One Step at a Time: John Malbone’s Journey Across the B2B Trail

John Malbone didn’t set out to walk the entire Border to Border Trail. Not at first. It began with a single mile and a feeling he couldn’t shake: the need to move, to breathe, to see something new.

After more than thirty years as a school counselor and math teacher, John was ready for a new chapter. Retirement had been on his mind for a while, but life had other plans and asked him to wait a little longer. By the time winter rolled around, things had settled enough at home for him to finally step away from work. With a little encouragement from home, he knew it was finally the right moment to step into something new.

And then came the question: What now?

That summer, itching to go somewhere new, John drove to a gas station near Rawsonville Road in Belleville and left his car behind. He had looked at the B2B Trail map just enough to know where to start, but he didn’t want a plan. “I told myself, wherever I stop is where I’ll start next,” he said. “I didn’t want to overthink it. I just wanted to be out there.”

He set out alone most days, though his wife or mother often helped by dropping him off or meeting him down the line. A few miles here, a few more there, depending on the weather and how his knees felt. He wasn’t counting steps or chasing miles. This was about pace and presence. Step by step, he was taking on something meaningful. Stretch by stretch, he trekked across Washtenaw County, discovering places he’d never seen and seeing familiar ones in a new light.

“I wasn’t looking to train for anything. I just wanted to see it. I didn’t want to look online. I wanted to feel the trail for myself.”

And feel it he did. John remembers almost every turn, not from studying maps but from writing about the walks afterward. Sometimes he journaled his impressions, and other times he posted photos online. It was his way of marking time and taking it all in.

Some places left a permanent imprint, like Parker Mill, the peaceful river bend near Delhi, and the shaded stretch between Bandemer and Argo. But it was Barton Dam that stole his heart. “That was the moment,” he said. “I picked the perfect day. The blue sky, the sound of the water, no one around. I was just standing there thinking, this is it.”

He met others along the way. Retired teachers, morning runners, fellow wanderers. People who swapped stories or offered a friendly nod in passing. He crossed paths with a man who mows the side of Huron River Drive to keep it clear and safe, and a college student fishing off a new bridge who shared a few favorite local pathways. “No one was a stranger,” John said. “If I saw someone, I’d usually stop and chat. That’s part of it too.”

Some segments came with surprises, including construction, detours, or stretches still in progress. The trail is always evolving, with new connections and improvements taking shape each year. When John came to a pause near Barton Dam, he gave it time and returned later to find the path open again. Each section had its own rhythm, and part of the joy was following where it led.

John didn’t do it for a medal or a record. He just needed a way to reconnect with Michigan, with nature, and with himself. “I’d been helping other people for decades. And suddenly, I had time to just be,” he said. “Walking gave me that. It helped me breathe again.”

By the time he reached the western end of the trail, John had taken hundreds of photos, talked with dozens of strangers, and experienced Washtenaw County slowly, deliberately, and with open eyes. He moved at the pace of the trail. No rushing. No racing. Just walking.

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. I wasn’t trying to prove anything. I just wanted to go. And it was beautiful.” 

And sometimes, that’s all it takes: one step at a time.

Inspired by John’s story?

Grab a map, pick a starting point, and just start walking. The Border to Border Trail is waiting.