"Breadless Horseman" Hike Sans Bread and Horse

The 9 March 2007 issue of the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal has an article by Lisa O'Donnell that's headlined "Get Out!: Gluten-free hiker to help spread word." It's the story of soon-to-be AT hiker Gordon Jenkins.

Jenkins has celiac disease, a digestive tract disease that means he shouldn't eat gluten. Not a big deal, right? Except when you stop and think about what it is thru-hikers eat a lot of: wheat-based carbohydrates, like Ramen, like bread, like pizza, like energy bars.

So his mom has been preparing and dehydrating gluten-free versions of meals for him to eat on the hike. Pretty good story about adjusting things to suit one's needs.

And, yes, he's also hiking to raise funds for the Celiac Disease Center, which is supposed to be keeping track of his hike on its web site.

Jenkins's own hike web site is also slated to keep track of him as he hits the Trail on the 17th of March as the "Breadless Horseman." (Maybe he'll run into "Uncle Buck" who is starting his hike to cure leukemia on the same day.)