of man she preferred, she answered right away: “A young man like you.”
Sister André of France, 118 years old, is now the oldest living person.
Rest in peace, Kane Tanaka.
April 2022
The Endurance, Ernest Shackleton’s Fabled Ship, Found
The Endurance, Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated ship, became lodged in thick ice in the Weddell Sea off the coast of Antarctica in 1915.
Ernest Shackleton, arguably the greatest adventurer of all time, lost his ill-fated ship, the Endurance, in 1915 while attempting to be the first to traverse Antarctica. The Endurance ground to a halt in the thick ice of the Weddell Sea off the Antarctica coast, and the entire crew debarked, spending weeks on the ice until it crushed the ship and it sank into the sea. Shackleton’s crew lived for months on Elephant Island, subsisting on seal meat, while he and a crew of three set off across the Antarctic Ocean in a small boat, eventually landing on South Georgia Island and saving his entire crew. It’s one of the greatest adventure stories of all time.
Now, 106 years later, the Endurance has been found, about 10,000 feet underwater, by the expedition Endurance22. The wooden ship, lodged in the sea bottom about 10,000 feet underwater, is surprisingly intact.
More Exercise = Better Sleep, Research Finds
It’s not exactly earth-shattering news, but it never hurts to hear this again: getting more exercise can improve your sleep and decrease health risks, such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.
A new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed data from 380,000 middle-aged men and women related to weekly physical activity and sleep quality. The study concluded that increasing physical activity can counteract health risks such as cardiovascular disease. It also found that people with lower sleep quality were at higher risk for heart disease and stroke.
There you have it: better sleep equals better health; and increase physical activity translates to better sleep.
March 2022
Running Across Mexico at Age 54
Mexican runner Germán Silva (pictured above), who gained fame three decades ago when he won two New York City Marathons, is nearly finished with an epic, 3,134-mile run across his home country. Over mountains, across desert, through dangerous, narco-controlled territories, Silva began his impressive jog in Tijuana last November. He was scheduled to finish in Tulum, on the eastern Yucatan coast, in late February.
Silva went through more than 18 pairs of running shoes and averaged about 30 miles a day, often in temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Toenails falling off, strained calf muscles and hamstrings. Nothing could stop Silva from this impressive feat, documented recently in the Washington Post.
Inn-to-Inn Hiking Comes to the U.S.
Walking from inn to inn has long been the dominion of Europe. The continent’s centuries-old landscape, dotted with castles, verdant hills and enticing pathways, has attracted tourist hikers for decades, hoofing their way each day between quaint accommodations.
Inns like this one, Kirkstone Pass Inn, England, have attracted trekking tourists for decades if not centuries. Now this mod of tourism is gaining popularity in the United States.
So it’s a notable development that walking from inn to inn is now becoming more popular in the United States. Walking tour companies have popped up in Colorado, Oregon, California, Maine and other states offering European-style trekking packages. Typically, these outings allow walkers to carry only a light daypack with water and snacks while the company transports their heavier bags with daily comforts to the inn for them. When they arrive at their destination after a day of hiking, everything – including a congratulatory glass of wine – is waiting for them.
It’s easy to understand why this mode of tourism is gaining popularity here. Walking is one of the best ways to experience a place, whether it’s a city tour or a trek in the hills and forests. The slow-motion pace gives time to take in views without hurry, and stopping to smell, touch and taste, is as simple as taking a seat on a bench or a log.
February 2022
Kane Tanaka at 20, in 1923
Talk About Aging Adventure
Kane Tanaka, born January 2, 1903, turned 119 years old last month, making her the oldest person in the world, recognized by Guinness Book of World Records.
Among her lifetime achievements was carrying the Olympic torch at the Tokyo 2020 Summer games, and working in the family rice shop for 74 years, from age 19 to 103.
Kane Tanaka at 119
Tanaka’s birthday was posted on Twitter by her great-granddaughter Junko Tanaka. Kane’s grandson, Eiji Tanaka, told CNN, “She’s very forward-thinking – she really enjoys living in the present.” According to family members, Kane keeps her mind and body sharp, partly by practicing math.
An aging inspiration.
A Bike Path Across the United States
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a nonprofit that develops rail and multi-use trails throughout the United States, announced a 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail path that will span the entire country from Washington, D.C., to Washington state. The trail will cross 12 states, and will provide a 3,700-mile path for biking, walking and other nonmotorized forms of transport.
Section of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy path
The GART, as it’s called, will patch together some existing trails, as well as new sections, crossing paths at times with well-traveled paths such as the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the High Plains Byway and others.
Between the GART and the East Coast Greenway (Maine to Florida), adventures before long will be able to crisscross the United States east-west and north-south. Exciting times.
January 2022
Adventure is always in the news, though it may not always be obvious. This is a monthly scan of adventure-related headlines in national and world news.
New Study Finds that Nearly 6 in 10 Britons Take Life Too Seriously
Is anyone surprised?
These days, most people, British or not, seem to be taking life a little too seriously, forgetting how to have fun and losing their spirit of adventure.
In a study announced by The Independent, researchers surveyed 2,000 citizens of the United Kingdom, and found that most feel they are not getting the most out of life.
Among regrets, participating Britons noted “not traveling more widely when younger.” Others wished they spent less time working.
A lesson for us all. More adventure, more fun.
December 2021
Adventure is always in the news, though it may not always be obvious. This is a monthly scan of adventure-related headlines in national and world news.
This month in adventure:
750 Miles of Biking/Hiking Path Through New York State
In November 2021, headlines splashed across regional media, including the New York Times, announcing the completion of the Empire State Trail. This is a 750-mile trail in the shape of a large T, stretching from New York City north to the Canadian border, and from its intersection at Albany all the way to Buffalo.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
The Empire State Trail is actually the convergence of three trails: the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail (New York City to Albany), the Champlain Valley Trail (Albany to the Canadian border at Rouses Point, NY), and the Erie Canalway Trail (Buffalo to Albany).
The path is open to bikers and hikers of all ages and abilities. It wends its way through a diversity of surroundings – urban, rural, small villages and remote backroads.
I have heard from a few others that this is a wonderful trail for the most part, minus a few imperfect stretches of road. Personally, I can’t wait to hit this trail for some Empire State adventure!
A Little Walking is a Powerful Life Extender
We’ve all heard about the benefits of walking for healthier life and aging. But a massive recent study led by the American Cancer Society, after following 140,000 older adults, concluded that walking a mere six hours a week lowers fatality risk from cardiovascular, respiratory and cancer illnesses. Even walking two hours a week, you can lower your risk of disease, the study found.
Image: Pixabay
“Going for a walk at an average to brisk pace can provide people with a tremendous health benefit,” says Alpa Patel of the American Cancer Society, and the study’s lead investigator. “It’s free, easy, and can be done anywhere.”
The average age of study participants: 69. Even those who participated with a little walking at a moderate pace had decreased risk of death compared with those who did little or no activity, the study concludes.
Time to get walking!
Dark Sky in New England
It’s not easy these days to find a truly dark place, especially in the United States. The proliferation of night lights, getting brighter all the time, is crowding out spaces in which to access the stars in the night sky with the naked eye. A few dark places, called Dark Sky Sanctuaries, remain: Canyonlands National Park in Utah, Death Valley, California, Denali Park in Alaska, and George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.
Last year, another Dark Sky Sanctuary was added to the list: Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. The designation as a Dark Sky Place by the International Dark Sky Association will help protect this pristine area amid Maine’s 100-mile wilderness from encroaching light pollution.
Good news for anyone hiking the Appalachian Trail (as I intend to do next summer!), which traverses right through this area.
