Former Marine hiking AT barefooted

[TJ aka Teej]

http://www.thelongwalkhome.org/

FORMER MARINE RONALD C.J. ZALESKI BEGINS WALK ON
APPALACHIAN TRAIL BAREFOOT
FROM MAINE TO GEORGIA
ON MEMORIAL DAY, MAY 29, 2006


Tribute to Buddies Who Died in Vietnam and
Effort to Call Attention to the Need for
Effective Debriefing and Counseling Programs for Vets
-------

Last journal entry was on June 12th, south of the Kennebec. Hope he's still doing well!

[Lone Wolf]

Semper Fi. I'll run into him.

[lbbrown]

Semper Fi. I'll run into him.
Don't step on his toes, Wolf......( Just kidding.)

My sister was a Marine. Semper Fi.

[Fofer]

L.Wolf let him know we're behind him. We can never do enough for our Vets.

[Ramble~On]

Excellent Idea.....but why barefoot ?
To each their own....I like to walk around barefoot sometimes but wouldn't want to lug a pack for any long distance hike without something on my feet. Guess he knows what he's doing and it is for an excellent reason.

SEMPER FI.

[The Solemates]

this is strange. but, havent the barefoot sisters already done this?

his pack is certainly different.

[TOW]

have you guys read his journal.....it will uplift ya.....

[K0OPG]

from one former Marine to another...oohrah and Semper Fi!

[dloome]

I ran into this guy in Maine, forget where exactly. He seemed nice enough. His pack was... interesting. Lemon Squeezer anyone?

[firemountain]

Anybody is this Marine is still on the trail? It looks like his website hasn't been updated in a while. I wish him the best.

[Programbo]

I wish him well but he certainly didn`t promote this very well..I`m heavily involved in both the Vietnamese community and with veterans and this is the first I`ve heard of it...First mention of it on here as well and he`s what?..Two months in?...That`s a lot of preparation and walking barefoot to boot to go thru to "call attention" to something and no one knows about it

[hikerjohnd]

I'd like to know more about his homemade equipment - the pack looks pretty interesting...

I am also interested to see he is in contact with the Guinness World record people - world record for what exactly?

[strnorm]

I just finished part of jersey to palmerton pa.sure would hate to walk on all those rock barefooted.ex army myself, but have two sons who were marines,good luck

[tiptoe]

I met this guy the last week of July on my south to north section hike in Massachusetts. Our paths crossed on my descent/his ascent of Greylock. His trail name is Tyvek. Yes, he was barefoot, and he was keeping a good pace up a steep slope.

My first post, by the way. I'm a long-time lurker here and have learned tons from all of you. Many thanks to all.

[Tha Wookie]

Two words: Foot Salve!

[TJ aka Teej]

I know he went through Monson, staying at Shaws. That's the last report I know of.

[Oklahoma 98]

Is this the same Tyvek that hiked barefoot in 1998?

[Lone Wolf]

Yes it is.

[tiptoe]

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060820/COLUMNISTS07/608200331/1006/NEWS01

[Trillium]

I dayhiked Salisbury to Bear Mountain, Ct on 8/18 and ran into a thru that had met Tyvek. his account made me think Tyvek was kind of a nutcase. but after reading his journal, I think the young thru did not get a thorough impression of the man. I was particularly impressed by this passage in his journal:

"What wouldn’t you do for a loved one, what sacrifice would you gladly make for your child, work 2 jobs, go hungry, give an arm, and give your life? It wouldn’t be tough, you’d do it gladly."

[Spiritual Pillgrim]

"Met Spiritual Pilgrim… 12 yrs in the Army, he is looking to let go of some of his feelings re: the Military. When he went in he thought he was pretty bad but, he said he has changed and his best moments were when he was helping the Kurds in Turkey instead of trying to exterminate them".

Above was copied from his June 29th journal entry at his website. Not really sure what he is trying to say here. Almost like a newspaper reporter only reporting half the truth and taking thngs out of context.

Yes the Army has pissed me off. Not sure at all about the "he thought he was pretty bad" part. Don't know where or how he got that. Operation Provide Comfort was the best part of my career. I never recall when we were trying to exterminate any Kurds but we had a chance to help them long before the 1st Gulf war and turned our backs on them. Their leader at that time (Barzani) went to Iran for help against Saddam Hussein.

And do all you history buffs know that Ho Chi Minh asked the U.S. for help and we turned on backs on him too? So he went to the Communists.

One last thing. Heard a small bit of a news story on the radio. I think it said that the Gulf War Syndrome is a bunch of bunk. Can anybody else see why I have bitter feelings toward the Army?

[Vi+]

Spiritual Pillgrim,

Reference your post (#21) advising, “Yes the Army has pissed me off. ... (A) news story ... said that the Gulf War Syndrome is a bunch of bunk. Can anybody else see why I have bitter feelings toward the Army?”

Interesting post.

I strongly suspected during the early hours of darkness, the morning of my first full day in the Army, that I probably had made a mistake. I, and a bunch of others like me, stood around for more than four hours waiting for someone to assign us our military service numbers. To be uniform, we stripped our upper bodies down to wearing only our tee shirts. This was in January. We were outside. This was not going to be a good fit for me, for the rest of my life. The subsequent three years included many challenges, which I met.

I retired from the US Government and I’ve been in a few private enterprises, large and small. I’ve concluded all large businesses, whether government or private, have a tendency to work that way.

I don’t think I really had or have bitter feelings toward the Army. I got out at the end of my enlistment.

Without any agenda or criticism in mind, why did you stick around for 12 years?

[mweinstone]

no shoes is lighter,cheaper,dryer,cooler,faster,less damaging to feet, corrects lifetime of unatural shoe foot, looks cool,allowes travel through any terrane any wheather with more sure footing,less jarring to upper legs,and when footwear is dawned for various reasons, the shoeless trained foot can go with minimal footwear with minimal fitting requirments cause there feet will ride in anything .

[mweinstone]

no shoes is lighter,cheaper,dryer,cooler,faster,less damaging to feet, corrects lifetime of unatural shoe foot, looks cool,allowes travel through any terrane any wheather with more sure footing,less jarring to upper legs,and when footwear is dawned for various reasons, the shoeless trained foot can go with minimal footwear with minimal fitting requirments cause there feet will ride in anything .

[mweinstone]

did i forget to mention safer on all climbs walks crawls and even minnisota smithing. and my personal dream is to have eskimo feet.there gross what with there calouse exstending way up the sides of the feet and being fireproof and cold proof and all ,.. but i want em.if girls can buy boobs why cant i buy eskimo feet?

[Spiritual Pillgrim]

Without any agenda or criticism in mind, why did you stick around for 12 years?

Did 10 yrs from 1893 to 1993. Got married in '88. Decided world travel was not for me anymore, my family was more important.

Following 9/11, called to active duty for 2 yrs, volunteered for another 6 months. Would have stayed longer, but the reasons I didn't is all part of that biterness I have. Long story.

[Brushy Sage]

Barefoot AT hiker to testify at Congressional briefing:

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Returning_Guardsmen_Receive_Little_Testing__0927.h tml

[TOW]

One of the southbounders were telling me that Zaleski has dropped off the trail? Anyone know anything?

[Blissful]

We ran into Tyvek near Rock Spring Hut in SNP just yesterday (9/30) as we finished up a short section we had skipped last year. Still heading south. Said he stopped in D.C. to attend congressional hearings. I knew it was him at seeing his bare feet, then heard he had started from Katahdin and had his homemade Tyvek backpack.