Trail Walkin' Christian Hikers

“Don’t believe anything is necessarily true just because you see it in the newspapers or hear it on the radio or everybody else believes it! Always think for yourself!” - Albert Einstein, 1950 to Rhodes Scholars

"The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise." - Tacitus - Annals, Book XV

Events

Oct 5-26, 2023 - Biked the 512 mile French Way Camino
May 16-18, 2025 TrailDays in Damascus, VA

Weather Radar

Ohio to Erie Trail (OTET)

2022:Jul 15 - OTET Bike from Lake Erie to Barberton - 46.5 miles
2022:Jul 14 - OTET Bike from Canal Fulton to Barberton and back - 31.1 miles.
2022:Jul 07 - OTET Bike from Dalton to Canal Fulton and back - 31.4 miles.
202? - OTET Bike from Maysville to Massillon and back - 52 miles
2022:Jun 20 - OTET Bike from Maysville to Killbuck and back - 37.4 miles.
2022:Jul 04 - OTET Bike from Killbuck to Howard and back - 51.7 miles.
2023:May 27 - OTET Bike from Howard to Centerburg and back - 47.3 miles
2023:Aug 26 - OTET Bike from Centerburg to Camp Chase - 52.4 miles
?? - OTET bike from Camp Chase to Xenia - 42.4 miles
?? - OTET bike from Xenia to Cincinnati - 67.3 miles

Leave No Trace Principles

Plan Ahead & Prepare
Adequate trip planning and preparation helps backcountry travelers accomplish trip goals safely and enjoyably, while simultaneously minimizing damage to the land.
Travel & Camp On Durable Surfaces
The goal of travel in the outdoors is to move through natural areas while avoiding damage to the land or waterways. Understanding how travel causes impacts is necessary to accomplish this goal.
Dispose of Waste Properly
The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics encourages outdoor enthusiasts to consider the impacts that they leave behind, which will undoubtedly affect other people, water, and wildlife.
Leave What You Find
Allow others a sense of discovery by leaving rocks, plants, archaeological artifacts, and other objects of interest as you find them.
Minimize Campfire Impacts The use of campfires, once a necessity for cooking and warmth, is steeped in history and tradition. The development of lightweight, efficient camp stoves has encouraged a shift away from the traditional fire for cooking—and they Leave No Trace.
Respect Wildlife
Learn about wildlife through quiet observation. Do not disturb wildlife or plants just for a “better look.” Observe wildlife from a distance so they are not scared or forced to flee.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
One of the most important components of outdoor ethics is to maintain courtesy toward other visitors. Excessive noise, uncontrolled pets, and damaged surroundings take away from the natural appeal of the outdoors.

For more information at lnt.org

Kentucky Trails

Hanson's Point Loop in Red River Gorge
°° Hiking Project Overview
Rough Trail in Red River Gorge
°° Hiking Project Overview
Sheltowee - Osborne Loop in RRG
°° Hiking Project Overview

New York Trails

Willow Bay on NCT

Ohio Trails

Archer's Fork Loop Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview
* BackpackOhio
Buckeye Trail - website - 1400 mile loop
°° Hiking Project Overview
Burr Oak Backpack Trail - BackpackOhio
Caesar Creek Backpack Trail - BackpackOhio
East Fork Backpack Trail - BackpackOhio
Greenwood/Scenic River Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview
* Backpack Ohio
Mohican State Park - Park Map
* BackpackOhio
Scioto Grove Metro Park Backpack Sites - BackpackOhio
Shawnee Backpack Trail - Backpack Ohio
Symmes Creek & Morgan Sisters Trails - Backpack Ohio
Tar Hollow Logan Trail - BackpackOhio
The Wilderness Center - Center Map
Twin Valley Backpack Trail - BackpackOhio
Vesuvius Backpack Trail - BackpackOhio
Wildcat Hollow Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview
* BackpackOhio
Wooster Memorial Park - dayhike
°° Friends of WMP
°° Hiking Project Overview
Zaleski Backpack Trail South Loop
°° Hiking Project Overview
* BackpackOhio

Pennsylvania Trails

Allegheny Region Recration Map (pdf)
Allegheny Front Trail (web) ~ (map)
°° Hiking Project Overview
Bear Run
Beaver Meadows Area Trail System (2006) (pdf)
Black Forest Trail (web) ~ (map)
°° Hiking Project Overview
Brush Hollow/Mill Creek Cross Country Ski/Hike Trail (2016) (pdf)
Bullis Hollow Trail (pdf)
Buzzard Swamp Trail System (pdf)
Gerard Hiking Trail- Oil Creek area
°° Hiking Project Overview
Hearts Content - Orienteering (pdf)
Interpretive Trail/Cross-Country Ski Trail (pdf)
Hickory Creek Wilderness (pdf)
°° Hiking Project Overview
Laurel Highlands Trail: Ohiopyle
°° Hiking Project Overview
Laurel Mill Cross Country Ski/Hike Trail (2016) (pdf)
Mid State Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview
Minister Creek Hiking Trail (pdf)
Morrison Hiking Trail(pdf)
°° Hiking Project Overview
Quehanna Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview
Raccoon Creek State Park
Rimrock Hiking Trail (2015) (pdf)
°° Hiking Project Overview
Spring Creek Horse Trail (pdf)
Tanbark Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview
The Old Powerhouse - Oil Country Heritage (pdf)
Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System (pdf)
°° Hiking Project Overview
Timberdoodle Flats (pdf)
Twin Lakes Hiking Trail (2016) (pdf)
Westline Cross Country Ski Area (pdf)
West Rim Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview

Vermont Trails

The Long Trail - 272 miles
- Long Trail Day - Aug 28, 2021

Virginia Trails

Triple Crown Loop
°° Hiking Project Overview
Virginia Creeper Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview

West Virginia Trails

Cranberry Wilderness Loop
°° Hiking Project Overview
Dolly Sods Wilderness
°° Hiking Project Overview
North Fork Mountain Trail
°° Hiking Project Overview
Otter Creek
Roaring Plains Circuit
°° Hiking Project Overview

Trails in other Countries

Chili - Torres del Paine National Park 37-50 miles, 4-6 days, Best from October and April
Israel - Israel National Trail - 680 mile (1,100 km) trail that crosses the entire country from North to South
* The Jesus Trail™ is a 65-kilometer hiking trail in the Galilee region of Israel which connects important sites from the life of Jesus as well as other historical and religious sites from Nazareth to Capernaum. - Map
Peru - Inca Trail - Machu Picchu, 26 miles, 4 days, Best May to September
Spain - Many Camiino Trails
Tanzania - Kilimanjaro, roughly 35 miles, 7+ days, Best January, February, or September

Smart Phone Apps

All Trails
Gaia GPS
Guthook Guides
Acadia National Park, Appalachian Trail, Arizona Trail, Arkansas Hiker, Australia & New Zealand, Baxter State park, Benton Mackaye Trail, Bibbulmun Track, Buckeye Trail, Buffalo River Trail, Camino de Santiago, Camino del Norte, Cape to Cape, Coast to Coast, Colorado Trail, Connecticut River Paddlers' Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Cotswold Way, Croatian Long Distance Trail, Eagle Rock Loop, Florida Trail, George Bass Coastal Walk, Great Divide Trail, Hadrian's Wall Path, Ice Age Trail, International Appalachian Trail, Israel National Trail, John Muir Trail, Jordan Trail, Larapinta Trail, Lost Coast Trail, Maine Hiking Bundle, Mid State Trail, Mount Whitney Trail, New England Hiker, New England Trail, Ouachita Trail, Overland Track, Ozark Highlands Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Pacific Northwest Trail, Pinhoti Trail, Ridgeway, South Downs Way, Tahoe Rim Trail, Te Araroa, The Long Trail, Three Capes Track, Torres del Paine, Tour Du Mont Blanc, Trailblazer Guides, Walk the Yorke, west Highland Way, White Mountain National Forest, Wilson's Promontory Grand Circuit, Wonderland Trail, whew!
Hiking Project
Explore 239,519 miles along 74,305 Trails
Kamoot

Gear Links

Beartooth - off-grid communication
Bear Vault BV500 - Food Container
ChargeTech - 20K USB-C Wireless Battery Pack
CNOC - Vecto 3L 28mm Water Bag
Dream Hammock - Custom & Ready To Ship Hammocks - follow on Rumble
Duluth Trading
CoolMax T-shirt Crew w/Pocket
DuluthFlex Hike Yeah Cargo Pants
Jackpine Hiker Boots 12w
Enlightened Equipment - quilts, bags, jackets
Hammock Gear - tarps, quilts, accessories
Hill People Gear - packs, garments
Insect Shield
Jetboil Stash - new 7.1oz stove, 4.4" packed
Ooni Pizza Ovens - wood or multi-fuel
Orange Screw - ground anchors
PackLite - 9V LED flashlights
Sawyer
Permethrin Insect Repellent
Squeeze Water Filter
Seek Outside - packs, tents, tipi tents
Tarp Tent - Henry Shires
Tensa Outdoor - hammock stands
UGQ Outdoor - tarps, top/under quilts
Ultralight Adventure Equipment - packs, etc.
Proper Pack Fitting Video
Vargo Outdoors - titanium gear
Water-to-Go - Filtration Bottle, .03 microns, dip 'n sip
Wrightsock - Adventure Crew Hiking Socks XL
YOBO Gear Cricket Hammock Stand

Hiking Books

Georgia to Maine by Foot - Bob "Web Breaker" Ewing about 1991 hike, written in 1996 but never published
- Bob Ewing's Obituary 1935-2021
How the Wild Effect Turned Me into a Hiker at 69: An Appalachian Trail Adventure - Jane E. Congdon
Hiking Israel - Paul Stutzman

Wisdom from above

People do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.

"Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness." - Psalm 72:3
"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2
"Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” - John 11:9-10
"So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes." - John 12:35
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9
"For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world." - 1 John 2:16

Common phrases from the Bible

Bite the Dust - Psalms 72:9, “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.” (KJV)
Blind Leading the Blind - Matthew 15:13-14, “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
By the Skin of Your Teeth - Job 19:20. The Geneva Bible translated the Hebrew Literally which read, “I have escaped with the skin of my teeth.”
Broken Heart - Psalms 34:18, ” The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit” (KJV).
Can a Leopard Change his spots? - Jeremiah 13:23 (KJV), “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”
Cast the First Stone - John 8:7, “And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Drop in a Bucket - Isaiah 40:15 declaring God’s sovereignty and power over the nations, “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he takes up the isles as fine dust” (ESV).
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry - Ecclesiastes 8:15, “because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.”
Eye for Eye, Tooth for tooth - Matthew 5:38, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”
Fall from Grace - Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
Fly in the Ointment - Ecclesiastes 10:1 (KJV), “”Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.””
For Everything there is a Season - Ecclesiastes 3. Also the motivation for the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds.
Forbidden Fruit - Genesis 3:3 when Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. “But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
Go the extra mile - Matthew 5:41 that says, “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (KJV).
Good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-37, the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword - Matthew 26:52, “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
How the Mighty have Fallen - 2 Samuel 1:19, “The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!”
Let there Be Light - Genesis 1’s creation account.
Nothing but skin and bones - Job 19:19-20, “All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me. I am nothing but skin and bones.”
Pillars of a group - Galatians 2:9 "...James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, ..."
Powers that Be - Romans 13:1 (KJV), “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
Pride comes before a fall - Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (KJV)
Put words in one’s mouth - 2 Samuel 14:3, “And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.”
Right hand of fellowship - Galatians 2:9 "...James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, ..."
Rise and shine - Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.”
Root of the Matter - Job 19:28 (KJV), “But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the Root of the matter is found in me?”
Scapegoat - Leviticus 16:9-10 where a goat is chosen by lot to be sent into the desert to make atonement for sin.
See eye to eye - Isaiah 52:8 (KJV), “Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.”
Sign of the times - Matthew 16:3 (KJV), “And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
Sowing and reaping - Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”
Strait and Narrow - Matthew 7:14, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
Twinkling of an Eye - 1 Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
There’s nothing new under the sun - Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV) says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
Wash your hands of the matter - Matthew 27:24 (KJV), “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.”
Weighed in the balance - Job 31:6, “Let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.”
What God has joined together let no man put asunder - Matthew 19:6 in Miles Covedale’s translation of the Bible which says, “Now are they not twayne then, but one flesh. Let not man therfore put a sunder, yt which God hath coupled together.”
Wit’s End - Psalm 107:27 (KJV), “They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.” And the Psalm does not refer to the Whit’s End with the Imagination Station.
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing - Matthew 7:15 (KJV), “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
Writings on the Wall - Daniel 5. “The writing is on the wall” is now a popular idiom for “something bad is about to happen”.

Sayings not in the Bible

A fool and his money are soon parted - Thomas Tusser (1573)
Beggars can't be choosers - English proverb from 16th century
Charity begins at home - Thomas Browne (1605-1682)
Cleanliness is next to godliness - Francis Bacon (1561-1626), John Wesley (1703-1791)
Eye is a window to the soul - Old English proverb
God helps those that help themselves - Algernon Sidney (1623-1683), Ben Franklin (1706-1790)
Love conquers All - Vigil (70BC-19BC)
Love the sinner, but hate the sin - St. Augustine from his letter 211 (c. 424)
Money is the root of all evil - 1 Timothy 6:10 and is actually usually misquoted. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils."
Seven Deadly Sins - Gregory the Great (6th Century)
The Lord works in mysterious ways - William Cowper (1731-1800)
Three Wise Men - three gifts are mentioned, but never the number of men. - Matthew 2:9-11
To thine own self be true - Shakespearean quote from "Hamlet"

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2023