SAN DIEGO -- Steve Vaught, a 39-year-old self-described "fat man" from Valley Center, left on April 10 for a journey of a lifetime.

FAT MAN WALKING Route Pictures Contact

He is taking six months out of his life to walk across the United States from San Diego to New York City. The main purpose of his journey is to lose weight, but he also hopes to change behaviors that "put him in this situation in the first place."

Track Steve's journey with 10News.com.

Every week, Steve will submit a new journal entry as a way for 10News viewers to keep pace with his trip.

To learn more about Steve's journey, visit www.thefatmanwalking.com/.

6/21/05

From Steve's wife, April
Steve has had a little more blister trouble, which will hopefully be resolved through some foot care suggestions from Dr. Rehm (a podiatrist for Foot EFX). He spent Father's Day with April and the kids and enjoyed a swim or two and the new Star Wars movie. It's 115 degrees today in Needles. Long hot road ahead to Kingman, but not as desolate as the last leg traveled through the Mojave Desert.

6/7/05

From Steve's wife, April
Never a dull moment...

This last week, Steve has been trying to make his way through the Mojave desert with a 70 - 80 pound pack on his back. The pack broke and had to be replaced again, so he was put out of commission until he could get a replacement. In an attempt to deal with the weight issues, we added a jogging stroller to the mix, but it isn't working out. Steve is just too tall, and pushing that thing for the next 3,000 miles didn't sound appealing to Steve either. Adventure 16 is going to help us with lightening his load and we are trying to find more en route volunteers to help bring out provisions every 2-3 days while in the desert regions. After decreasing the weight of his pack to around 40 - 50 pounds, he is hoping to start making up some of the distance he has lost. He is back to feeling excited about the adventure and looking forward to the new Steve.

6/1/05

From Steve's wife, April
Steve has had a tough time coping with the desert. He has been depressed, hot, uncomfortable, hot, pestered by bugs, did I say hot? I have been trying to coordinate volunteers to check on him every other day, but it's difficult because no one really lives out there, do they? I think he is doing a little better now, but it's a long, long road. The important thing is that he has taken his first big leap and he's still walking. He may even be in Arizona by late next week. We'll see...

5/17/05

From Steve's wife, April
This has been a hard week for Steve. He finally achieved the summit of Cajon Pass. He re-injured his knee, (although it is doing far better now). He caught some kind of flu bug and a cold possibly from bad water. The flu he is over now, but the cold is still affecting his head and sinuses. He is not where he would like to be in miles, but he is still walking. He is on the outskirts of Victorville today, May 17th 2005. Now that the pass is behind him, he looks forward to getting to the other side of the desert. In addition to his other stresses, he has been attacked by an army of ants and he is losing three toe-nails due to "black toe."

Good news – Steve finally has a cell phone and a mini-computer thingamabob for sending journal updates thanks to City Scene Development and its subsidiary Magnum Construction (urban infill developers in the North Park area of San Diego). Steve has two lead sponsors now - City Scene Development and its subsidiary Magnum Construction, in association with an energy product Manufacturer REVV, with Nancy Moore as their spokesperson, are supporting Steve for the cause to see him succeed in his goal of walking across the nation. Thank you so much!

5/10/05

From Steve's wife, April
A week ago, Steve was making very little progress due to his leg injury. Today, however, he is back up to 10-12 miles per day. He is headed up the Cajon Pass and is approximately 10 miles from the summit. He is following Old Route 66. Foot Efx of Redlands outfitted him this week with a new pair of "super shoes" and custom fitted inserts. He says they have made all the difference.

What is really surprising to Steve, he told me on Sunday, is the generosity and kindness of the people that he has met and the people that send supportive e-mails or postings. He is completey surprised at how many people seem to be following his story and his progress. Over 12,000 unique visitors have viewed his Web site.

He does look thinner, (I saw him on Mother's Day on my way to Albuquerque), and I can already see changes in him on a deeper level.

05/02/05

From Steve's wife, April
Steve injured his leg this week. A ligament that connects to his knee was strained. Steve was very depressed thinking that this would eliminate his chances of completing his journey, but a couple days of rest, some anti-inflammatories, and a better attitude got him back on the road on Sunday 5/1/05. Tomorrow Steve will be headed up Cajon Pass. A little walk I don't think I could complete myself. He has loads of emotional support from family and friendly locals. New York City or bust, right?

4/25/05

From Steve's wife, April
Steve has reached Riverside and is working his way into San Bernadino County. People from Canada, Australia, and Sweden have sent messages of encouragement. He is still dealing with blister issues, but has a plan to better prevent them in the future.

The Riverside County paper, Press Enterprise, ran a nice article about his trek and as a result has a lot of people watching out for him. His spirits are high as he has met many friendly people that are behind his journey. Libraries have come in handy for keeping in touch with me and reading some of the encouraging e-mails people have sent.

Thanks to everyone at 10 News for continuing the coverage. Many people have come directly from your site to view his web