Center Township man passes through Missouri on walk to California
After heading out on foot from his home in Center Township at the beginning of April, Terry Karenbauer is nearly in Butler as of Tuesday, April 29.
Butler, Mo., that is. He has been making a point to visit other Butler’s across the nation on his journey to Venice Beach, Calif., in honor of his late-son, Chris Karenbauer, who died of a brain aneurysm in 2021 at age 25.
Karenbauer formed the Chris Karenbauer Project in 2022, as a way to honor his son by raising money for causes like women’s shelters and veterans organizations. Aside from the fundraising aspects of the nonprofit, Karenbauer said the organization is a way for him to tell Chris’ story.
Walking across the U.S. is a chance to do both — tell Chris’ story across America — hence the name of this trip, “Chris Crossing America.”
“It has been quite an experience meeting people along the way,” Karenbauer said. “Coming through Ohio there, it was probably a 3 to 4 mile stretch where it’s a group from Venezuela setting up solar panel and wind turbines. I talked to them for a while and told them about the Chris Karenbauer Project.”
On Tuesday morning, April 29, Karenbauer was holed up in a hotel in Jefferson City, Mo. — about 1,765 miles from his destination — to wait out some predicted storms and potential tornadoes.
Karenbauer said he can cover up to around 70 miles in one day, and he has been walking the American Discovery Trail for much of his journey so far. He said he also has been able to follow the Katy Trail, a 240-mile long Missouri state trail, for most of his time in the Show Me State.
Attached to Karenbauer’s travel backpack — which contains clothing and camping supplies — is a laminated flyer for the Chris Karenbauer Project, which has a QR code people can use to donate directly to the nonprofit. This is how he hopes to raise money to support causes like women’s shelters and veterans organizations in the Butler area.
Karenbauer came up with the idea for the Chris Karenbauer Project with a lot of help from his daughter, Marina Karenbauer. Through money raised by the nonprofit, Terry Karenbauer performs random acts of kindness — which his son was known for since he was in school.
“We started it up to live when he was alive. Chris was very involved in this charity from one of our teachers, the We Choose Joy Project,” Marina Karenbauer said. “He went out of his way to do additional things that weren’t associated with that project. He always had that very giving way about him.”
Terry Karenbauer’s interactions with other hikers along the trail have been pleasant and often met with surprise.
“They ask if I’m going to the next town and I say I’m going to California,” Karenbauer said.
People also ask Karenbauer what he eats and drinks in a day to keep his energy up. He responds by saying he has supplies in his backpack — food like trail mix, crackers and dried fruit, as well as electrolyte beverages. Sometimes he stops at diners and restaurants to fuel up with bigger meals and coffee.
While he plans to be on the road for at least the next few months, Karenbauer said he always keeps his mind set on his most-immediate next destination.
“I know what the ultimate goal is, but I set (my goal) to the next town,” he said, “10 miles, 20 miles away because it keeps that goal in sight.”
Karenbauer said he keeps in contact with his children back home, with Marina Karenbauer being integral in planning the trek. She said in February, before her dad left on his journey, that it was a project her brother would have appreciated.
“Chris was always pushing people to be better versions of themselves; inspire people to do better and help out their fellow man,” she said. “Chris just wanted to be there to help people. We try to be better, and help people and make sure they have everything they can.”
Terry Karenbauer said he communicates with his daughter and his other children regularly. He said he called his daughter after meeting some people at a restaurant in Ohio, whom he suspects left him a helpful tool for his trip.
“Somebody left a bike sitting outside my door with a message saying good luck on your journey and a smiley face,” Terry Karenbauer said. “I was just in awe. I called my kids and I was emotional about it.
“To me it really hit home in regards that there are good people out there in this world, you just have to touch base with them.”
The Chris Karenbauer Project has a Facebook and Instagram page, where Karenbauer details his routes and crossed miles via screenshots of his map application.
