Before last year, I hadn�t backpacked since 1990.� In 2002, I hiked two thousand thirty miles of the Appalachian Trail (AT) in three giant sections (a flip-flop). Journal: www.TrailJournals.com/ElTorro.

Other activities include: rock climbing in Michigan and Ireland pre-hand injury.� I�ve done some cycling (ditto) including one 50-mile ride on country roads.� I cruised in a canoe on the Green River (2001) for one week through Canyon Lands National Park in Utah.

�I say cruised as opposed to �canoed� because we had problems with our system we designed to enable me to help paddle. I now have a multi-part glove system that works fairly well with weight-lifting/pushing.� That glove will probably work well with a canoe paddle but is untried.

�I can only use one hand as the other is partially paralyzed.� On the AT I discovered that my hand has a syndrome similar to Raynauds - a problem with circulation, which causes swelling and coldness.

I grew up on a produce farm in a wooded rural area and day hike in Michigan�s woods, hills and sand dunes.� I'm an active member of a hiking group based in Michigan � GreatLakesHikes.

My hiking style is lightweight but comfortable.� With my current pack I have problems with loads over 35lbs (15.87) and prefer a max pack weight of 30lbs (13.6kg).� Base pack weight hovers around 20lb (9.07kg).� I also use a fanny pack on my hip, a hip sack, which takes about a pound or so off my pack.