Oregon Trail Redux

By Gordon Hopkins “On the way into Fairbury I heard a faint 'hey!' I turned to find a gentleman trying valiantly to catch up. Turns out he was with the local paper, and someone told him I was something he shouldn't miss. We talked for a bit, I gave him a card, and he shot photos. I'd talk to every paper and TV station along the way if I could. The Trail needs all the good press it can get.”This comes from the Wednesday, April 27, entry of an online journal being kept by a guy who calls himself Dundee.It is Wednesday morning at the newsroom and, being paper day, I and my fellow Journal News employees are awaiting the arrival of the big truck carrying the bundles of this week’s edition. Plus, I am getting ready to head out of town to cover a story.That is when a fellow meandered into the newsroom and said, “I just saw the weirdest thing up on the PWF Road.I checked my watch. My interview was a good 45-minute drive away. Maybe I still had time, if I hurried. Maybe.As a newspaperman, I just couldn’t resist the siren call of, “I just saw the weirdest thing…”So, I hopped in my car and headed out to PWF Road and, sure enough, off in the distance, I saw a strangely dressed guy pushing some kind of handcart. I pulled over and parked at the cemetery, because I didn’t see any other practical parking spots. (Note to the Cemetery Board-I really think you guys outta think about valet parking.) I got out of my car and looked for the man, only to realize I couldn’t see him anymore. Could I have lost a lone figure on an otherwise empty road?It turns out he had turned off onto a side road. After wandering aimlessly for a bit, I stumbled across him (and if there is a better metaphor for journalism, I don’t know what it would be).So, I ran after him (By which I mean, I walked slightly faster after him), hollering until he heard me. He stopped and waited for me to catch up.He told me is “trail name” was Dundee and that he was walking the Oregon Trail.I asked him why he was doing this. Was he raising money for some charity? Was he trying to raise awareness for some sort of cause? Was it some sort of elaborate ad campaign? Had the guy I was set to interview hired him to distract me so I would miss our appointment?In the end, his answer amounted to a variation on the old adage about why someone climbs a mountain: Because it’s there. Actually, the reverse. He doesn’t walk the trail because it is there. The trail is there because he walks it.It seems his primary goal is just to keep the trail alive.Speaking of mountains, Dundee pointed out that far more people scale Mount Everest every year than walk the Oregon Trail. Of course, you can’t hire a Sherpa guide to help you make it to the end of the trail alive.At least, I don’t think you can. I guess I don’t honestly know that for sure. I’ve never tried.

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