Jimmy Wayne Braves the Cold as 1700-Mile Walk Continues

Jimmy Wayne continues his 'Meet Me Halfway' trek, in spite of temperatures dipping into the single digits and snow flurries floating around him. He began his nearly 1700-mile journey to Phoenix, Ariz. on New Year's Day in Nashville and has gone nearly 60 miles west of Nashville, sleeping outdoors at night and walking during the day.

It was so cold Sunday night that Jimmy awoke Monday morning with ice on top and inside of his lightweight tent -- made from the moisture of his breath! His management team made an executive decision, telling Jimmy to spend the night at a hotel in McEwen, Tenn. Monday night. He tweeted he "felt like a failure for not sleeping outside," but realized that "it's okay to regroup" because it's all about the awareness of the plight of homeless teens, plus, "This cheap motel feels like a 5-star Presidential suite!"

The Boot caught up with Jimmy at the Collins Food Mart outside of Dickson, Tenn, and he spoke about his experiences so far, his reasons for doing this and how he's able to survive the cold temperatures. "It was so cold last night. Fortunately, I've got a sponsorship from Marmot," he tells The Boot. "They've given me some very, very good clothes to wear. Under these conditions, there was no way I could survive if I didn't have the kind of stuff they gave me. And there's a lot of folks out there who don't have this. It's killing people, you know?"

Fortunately, if it gets too bad, Jimmy can always use his cell phone to call for assistance. "If it gets that bad, I can just pick up the phone say, 'Hey! I need some help.' So, I'm gonna continue doing it until I reach Arizona. One way or another I'm gonna get there. If I have to check into a hotel, I will. I'm just simulating, I'm not gonna die. I'm gonna try not to. I'm not gonna kill myself. I'm gonna walk, but if it gets so cold where I can't stand it, yes, I'm gonna check in and regroup."

Jimmy lugs around his clothes, tent, sleeping bag, food and, yes, his vitamins, in a backpack that weighs approximately 60 pounds. He also carries two cross-country ski sticks, "because it helps me with my balance and it helps you keep your posture." Admitting they look kind of goofy, the North Carolina native, who was a homeless teen himself, says "they really, really help."

The singer-songwriter had the time off, and knew he needed to make a statement even if it meant sacrificing luxuries most of us take for granted. He felt it would take this kind of extreme measure to raise awareness and money for those kids who were about to leave the foster system and had nowhere to go. "There's nothing else I would walk across the country for, I mean there's nothing else. I'm doing this because I'm so convicted to help and give back the way the family gave to me."

Jimmy, who was taken in by an older couple when he was struggling to make his way, realizes just how lucky he is to have a home, a career and friends and fans who support him, but admits this walk isn't just going to help the teens he's so passionate about.

"It helps bring you back to earth a little bit," says the thawed-out 'Sara Smile' singer. "You do get caught up in this business, and ... I tell you what, man, when I woke up this morning, and I got outside my tent and started rolling up some stuff, my hands froze, just froze up. And I thought, 'Oh no!' And I tried to put my gloves on, but they were already cold then, and I was two miles away from a convenience store, and I was like, 'I don't know what I'm gonna do.' You're not thinking about that cup of coffee with hazelnut creamer. You're not thinking about anything else other than how am I gonna get my hands warm. And that puts things in perspective ... maybe brings me back to where I need to be a little bit. It's good on both ends. I'm doing this for a good cause, but it's also helping me."

People are certainly jumping in to help Jimmy with his cause. His record label, the Valory Music Co., donated $50,000, while pal Dierks Bentley texted to tell him he was donating to HomeBase, located in Phoenix (Dierks' hometown), in support of the 'Meet Me Halfway' campaign. Plus, several fans have already made stops along the way to offer Jimmy food, water and support.

Over the course of the next week, Jimmy will be traveling to Memphis and into Arkansas along Highway 70. You can follow his progress through updates on his Twitter page, and beginning Wednesday, the link for 'MMH' will be live on his official website.