PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A Pasco County man is about to kick off on an epic adventure — hiking 5400 miles from Canada to the Florida Keys.
- Pasco man to hike from Canada to Florida Keys
- 5400 mile journey to take two years
- Paton hopes his story helps others break down barriers
They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For Patrick Paton, who's hiked the Appalachian Trail twice, the Pacific Crest Trail, and trails across the country, that step was taken long ago.
"I've been hiking all my life," Paton said. "The Boy Scouts taught me a lot of skills, and the Marine Corps taught me a lot of skills also."
At 63-years-old, he's a retired social worker, and, quite simply, this is what he loves to do.
"I went through eight pairs of shoes the last trip. I probably got another 300 miles on these here," he said.
As Paton hikes from Belle Isle in Canada to the Florida Keys, he'll carry a 25 pound pack with all the essentials. And aside from grabbing food from nearby stores, he plans to stick to the trails, setting up tarps and a sleeping pad for shelter.
Although he'll be alone, Paton said he always meets countless people along the way.
And it was the peace in nature that first drew him to the trails as a child. He said he had no way of knowing how that would help him later in life.
"It wasn't just Vietnam. I think being a social worker, I was twisted and turned and crashed and burned. It was something I had to push through and learn to get past the walls to a better life," he explained.
Paton said he hopes his story helps others break down their own barriers, one step at a time.
Paton will leave for Canada on Sunday and expects the trip to take two years.