Cynthia Welch doesn’t have any special causes.
She’s not walking for some obscure charity, or to shed light on a social malady.
She just felt like walking. “It’s just for the adventure,” she said
It’s been quite a journey so far. The Florida native, now living in Virginia, started her cross-country trek March 18 from Delaware.
She’s en route to California, and reached Iola Monday evening. She found the environment so welcoming, Welch decided to stay over an extra day at the RV campground on the west edge of town before moving on earlier today.
“There’s no set schedule,” she told the Register Tuesday while visiting the Allen County Historical Society Museum. “I have no idea when I’ll get there. I thought for a while I’d like to make it by the end of the year, but now I don’t think I’ll make it that quickly.
“I’m in no hurry,” she continued. “I want to take my time and enjoy this. After all, it’s a trip I’ll probably never take again.”
A cross-country walk carried an appeal for Welch, 47, since she was a child.
After being laid off from her job, Welch figured it was time to hit the road.
She mostly camps out along the way, depending on the kindness of others to offer nightly shelter.
“Most of my trip is along rural areas, so it works out,” she said. “Farmers are much more willing to let somebody camp in their yard than somebody living in the city is.”
She’s had no health issues so far.
In fact, walking 15 to 20 miles a day keeps her in shape.
And while the weather has turned hot, it’s nothing compared to the start of her journey.
“There was six inches of snow on the ground in Delaware my first day,” she said. “A couple days later it snowed another four inches. A week later, I thought I was going to freeze to death.”
Welch is following — for the most part — the American Discovery Trail, a system of recreational trails and roads that form a coast-to-coast hiking and biking path across the country.
“Actually, I’m not on the trail now,” she said, explaining the official trail passes through Kansas City. Welch chose to dip south to avoid the urban environs.
“I’ll catch back up with it at Dodge City,” she said.
And despite the heat, Welch welcomes the mostly flat terrain of Kansas.
She recalled making her way through Dolly Sods Wilderness area, in the Allegheny Mountains in West Virginia.
“It was treacherous and demanding,” she said. “I had to climb along rock trails. It was steep, steep, steep. That’s what I like about U.S. 54. It has some nice, wide shoulders.”
Welch also has occasionally hitched a ride along the way, particularly in nasty weather.
“I know it’s technically cheating, but it’s my trip,” she said with a smile.
Welch is unsure how many miles she’s gone. Nor is she sure how many miles remain.
“I’m guessing Wichita will be the halfway point,” she said.
She’s met two other walkers doing the same trip. One left at the same time she did. (She said he passed through Iola unnoticed about two weeks ago).
“And I’ve met others just walking around,” she added. “And there are lots of people who cross the country on bicycle. It’s fun to meet people like that.”
Welch’s other passion along her trip is reading. She stopped by the Iola Public Library to purchase a discarded book.
“That’s my only luxury,” she laughed.
Welch updates her friends and relatives on her progress every day or two via Facebook.
She’s added 50 or so Facebook friends to her coterie since embarking.
“Just friend request me,” she said. “I’ll accept all of them.”
Woman walks across country for fun of it
