Horseman on cross-country journey rides along Hi-Line

Vern Herrst, 67, has ignored the protests of his doctor and is several hundred miles into a 2,200-mile journey on horseback from Newport, Washington, to Howell, Michigan.

He hopes to finish just in time to attend his 50th high school class reunion.

Herrst said he was diagnosed with a leukemia-like sickness called myeloproliferative disorder in December 2012. He carries several bottles of medication for it, as he's "not out of the woods yet" and the sickness is still a threat. That hasn't convinced him to put away his pack of Marlboro Reds, though.

There's little point in living if you a...