Welcome. You're about to hop on the Appalachian Trail and become part of the 2009 thru-hike of Chris Hennig, whose trail name was "Feed Bag." While Feed Bag took in all the personal benefits of spending hours alone in the woods (getting in better shape, crying, pondering the meaning of life), there is a purpose greater than that for which he hiked: to make the world a better place for children. And you can be a part of this journey starting now...and help make a difference!
Filed under: Blog Posts — chrishennig @ 9:15 am July 20, 2009
Well…here’s where I am at the moment:
One more thing…while I’ve never run a marathon, and though I’m only at the 2/3rds mark of this trail, I do feel like I’m hitting “the wall”; physically, mentally, spiritually. Most of my creative ideas surrounding the hike and turning it into an “awareness” campaign were all formed before I even set foot on the trail. Now that I’m out here, I’m realizing how hard it is to sustain creativity and enthusiasm while constantly battling fatigue and exhaustion!
Filed under: Blog Posts — chrishennig @ 7:40 am July 9, 2009
LOOK! New things all around you! Cool, huh? New intro paragraph (say goodbye to the “Fresh Prince” reference). New progress banner (survey is still available on the side for you slackers). And NEW PICS in the gallery.
Speaking of progress, GOOD JOB team 2200miles.com. We’ve got some kids sponsored! THANK you SOOO much. 🙂 That’s so cool…really. We just have a little farther to go. Glad you’re going there with me!
Past the 1/2 way point now and things are looking up. I’ve been more encouraged lately than downcast, so I’m thankful for that. 🙂 I’m out of Maryland for good and almost out of Pennsylvania. I’m hoping to average 17 miles a day with one “zero” per week.
One of the best days I’ve had in a long time was Monday June 29th. It turned out to be my second longest day at this point at 26.5 miles! Most of the day was flat as the trail passed through fields and farm lands. Rather than being surrounded by the “Green Tunnel,” it was so refreshing to have a change of scenery. Corn fields (knee-high by the 4th of July!). Soybean fields. It was like…palate-cleansing sorbet between courses. Or a piece of ginger between sushi. Mmmmm…sushi.
Othern’ that…I’ve seen another bear (morning of 7/8)…and LOTS of snakes. Lots. Big snakes, baby snakes, poisonous snakes, non-poisonous snakes. I’ve been hiking with fellow hiker “Mostly” for over a week now. Luckily he deals/sells reptiles in his normal life, so he’s recognized and described every snake we’ve seen so far! See photo gallery!
So, below is the long awaited intro video for the documentary I’m filming! It’ll also have a website soon, and I’ll let you know when that is up:
Cool, huh? Unfortunately, of the original 7 people who started, there are only 2 of us left! The producer, Jason, gave a camera to a 3rd person who we’ve met along the way but hasn’t been filming since the beginning.
Also cool, I was able to record an interview with CDR radio in Cedarville, OH where I graduated from school. Here are the excerpts from those clips! (They’re each about 3 min long.)
Filed under: Blog Posts — chrishennig @ 5:55 pm June 26, 2009
Thanks for choosing me over Saturday morning cartoons!
Well, are you ready to hear about me crying in the woods again? I’m not really ready to talk about it, but it’s not for my benefit…I hope it is for yours.
But first a word from one of my best friends from high school and his wife! I’m giving Nick the honorary trail name “Urban Eskimo” because of his amazing ability to run year round while living in Minnesota. (In high school, he once ran to my house from his in Ohio on a snow day…). His wife Christy gets the honorary trail name “Nurse DeFrost” because, well, she is a nurse, and someone has to warm Nick up!
I first sponsored a child because it was a tangible way to give back to a country that I had visited. My trip to Ghana was powerful and challenging, so I wanted a way to keep giving back to support the country – one child at a time. Christy and I sponsored a second child from Zambia, a place she had spent several months of her life, after going through the World Vision Experience. These children are a reminder to us of our calling to serve in Africa and the hope that is within the continent and its youth.
Thanks Nick and Christy! More on sponsorship by the end of this blog…
Friday 6/19 was one of those days when I was ready to quit. It was the hottest hiking day so far and not only was my temperature meter on high, but my doubts were running high and my water running low. I was also out of vitamin-I and in need of a few anti-inflamatory pills as the arch in my right foot was painfully reminding me how much I didn’t like my new shoes and inserts. I was rehearsing in my mind what the “last” 2200miles.com blog would sound like…how to bow out gracefully and graciously this year and let any readers know that perhaps a year or two from now I would resume the hike.
