Most couples collect souvenirs when they travel. David and Judy Fox collect miles. 

Over the past four years, the Grand Junction couple has returned again and again to the Camino de Santiago, a network of centuries-old pilgrimage routes stretching across southwestern Europe. They’ve completed five sections so far, covering roughly 500 miles over 30 days at a time. 

On their third wedding anniversary in 1981, David suffered a near-fatal aneurysm. After a complicated surgery and an uncertain prognosis, he recovered. The crisis prompted the couple to reconsider what mattered most.

“We had two houses, a rental, we were working full time and doing two other jobs,” Judy said. “Then this health crisis happened. It made us stop and say, ‘Okay, what’s important in our life?’”

The next year, the Foxes quit their jobs, bought one-way tickets to Europe and spent six months traveling by bicycle. In 1988, they traveled again by bike through southeast
China, Australia’s east coast and New Zealand’s South Island.

In the 1990s, the Foxes shifted their focus to raising a family. They moved to Grand Junction from the Front Range in 1998, and years later, with their children grown and retirement underway, Dave, now 70, and Judy, 67, began planning their next adventure.

 David and Judy Fox have walked multiple Camino de Santiago routes, exploring centuries-old villages, weathered bridges and scenic countryside. Their journeys reflect the beauty, challenge and personal meaning that have drawn pilgrims to this centuries-old route for generations.

 THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO

They first learned about the Camino from the 2010 movie “The Way,” starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. 

“This film is very representative of the Camino experience,” David said. “It gives a flavor of what it’s like and what kind of people you’ll meet along the way.”

The Camino Francés, or French Way, remains the most popular route for first-time pilgrims. In 2022, the Foxes completed the 490-mile path from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, to the cathedral city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

For more than 1,000 years, pilgrims have walked the Camino to reach the cathedral believed to hold the remains of St. James the Apostle. Camino de Santiago translates to “The Way of St. James.” 

When the Foxes arrived in Santiago, they attended mass and witnessed the botafumeiro, the cathedral’s massive incense burner, swing above the congregation. The ritual, which dates to the 11th century, was once used to mask odors from unwashed travelers. Today, it serves as a ceremonial welcome.

Since that first trip, the Foxes have returned for other routes, including the Camino Primitivo and Camino Portugués. Last month, they departed for Spain to walk the Camino Invierno, or Winter Way. 

At roughly 250 miles, it is shorter than some of their previous routes.

“It’s the shortest trip we’ve ever done,” Judy said. “That’s okay. We’re getting older. Shorter doesn’t sound so bad.”

 TRAINING FOR THE TRAIL

Preparation is part of the journey, so the Foxes begin training well in advance.

“We start training three months ahead of each trip,” Judy said. “We’re avid hikers, but we really crank it up by increasing our mileage to 12 miles per hike. Then one month out, we begin carrying the actual backpacks we’ll be using.”

As departure nears, they hike three or four times a week, gradually adding weight to their packs.

Unlike thru-hiking, where travelers often carry camping gear, several days’ worth of food and water filtration supplies, walking the Camino typically requires only what pilgrims need for the day. Cafes, fountains and hostels called albergues are available along the route, and luggage transfer services can shuttle bags from one stop to the next.

The Foxes choose to carry everything themselves. David uses a 30-liter pack and Judy a 22-liter pack.

“Since our first Camino, we’ve gone lighter and lighter,” Judy said. “The less you take with you, the happier you’ll be.”

Still, even seasoned hikers have hard days. The couple once walked more than 22 miles in a single day. They usually schedule one rest day each week, often in a larger city or somewhere they want more time to explore.

“It’s one thing to walk 12 miles in one day. It’s much harder getting up the next day and doing it again. And the next, and the next,” Judy said.

PEOPLE ON THE PATH

For the Foxes, the Camino is both physical and spiritual.

“It’s about spending time together and deepening our faith,” Judy said.

The couple, both Catholic, pray the rosary daily as they walk, but they are quick to say the Camino is not only for religious pilgrims.

“It’s for people who understand the importance of getting some perspective in their life,” Judy said.

People come to the Camino for different reasons. Some are grieving. Some are navigating divorce, retirement or job loss. Some are searching for direction.

 The Foxes once walked more than 22 miles in a single day on the trail. 

 For the Foxes, conversations with fellow pilgrims are as much a part of the Camino as the walking.

“You’re kind of on a common mission,” Dave said. “You’re all hiking together, sweating up these hills. You’re hungry, you’re staying at these little places, sharing coffee together and chatting. You may or may not speak the language, but you get by.”

“David is more gregarious than I am,” Judy added. “But it’s amazing how open people are.”

David said the Camino often unfolds in stages.

“You’re really exhilarated at first,” he said. “Then suddenly, you realize how hard it is. Then you’re struggling for a while. Then you figure out, ‘I can do this. I’m getting stronger.’”

That rhythm, Judy said, feels a lot like life.

“So much of this is a life metaphor,” she said. “There are days when you’re exhausted and want to put your feet up, but you have to walk just a little bit farther. Then you do it, and you feel proud of what you accomplished.”

Other times, she said, the Camino calls pilgrims to slow down for someone else.

“You may have to stop what you’re doing to help a friend,” Judy said. “But by doing so, you’re uplifted too. That happens almost every day.”

 PUSHING FORWARD

On the Camino, the Foxes push themselves, but they also respect their limits.

“This isn’t a feat of endurance for us,” Judy said. “It’s truly a pilgrimage. We slow down to the speed of joy. We want to focus on the riches in that area—the culture, the faith, the scenery.”

Still, the journey reminds them that age does not have to mean giving up adventure.

“From time to time, younger people will approach us and say something like, ‘Boy, you old people are doing really well,’” David said. “And I’ll reply, ‘You aren’t doing too badly yourselves.’”

For David, that’s part of the point.

“I think people need to push themselves a little bit and not act their age,” he said.  

David and Judy’s TIPS for a successful Camino experience:

• Download the Buen Camino app for maps, routes and lodging information 
• If you prefer not to plan the trip yourself, companies such as Camino Ways, Follow the Camino and Santiago Ways can arrange accommodations, luggage transfers and itineraries. 
• Train at least three months in advance and build up to 12-mile hikes 
• Pack light. Essentials are easy to find along the route 
• Wear reliable footwear. The Foxes prefer trail runners, and Hoka is the brand they see most often on the Camino.
• Test ALL gear ahead of time—including socks and undergarments. Even a small seam can become uncomfortable over long distances.
• Carry a lightweight umbrella for rain and sun
• Stay flexible. There’s no single “right” way to do the Camino. 

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