The Progression of
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Pre-hike California Nevada Utah Colorado Kansas
Oklahoma Arkansas Missouri Illinois Kentucky Virginia
West Virginia Maryland D.C. Maryland Delaware Afterwards


HikaNation was a 14-month cross-country backpacking trip starting at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California on April 12, 1980, and ending at Cape Henlopen, Delaware on May 27, 1981 after traversing over 4,286 miles and passing through 14 states and Washington, D.C.

Purposes for the hike included highlighting the need for more hiking trails across America and promoting hiking as a low energy consumption form of recreation.


The HikaNation Story
by Jim Kern

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HikaNation   was   organized   by
Jim Kern, William Kemsley, Jr., Paul Pritchard, Glenn Seaborg, and others, and was sponsored by the American Hiking Society, the United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, and Postum, along with various other suppliers & supporters, including Backpacker  magazine.

The Progression of HikaNation details the journey with various organizational memos, letters, newspaper and magazine articles.

Search/Contact HikaNation

 
Afterwards

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Shellie Newell
Aikenite Returns Home After Year's Walk

End of May 1981
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Three Decades of Protecting Our Nation's Trails
by William Kemsley, Jr.

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Across the United States with HikaNation
Adventurers being filmed
Film information by John Olmsted

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Kudos for
Reese F. Lukei, Jr.
Virginia Coordinator for HikaNation

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From Sea to Shining Sea
One Step At A Time

May 1981
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Avril Forsythe Reports
June 1981
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Dave Backus
After cross-country hike, it's hard to sit

May 1981
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California HikaState 1981
October 6, 1980:   Preliminary Draft for California HikaState 1981
May 7, 1981:   AHS Board Meeting & California HikaState 1981
Oct. - Nov. 1981:   Discussing the completed California HikaState 1981
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Scott Davis
60 Young, Old Walk Across US
Accent on Leisure...The big hike....leisure my ass!

May 29, 1981
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Linda Hull & Keith Wright
Danbury hiker finds romance,
adventure on trek across U.S.

June 7, 1981
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Focus on John Stout
  • Seattle man finally home after 'Hika-nation' walk
  • Hiker cools heels after trek
  • Hiker, 69, back after crossing U.S.
  • Feet feat: 69-year-old hiker back in Seattle after 4,289-mile walk
  • Former Boeing machinist walks across America
  • Retired machinist hikes 4,500 miles
  • Northend 'romantic' hikes more than 4,000 miles
  • Cooking Photos
  • Rochester United Methodist Church Bulletin
  • Hardy hiker pounded trail across country in 4,200-mile project

  • The Story of Granpa's Hike


 
American Hiker
Vol. 1 No. 3 - June 1981
HikaNation Comes to Washington

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AHS Commemorative HikaNation Hikes
Summer 1981

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Toni Martinazzi
Sojourner finds new lease on her life

June 18, 1981
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Ed Garvey for American Forestry
Prepared February 1981 for June 1981 issue
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Lorraine and Roxy Radomski
Take a Hike! That's a challenge

July 10, 1981
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Susan "Butch" Henley
Wouldn't Stop 'til She Was Finished

July 25, 1981
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Memorandum
Cost Over-runs

August 1981
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Findlay Man, Tim Geoghegan,
Tours Country On Foot

August 24, 1981
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Vivid memories of a cross country hike
Reporter reflects on year-long trek
By Gayle Fisher

September 20, 1981
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Marce Guerrein
From Pacific to Atlantic in 15 months--On Foot

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WSU student, Janet Parsons,
puts best foot forward

October 4, 1981
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Bruce Ohlson
Walk a mile in this man's shoes

October 1, 1981
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HikaNation Quarterly
November 1981
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1981 Thanksgiving Gathering
Dallas, Texas
November 26, 1981
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Color it Blue
John and Helen Stout

December 1981
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Tish Butcher
Student explores country on foot

February 4, 1982
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HikaNation Quarterly
February 1982
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American Hiker
March 1982
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HikaNation Commemorative Hikes
May through October 1982





1982 Gossip
from Terry Ernst

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1982 HikaNation Reunion
White Rock Mountain Recreation Area, Arkansas
May 28 - 31, 1982
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American Hiker & HikaNation Quarterly
After the HikaNation Reunion 1982

Summer Issue 1982
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HikaNation Quarterly
Fall 1982
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American Hiker
AHS Board members Legislative Alert

Fall Issue 1982
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Susan "Butch" Henley
Conquering the Appalachian Trail
New friends along the trail

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Jeannie Harmon
City woman hikes across nation - Update 1983

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Marce Guerrein, after HikaNation
November 1982
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March 1983
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September 1983
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April 1988
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A Guide to HikaNation - Utah 1983
by Shellie Newell

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HikaNation II
1981 - 1984 information
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American Hiker
January 1983:   The Golden State Trail uses HikaNation route
February 1983:   HikaNation Summer Hikes for 1983
April 1983:   HikaState: California
May 1983:   The Mini-Commmorative Stroll Survives
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American Hiker
HikaNation Quarterly

February 1983 & Spring 1983
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1983 HikaNation Reunion
Monticello, Utah
May 28 - 30, 1983
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HikaNation Quarterly
Fall 1983
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HikaNation Quarterly
Winter 1983
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1984 HikaNation III Reunion
Strawberry, California
August 15 - 16, 1984
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1986 HikaNation Reunion
Front Royal, Virginia
October 1986
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1990 HikaNation BBQ-Reunion
Doug's Place, Michigan
April 12, 1990
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1991 HikaNation Reunion
Cape Henlopen, Delaware
May 17 - 19, 1991
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HikaNation influences
the American Discovery Trail

January 13, 1992
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American Hiker
Thirty-seven intrepid hikers

Winter 1992
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Phillipe Vermeyen and Bruce Ohlson
June 1999
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2000 HikaNation Reunion
20th Anniversary Reunion
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

May 19 - 21, 2000
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Don't Rush Me.  I'm Enjoying America
20th year reflections in 2000
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HikaNation
The Father of the American Discovery Trail

Grand Opening Events in 2000
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A strange and wonderful hike across America
Cumberland Falls, Kentucky

May 31, 2000
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American Hiker
HikaNation Overview

Fall 2006
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2011 30th Anniversary HikaNation Reunion
Mt. Magazine State Park, Arkansas
Remembering HikaNation

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Artwork by Ryan Don Bozis
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HikaNation Stationery
Logo by Ryan Bozis
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HikaNation Postcards
designed by ??
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Donna Lovely & Dave Backus
Independence Mine, Alaska
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2013 HikaNation Reunion-BBQ
August 2013 at Doug's
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2015 HikaNation Reunion
September 2015
35th link

 

2016 HikaNation Mini-Reunion & Birthday
Shenandoah Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia
December 30, 2016
2016 b-day2016 b-day



2017 HikaNation BBQ-Reunion
August 2017 at Doug's
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2018 HikaNation Mini-Reunion Hike
Portions of the Colorado Trail, Durango to Denver

July 2018
Colorado Trail

 

2019 HikaNation Exhibit
Appalachian Trail Museum

May 5, 2019
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2019 HikaNation Mini-Reunion Hike
Somewhere Out West on the John Muir Trail

August 2019
Colorado Trail

 

2020 HikaNation Mini-Reunion Hike
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
October 2020
2016 b-day2016 b-day

 

Stacey Waring - The Washington Post
I crossed the U.S. on foot with a group
of strangers 40 years ago. It was one of
the best decisions of my life.

May 25, 2021
stacey--the washington post
Stacey Waring & Gomer Pyles
Followup at Cape Henlopen

May 27, 2021
followup


 
2021 HikaNation Mini-Reunion Hike
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

September 4 - 13, 2021
Isle-Royale sceneryIsle-Royale group


 
2022 42nd Anniversary HikaNation Reunion
St. Augustine, Florida
March 25 - 27, 2022
42nd poster

 

2022 HikaNation Exhibit - PHASE 2
HikaNation Artifacts Display
Appalachian Trail Museum

March 2022
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How 7,000 people hiked across the
Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland

April 12, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle


Clarifying the Interview


 
Interviews by Paul Guerrein
with Jim Kern, William Kemsley,
David Hales, and Paul Pritchard

interviews

 

Senior Hiker Magazine - Issue Twelve 2022
I'll Be Seeing You    (Isle Royale Hike)
by Stacey Waring



 

2022 HikaNation Mini-Reunion Hike
Collegiate Peaks, Colorado

July 19 - August 9, 2022
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HikaNation Presentations with
Janet Parsons, Jim Kern, Reese Lukei, Jr.,
Paula Guerrein, Larry Luxenberg
Linda Wright, Alden Olmsted



 

Backpacker Radio interview with Tim Ernst
#197 | Tim Ernst on Founding the Ozark Highlands Trail

April 17, 2023


 

2023 HikaNation Mini-Reunion Hike
John Muir Trail into Yosemite National Park

September 2023
2023 group

 

2024 HikaNation BBQ-Reunion
July 2024 at Doug's

2024 group




Thanks to all the people that have "donated" various articles, photos, bulletins, letters, etc.: Janet, Toni, Paula, Marce, Shirley, Tish, Scott, Jim L., Doug, Kurt, Dave B., William, Randy, Ed S., Lyle, Rich, Reese, Ryan, Terry, Tim G., Stan, Bruce, Jeannie, Cindy, Jim K., Gudy, Alden, Kimberley, Bill K., Rex, Mary, Mike M., Stacey .........

Contributions (photos, articles, etc.)



The Progression of
image
Pre-hike California Nevada Utah Colorado Kansas
Oklahoma Arkansas Missouri Illinois Kentucky Virginia
West Virginia Maryland D.C. Maryland Delaware Afterwards



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