Man Walking Across America Shares Message with Southeast Colorado

Description: "I figured at the end of my life I probably wouldn't regret having done this and I'd probably remember it for the rest of my life."

Man Walking Across America Shares Message with Southeast Colorado

Isaiah Shields' message of tolerance and acceptance of our fellow Americans leads the way as he follows his dream of self discovery and growth through risk and reward on the open road.

Having traveled over 3,000 miles on foot, Shields has gone through seven pairs of shoes and has been met with people's kindness all along the way...

SECO News interviewed him at the Copper Kitchen in La Junta on November 17, 2021. 

Interview Transcript:

SECO News: This is Adrian Hart with your Southeast Colorado News on seconews.org

We're at the Copper Kitchen in beautiful downtown La Junta, Colorado. I'm here with Isaiah Shields, this is the man who's crossing America on foot. Isaiah, do you want to tell us a little bit about your motivations and the route that you're taking?

Shields: I think basically it boils down to, I wanted to be more aware about what the different lifestyles look like in our country. So I wanted to be able to see some of these people that live in the various parts of our country first hand, be able to sit down to dinner with them, hear about their lives, and understand why they care about the things they care about. And I figured at the end of my life I probably wouldn't regret having done this and I'd probably remember it for the rest of my life. 

SECO News: How old are you and where are you from?

Shields: I'm 28 years old and my father served in the Air Force when I was growing up, so we moved a lot, but my walk began in Provo Utah where I attended at Brigham Young University and graduated in 2019.

SECO News: Alright, and so you walked up to the Western most point in the U.S., in the contiguous U.S., to start your journey?

Shields: That's correct.

SECO News: Where's that at? 

Shields: So it's a cape on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State called Cape of Alava and it's the Western most point of our West Coast of the contiguous 48 states. 

SECO News: Alright, very cool, so I guess just tell us about the route you've taken so far. 

Shields: So I started from Provo [Utah], and then I walked through Southern Idaho up through a town called Weiser, crossed into Oregon walked through the Columbia River Gorge all the way to Portland, and then up the West Coast of Washington on Route 101 all the way up through Forks, and through Clallam Bay and then into Cape of Alava. At which point I turned around and walked through Eastern Washington into Spokane, through Coeur d'Alene [Idaho], and then all the way through Montana, and then through Wyoming and now I'm here in Colorado. I turned in Pueblo to start heading east towards Kansas so I could avoid a mountain pass as you approach New Mexico. 

SECO News: Right, Raton Pass in November may not be friendly on foot.

Shields: That's right. I was trying to avoid that if I could. 

SECO News: Hopefully the Eastern Plains will be kind to you on your trek through.

Shields: I hope so, by the time I get there it should be a little warmer. 

SECO News: Okay, so we know you've got a place to stay tonight.

Shields: Correct. A local resident offered me a place in his home.

SECO News: Just while you were walking down the highway?

Shields: Just while I was walking down the highway. He stopped over, pulled over in his car, asked me what I was doing. He knew it was going to get really cold tonight, so he asked if I could benefit from a place for the evening. I took him up on it.

SECO News: Very good. So you exchanged numbers?

Shields: That's right.

SECO News: Very cool, so does that happen often?

Shields: Fairly, I mean not every day, but as I approach population centers occasionally I have a sign on my cart so people can look up what I'm doing real quick on Youtube and if they find it interesting. I've been approached by a number of people as I approach towns who have offered me places to stay.  

SECO News: Yup, well we've got some great pictures we're going to have in the photo gallery on this article. We're going to go shoot some more around La Junta, and is there anything you want to add in closing?

Shields: I think one of my main messages to people as I do this walk is just to be willing to take a little bit of risk in your life and you'll be surprised at how capable you are at accomplishing something that seems quite difficult at first. 

SECO News: What a fantastic message, thank you for coming to La Junta on foot and sharing it with the community in La Junta.

Shields: It's a lovely place, thanks for having me.

Check Out another article about Isaiah's Adventure Here:

Man Walking Across America Says You Do You on Youtube

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