(Sun City, Arizona, USA; 01 November 2025) Thanks to the kind folks at Independent Newsmedia for publishing the first article about the Dale Shewalter Tribute Hike. The article also includes information about the three other aspects of the Arizona Trail hike. You can read the article for free here.
No Flipping on FlipSockz
(Sun City, AZ, USA / October 22, 2022) Art “Karts” Huseonica, 71, is excited to announce a new relationship with FlipSockz. A locally-owned business in Massachusetts, USA, FlipSockz caught Karts’ attention because he’s always looking for the ultimate sock for over his liner socks. Of special note, is the built-in gaiter on the FlipSockz. See photos.
Custom designed to include a 62% Merino Wool comfort blend, Flipsockz eliminates dirt, grit, and debris from getting stuck in Karts’ boots. “I’m very pleased with the results of extensive testing in various environments I did with this new product, including numerous washings and drying,” said Karts.
The nylon sleeve simply flips over any boot, preventing mother nature from getting trapped, keeping his feet comfortable. Here’s a short FlipSockz YouTube video. During tests, Karts found that the sleeve/gaiter greatly reduced the water getting into his boots during stream crossings and hiking through wet vegetation.
Karts is also pleased to announce that anyone can use his coupon code of karts20 to receive 20% off their FlipSockz orders. Passionate about helping U.S. veterans, the folks at FlipSockz donate a portion of proceeds to various veterans groups. Feel free to follow FlipSockz on Facebook and Instagram to see what charitable projects they are working on. Karts receives no commission on your puchases. He loves FlipSockz that much.
Karts is hoping this relationship will extend to all his adventures and expeditions, including his Yukon River expedition in 2023. Meanwhile, he was happy to get FlipSockz to wear on his upcoming Death Valley record-attempt. Details are still confidential except that FlipSockz is the primary sponsor. Karts already holds a Death Valley record for being the oldest person to successfully complete a documented double, solo traverse. He also holds several other documented extreme records. FlipSockz joins several other companies and a charity that help support Karts’ adventures in various ways.
Karts Stops Yukon Expedition
It was a fabulous Yukon River expedition until I rode the crest of the flooding into Carmacks. I was healthy and strong doing 50 miles/silent 82km per day easily. The river rose every day after that and submerged the few available camps down river and making it impossible to reach streams with fresh water entering the river. The amount and size of debris was according to local residents, the worst they’d ever seen. Carmacks officials called it a 50+ year event.
I had the gear, supplies, and the skills to navigate a flooded river, BUT local and regional authorities advised me against continuing on. This included the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the First Nations. I had to consider this because if I continued and something happened that it would come back to bite me and reflect poorly on my expedition, aka, the Kindness Expedition.
The First Nations hold the Yukon River sacred, and see it as an interconnectiveness to all life. To continue on would disrespect that belief and bring discredit to me and the expedition. Right now I’m totally gutted. I had this, I was strong & healthy, but a very quick spring thaw sent the feeder rivers into flood stages which poured into the Yukon River. I could have sat it out three more weeks until the flooding receded, but that would put me past my August 15th deadline to be back up river out of the Bering Sea. The weather there gets really bad after August 15th. Plus, there’s very limited and costly extraction areas further into Alaska.
Everyone tells me that I made the right decision, but still. Ugh. A Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reporter who interviewed me said that I don’t appreciate all the attention that my expedition had gotten in Canada. She hoped that I would make the “right decision.” My international legal counsel and my Native American liaison assured me that I did the right think to demonstrate respect and kindness; afterall the expedition is also known as “The Kindness Expedition.”
I can’t forget the experiences I had with my First Nations’ interactions and the many people I met and who I paddled with. They gave me the nickname of “He who paddles on clouds.” I got a lot of good information, personal thoughts, photos, and videos for the documentary film. I will reboot the expedition on May 28, 2023 from where I pulled out in Carmacks.
Arizonian Explorer 