Kelly Ford of Luling traveled from St. Charles, to St. Charles – and he took the scenic route.
Ford, who is known locally for taking physical challenges and adventure head on, recently added to his growing collection of memorable experiences when he embarked on a solo kayaking and camping expedition that took him 356 miles on the Missouri River, starting in Kansas City and finishing in St. Charles, Missouri.
“It was my first kayaking trip,” Ford said. “The bluffs were real pretty. It was more turbulent than I expected … I got a little nervous a couple of times where my kayak turned on its side (after hitting submerged rock). So, it got exciting at times.”
It’s the kind of excitement Ford lives for. Previously, the Luling resident tackled the Appalachian Trail in 2021. The 2,190 mile journey took him 5 months and 18 days to complete.
Some might have tired out after that – Ford couldn’t wait to take on his next challenge, however. In 2022 he rode his bike from Luling to San Diego, California with a couple he met during his first expedition. He’s biked across Georgia, across Missouri and from Portland, Oregon to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.
These are tests of endurance and fortitude.
“75 percent of it is mental,” Ford said. “You just can’t break down. If you keep your mind in the game, you’re gonna be alright. Don’t ever quit on a bad day. If you’ve got to rest, rest, but don’t quit – you’ll make it.”
Most might say it’s easier said than done.
“I love to see the facial expressions,” Ford said of the people he tells about his plans. “But I try to tell people, you can do this, anybody can do this – you just have to go.”
While he says he tries to not plan too much in advance, some foresight is necessary as he goes.
“You do play it by ear a bit when it comes to resupplying food. You make sure you have five days on you and look at some maps to see where the next towns are, then see how many miles a day you need to go and predict when you should get there. It’s part of the game.”
Ford fast-tracked his retirement from Bayer two years ago to be able to spend more time backpacking and biking.
The Appalachian Trail, meanwhile, represented his very first backpacking trip.
Ford hiked 100 miles on that 2020 journey.
A major hiking goal Ford has his eyes on is completing the Triple Crown, which is often considered the pinnacle of the hiking world.
To complete the feat, a person must hike the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest and Continental Divide trails. The task typically takes at least three years, with five or six months dedicated to each trail.
He’s done the first. The second will likely begin in February for him as he plans to embark on the Pacific Crest, which will take him from Mexico to Canada, 2,600 miles in total.
“This last one was like training for that,” Ford said. “I’ll start from Mexico and at least get the desert part of it done. It’s a good time to do the Mojave. I’ll have to make up my mind when I get to the Sierras if I want to go deal with six to eight feet of snow … I may flip flop and start another section first while the snow melts.”
Aside from the thrill of it all, something Ford said makes these experiences priceless is the people he meets along the way.
“I’ve made a lot of friends all over the country,” he said. “You don’t come across many people who want to do these things until you go out there and you’re in it, and that’s when you’re gonna meet them. You come across some great people, free spirits.”
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