The birthday pilgrimage started later in the day than normal for Olen, and included a dozen fans, friends and family members. Most trips, Olen goes alone at mid-week, when the trail is more wilderness than main street, and he starts shortly after daylight. This time, there were his grandsons, Paul and Scott Davis, and his great grandson, Kyle, age 4. Keep your socks washed. Clean mind, clean heart, clean hands and clean feet.
Feet are pretty important to a hiker.
Olen moves out in the lead at a pace that keeps followers less than half his age scattered and breathing hard. I've never had health problems. I've had a good body. I was born and raised the hard way, on a farm in Texas. The hikes aren't some kind of pilgrimage in quest of lost youth.