West Bend native, Living Word alum, and Afghanistan war veteran Michael Maziarka has officially taken off this morning on the three-month, 1,200-mile trek on Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail.
Maziarka is taking part in the Warrior Hike through Warrior Expeditions. He left this morning from his starting point in St. Croix Falls after breakfast at the local VFW with Sean Gobin of Warrior Expeditions and trail alum J.D. Heisz.
Maziarka and another veteran, Miles Vining, a U.S. Marine, expect to pass through Washington County on or about July 23.
According to the Warrior Expeditions website, “In 1948, Earl Shaffer told a friend he was going to “walk off the war” to work out the sights, sounds, and losses of World War II. Four months later, Earl Shaffer became the first person to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.
Following in Earl Shaffer’s footsteps and in recognizing the therapeutic effects of long distance outdoor expeditions, Warrior Expeditions created the Warrior Hike, Warrior Bike, and Warrior Paddle programs which are designed to help combat veterans transition from their military service.”
Maziarka may be followed on the Warrior Hike Facebook page, on the Warrior Expeditions website, on Twitter @WarriorExpeditions, or on his own personal blog, “Rucksack to Backpack.”