DANIEL LEE ROGERS
Author and Adventurer

    In 1999, Dan Rogers hiked all 2,174 miles of the Appalachian Trail, starting at Springer Mountain, Georgia, and finishing at the Trail’s northern terminus, Mt. Katahdin, Maine, five months later. Although he returned to his management job with Colgate-Palmolive afterward, Dan couldn’t ignore the itch for adventure for long. In August 2001, he walked out of his front door in Steubenville, Ohio, and began a nine-month walk that would take him south to Natchez, Mississippi, and west to the Pacific Ocean. During that walk, he would learn of the 9/11 bombings while on a country road in southern Ohio; fall in love with the woman who would later become his wife; face the physical, mental, and spiritual challenges of a long-distance hike; and meet, befriend, and inspire countless people on the backroads along the way. He chronicled his cross-country adventure in America, One Step at a Time: A 3,400-Mile Walk in Search of America and shares his story with audiences of all ages. As an Eagle Scout, professional Boy Scout, summer camp director, and former scoutmaster, Dan has an excellent rapport with young people and is an engaging and inspiring speaker for children of all ages. 

    Born and raised outside the steel-mill town of Steubenville, Ohio, Dan is a graduate of Malone College. He was 36 when he hiked the Appalachian Trail; it was then that he adopted the trail name of “Sheltowee”—the name given to Daniel Boone by the Shawnee when they adopted him into their tribe in the late 1700s. 

    Dan now lives with his wife, Nina, in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, and manages Camp Daniel Boone for the Daniel Boone Council, Boy Scouts of America. Dan and Nina are currently making plans to hike the Pacific Crest Trail (Mexico to Canada by way of California, Oregon, and Washington) in 2008.

Published Books

America One Step at a Time:
A 3,400 Mile Walk in Search of America
by Daniel Rogers Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Thirsty Turtle Press (October 15, 2003)
ISBN: 0972903801

The true story of one man's walk across America. The book weaves the experiences the author encountered in a light and lively manner, covering everything from romance to history, nature and environmental concerns; to the people and places he met along the way.

Reviews
"Who doesn't want to quit their job and go live out a dream? Daniel Rogers proves that it is possible, enjoyable, and above all, inspiring. What a wonderful book. I couldn't put it down!"
Stacey J. Spiehler

"Rebeccasreads has interviewed Eagle Scout Dan Rogers & recommends AMERICA ONE STEP AT A TIME as a lively adventure of a mostly solitary walk along the back roads of this land, full of history & philosophy, simple humor & rare awe." Rebecca Brown (rebeccasreads.com)

"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation". When Henry David Thoreau penned these now famous words, he'd never met Daniel Rogers. "America One Step at a Time" is far more than the title implies. A common man undertakes the uncommon task of walking across America. Like most of us, Rogers lived by the alarm clock and on-ramp metering system, living a life of throttled dreams and ambitions. But unlike most of us, he awoke one morning and decided to throw "common-sense" to the wind and pursue his dream. In his alluring book, he gives us a delightful look at the essence of America, its people, its country-sides, and its history. But he tantalizes our latent fires of adventure and discovery. He tells a wonderful tail of adventure while fanning the flames of spiritual rebellion that lies within us all. It's captivating reading and it challenges us to awake to the real world around us and experience it before it's too late. A wonderful book. Allen Sherpa

Recognition

   Dan “Sheltowee” Rogers was a featured segment of the Fine Living Channel’s “Radical Sabbatical” show for several months in 2002. This program has also been aired as in-flight entertainment by Delta Airlines flights. In January 2006, American Way, the in-flight magazine for American Airlines, featured Dan as one of several “intrepid trekkers” pursuing long-distance adventuring goals. Dan’s story has also been featured in various newspapers. Most recently, Dan served as keynote speaker for a Lions Club banquet in Steubenville, Ohio, where he was honored for his accomplishments and received a “key to the city.”

Presentations

Recent Presentations and Contacts

Contact

Daniel Lee Rogers
PO Box 402
Maggie Valley, NC 28751

Phone (828) 926-6472
FAX (828) 926-8851

mailto:sheltowee9@aol.com

Website http://www.sheltoweehikes.com

01/10/07 date this page was last edited      Click HERE to return to state page