Follow Woody Ellis’s 2,000+ mile trek across the United States with updates on WKTV Journal!
Woody Ellis began his trek across the United States with the Mackinac Bridge Walk on Sept. 2 in an effort to combat stigma surrounding mental illness. The #WOODYWALKS journey could take anywhere from 2-3 years. Learn more here.
Dec. 13, 2024 – First Snow!
Walking in the snow for the first time in snow with the trailer was interesting…
Watch Woody’s full message here!
Dec. 11, 2024 – 410 Miles
#woodywalks crossing 410 miles for #mentalhealthawareness as I walk from Escanaba, MI to Ford River, MI.
Watch Woody’s full message here!
Dec. 10, 2024 – History on the Road
Awesome church from 1890 that a sweet woman named Wendy let me stay at in Escanaba, MI.
Watch the full reel here!
Dec. 6, 2024 – Running Low
Welp, I’ve hiked 400 miles for mental health awareness so far but I’m running low on funds. This isn’t the type of project that affords a lot of extra time for a “real job”, nor is it the type of project that one who would be considered frugal would embark on, but it is the type of project that does a whole lot of good for the world…
Christmas gifts, exchange of services, donations – read Woody’s full post here!
Dec. 5, 2024 – To Do List Conquerer
Welp, I FORCED myself to focus on knock off a ton of items on my “to do” checklist that have been giving me that overwhelming feeling and I am very proud of myself.
My ADHD is extreme and I don’t use the word “forced” lightly. Trying to force yourself to focus and work when your brain is going a million miles per minute is literally almost painful…
Read Woody’s full post here.
Nov. 27, 2024 – Lending a Hand
This is the first time I’ve volunteered for something in my entire life, and I gotta say, I kinda like it.
Today I helped setup these beautiful place settings with mats designed by local Girl Scouts, and tomorrow I return to share a Thanksgiving meal with the community of Escanaba and then help with cleanup.
Such a great way to lend a hand and meet so many interesting people during a time of extreme loneliness.
Nov. 24, 2024 – 367 Miles Carrying 100 lbs
367 miles hiked so far with 100lbs of stuff…
…and setup and breakdown camp every night and morning, with outrageously enflamed legs and feet, and blisters surrounding multiple toes. 2.5 toenails gone so far… I’m hardly hitting 12 miles in a day because my body just can’t take it. If I didn’t have all this stuff I could do 15-20 in a day.
I’m not doing anyone any good, including myself, when I’m out here suffering and lonely. If I had a support RV, I could focus more on crushing miles instead of worrying about the stress that comes with finding a safe place to camp…
Read Woody’s full post – and how you can help – here.
Nov. 23, 2024 – Spread the word!
I’m now organizing a 5-mile community hike in Green Bay, WI where we’re expecting 100+ people to be joining us.
The more people this project reaches, the more good we can do…
See the full reel with Woody’s message and hiking pictures here!
Nov. 16, 2024 – A Superior Stay
I’ve received countless donations in the form of accommodations at some of the best places all over the U.P. and I figure it’s only fair to showcase these wonderful establishments a bit for their generosity and kindness!
This was the Superior Stay Hotel – Marquette and it was lovely. Best part was the complimentary breakfast and gym 🙂
Nov. 9, 2024 – Cowwwwabuuunnnnggggaaaaaa
We came, we saw, we conquered in the name of mental health!
Please donate at woodywalks.com.
Nov. 5, 2024 – 255 Miles, Wind, Rain…and Kindred Spirits
Wind, rain and connection.
Read about how chance encounters can provide encouragement with Woody’s latest reel.
One of my best friends told me his wife’s brother was looking for someone to camp with…
View full reel here.
Nov. 1, 2024 – Cannonball!
I am organizing a community hike/cannonball off the Black Rocks cliffs into Superior taking place Saturday, Nov. 9 for mental health. I’m going to pick only one of the organizations I’m walking for to raise money for, and I’ll do these types of events for each of them separately to be fair!
A Community Hike Haiku:
(…and if I’m being honest I sort of think it’s the best haiku ever.)
Community hike?
Sounds like a good idea!
Please join us won’t you?
Oct. 31, 2024 – Honesty
I’ve never really made a brutally honest post about my mental health, but as I sit here “frozen” yet again, both physically and mentally, I am realizing the tragic irony in that, considering what it is that I’ve embarked on. So I feel obligated to talk about it…
When I think about what it takes to run this project and all of the behind the scenes work I need to get caught up on, I feel scatterbrained and overwhelmed with ADHD symptoms to the point of being “frozen” with EXTREME helplessness and depression. I truly feel it’s necessary to emphasize the degree in which this hits me…
Read full post here.
Oct. 29, 2024 – Community!
244 miles hiked out of 2,000 so far for mental health awareness! On Oct. 29, Woody met with the fine folks at Falling Rock Cafe & Bookstore, TV6 & FOX UP, and as many members of the Munising community as they could muster, to walk a few more!
Click the links above for more info and news coverage!
Oct. 20, 2024 – Aggressive Kitty
Interview number 14 so far. I’m so grateful for the response I’m getting in helping push this project.
This takes the cake for most fun I’ve had during an interview. It took place at the station where the most attention thirsty cat was aggressively begging for pets the entire time. To the point of biting me if I stopped. Never met a cat like her, and I loved every minute of it.
Learn about business sponsorships here!
Oct. 18, 2024 – Let’s do a raffle!
Learn how you can win this cool stuff!
The rad items you see before you were donated to the #woodywalks project by Woodies and Harvest Hosts! They will be raffled away with 100% of the proceeds going to the six organizations I am walking for.
To participate, join the woodywalks newsletter (where I will send instructions) at woodywalks.com.
Read the full post here!
Oct. 14, 2024 – A new hangout!
So I was walking, as I do, and I came across Tahqua Journey Drop-In Center in Newberry, MI. Upon further inspection, I discovered it is a community center for adults who are working on managing their mental health!
I popped in and met the director Robin Lynn and asked about doing a “flash fundraiser.” It turns out they cannot accept funds, but they can accept items!
If you’re interested in contributing, check out the full post here to learn more!
Oct. 6, 2024 – Waiting out the rain
Waiting out a rainy day before I make my way to Newberry, MI where Duffy’s Motel donated a room for a couple nights and I’ll be chopping some wood for some extra cash for the folks at Kritter’s Campground!
Watch the reel here!
Oct. 5, 2024 – 150 miles and just getting started!
Happy Saturday!! I’ve just crossed the 150 mile mark (154.5 to be exact) since I left on Sept. 1 and have raised $300 for the organizations I’m working with. Mike Austin from WILS says he was hoping it would have been more. I said we’re just getting started and we’ll show him 
Let me know if you’d like to get involved or you can see all the information and details at: woodywalks.com
Oct. 1, 2024 – 111 miles and…a pig
I hiked 111 miles from Mackinaw City to Hulbert, MI so far, where the kind folks at The Hulbert House Bed N Breakfast donated a room to the #woodywalks project for a few nights while I waited for a bunch of gear for the trek to arrive.
Now I continue my 2,000 mile to the one and only Paradise, MI!
Watch the reel here! Donate to support mental health awareness here.
Sept. 19, 2024 – T-shirts now available!
Let me know if you want one! I designed them myself and I have them in white as well, and the one with the round logo in many different vibrant colors.
The green ribbon represents the fight for mental health, which I flipped upside down and turned into the “Y” in Woody.
Sept. 18, 2024 – It’s a little cramped in here…
Here’s a photo of me pretending to be in good spirits even though I can’t really fit in my hammock and it’s becoming quite a drag trying to sleep in it 
I realized that when the manufacturer says it can fit people up to 6’11″, they meant people without arms or feet. My mistake.
Sept. 16, 2024 – 2 days and 24 miles
44,219 steps (24 miles) over the last two days for mental health at exactly a 4mph pace. A large portion of that was through sand, carrying approx. 100lbs worth of stuff. It was ROUGH and broke me down a bit, but I’m grateful for this donated camp site at the Trout Lake Township Campground, and it will be an amazing place to call home for a few nights while I let my muscles, joints, and blisters heal up.
Total amount raised for my chosen organizations: $300!
Sept. 13, 2024 – 348,715 steps and 179.4 miles!
Yesterday it was a hike from St Ignace to The Gourd Barn in Moran, a beautiful estate that Clarlyn and Rick Ledy are kind enough to let me hangout on for a couple days (while feeding me). They make amazing art here that I will showcase a bit in my reels.
Since July 1st, I’ve taken 348,715 steps, walked 179.4 miles, and raised $250 for mental health and organizations that help with causes affecting me and my family, and many I’m close with, very personally. Thank you and be sure to find a reason to smile today
Sept. 2, 2024 – #WOODYWALKS begins!
Woody Ellis began his 2,000+ journey on Labor Day, Sept. 2, by participating in the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk. Over 30,000 people participated in the walk this year.
Click here for a video snippet of the #WOODYWALKS launch!
Aug. 29, 2024 – A sneak peek!
Check out this #WOODYWALKS reel that shows an example of what camping will look like between hikes!