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PICK CITY Behind the friendly smile breaking through the burly beard of M. J. "Eb" Eberhart is a man who has logged more than 20,000 miles over a series of National Scenic Hiking Trails.

Eberhart, known by the handle of "Nimbelwill Nomad," admits to the trail being quite lonely at times, but his undying passion for hiking keeps him putting one step in front of the other, day after day after day. The likeable trekker, even as he approaches his 71st birthday, considers 25 miles to be an average day.

The Missouri man returned to North Dakota this week to finish what he started in this state back on March 23, 2009 completing the North Country Scenic Trail that stretches from Lake Sakakawea State Park to Crown Point State Historic Site on the shores of Lake Champlain in New York. Deep snow, sometimes 10 feet or more, had closed the "certified" portion of trail within North Dakota last March. The adverse conditions forced Eberhart to hike the highways through the state rather than 200 miles of certified North Dakota trail.

Shortly before noon on Friday, Eberhart emerged from a wooded trail at Lake Sakakawea State Park and climbed uphill toward the official finish of a 4,600-mile journey. It was a remarkable milestone and one which brought a broad smile to the face of the man who is no stranger to remarkable physical accomplishments on the trail.

In 2001 he became the first person to hike the Eastern Continental Trail from Quebec to Florida, a distance of 5,000 miles.

Friday's feat marked the completion of seven of the eight nationally certified trails for Eberhart, putting him among the very elite hikers in the country. His goal now is to trek the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. If he does so, he'll become only the third person to conquer eight national trails.

"I've accomplished what I have, not with a super body or a super mind, but with super passion," said Eberhart. "It may sound a little trite, but my message to senior citizens is, if I can do it, you can do it. Certainly I've been blessed with good health at my age and it humbles me, humbles me to be an inspiration to others."

Eberhart has learned a lot about hiking and health during his remarkable journeys. He can tell you down to the gram how much his clothing and shoes and backpack weighs. He's proud of the New Balance shoes on his feet, which he says he can easily withstand 1,000 to 1,500 miles on the trail.

He's written a book titled "Ten Million Steps," has since logged many more, and shows no sign of slowing down. News that three more trails were recently added to the National Scenic Trail System is good news to him. His passion for hiking runs deep and, although his appearance resembles the movie character Forrest Gump, Eberhart says the comparison ends there.

"I get that a lot," laughed Eberhart. "I tell people Forrest Gump was smart enough to turn around and go back. I haven't done that yet."

Eberhart did come back to North Dakota though so he could satisfy himself that he hiked the proper trail. There's just no way he would make a claim to finishing a 4,600-mile hike without actually striding on the certified trail as opposed to the edge of a roadway.

He projects what might be described as "enjoyable intensity."

"Once you light that match and get those little twigs going and then put the bigger stuff on, pretty soon you've got one heck of a fire and it doesn't get any smaller," said Eberhart. "That's my passion. It just doesn't get any smaller. It's the realization that, at my age, I can put my pack on and hike 25 miles and feel good enough to go do it again the next day."

The man of more than 10 million steps rates North Dakota trails as some of the finest and most beautiful in the country. He wonders why more people are not out enjoying such a wonderful resource, thoughts expected from a man who has logged mile after mile accompanied by nothing more than the small pack on his back and a pair of hiking sticks.

"You get lonely, very lonely. You get cold, even when you have a passion like mine that is second to none. You question yourself and say, 'What in the heck am I doing out here?' It's something you have in your gut. I've nurtured it and it's called wonderlust, wonderlust," said Eberhart.

Time on the trail gives the retired optomitrist quiet time in which to fully appreciate his surroundings and plenty of time to find inspiration. Eberhart freely recites what he refers to as a "ditty" "Land Of The Free" an inspirational message that he passes through him to others.

Here's to all parts of that cold, lonesome track,

To the life of the wonderlust, free;

To all who have gone and have never come back,

Here's a tribute to you and to me.

With our feet in the dirt, with the grit of the earth,

Heads are right in the heavens overhead;

And they won't find a nickel of value or worth,

When our fortunes are tallied and read.

But no richer clan has there ever been known,

Since the times of all ruin and wrath;

Than those of us lost to the dust, wonderlust,

Those who have gone and never come back.

More on Eberhart's hiking history can be found at (www.nimblewillnomad.com).