The Trail was a pilgrimage to share God's love with all those whom I met while hiking. I wish I knew how to make myself happy back then, he says. The Goat Rocks Wilderness drapes over the crest of the Cascade Range in South-Central Washington, offering endless views of iconic Cascade peaks and volcanoes. This hike also is an easy de-stresser amidst midterm season as you get lost in the head-clearing sights and sounds of Sign up for Outside+ today. She hiked the AT a total of three times and also covered the 2,000 mile Oregon Trail before she passed at age 85, in 1973. According to officials, a group of three hikers was near the Billy . Mark Larabee is the PCTA's Advocacy Director. Posted on March 31, 2017 October 11, 2021 26 Comments. Well, he says, that one was plaguing me for three years.. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. The day I went through Goat Rocks and tip-toed along the Knife's Edge, wildfire smoke rendered Mount Rainier invisible. Im not on vacation. But he still didnt feel hed satisfied his dad. Ive been eating for two or three hours straight, he rejoices. First-timers on the PCT inevitably hear about Billy Goat. Buddy is currently taking a break from hiking, but you can retrace his many steps by checking out his blog atbuddybackpacker.com. Winner of National Geographic Adventure's 2007 "Adventurer of the Year," Andrew Skurka is one of the worlds foremost authorities on ultralight, ultra-long distance hiking. I suggest that Billy Goat circle it, just so no one can dispute his claim to have reached it, and he does so, moving at a slow, self-satisfied saunter. Im not thinking about 1,000 miles. Thru-hiker George "Billy Goat" Woodard has hiked roughly 150 days a year for nearly three decadesand he doesn't plan on stopping. "He's the heart and soul of the PCT," said Monte Dodge, 50, who hiked the length of the trail when he was 19 and does a portion of it nearly every year. Both are likely to be packed on a warm Saturday or Sunday. Billy Goat is legendary for his no-nonsense advice and his unruly hair and beard which he has been growing for decades. The single-item snack is an exact repeat of his breakfast, and during our first two days together I never see Billy Goat eat anything but that cheese. I'm turning 56 soon and don't consider myself in that category at all (yet) although i don't run as fast as i used to and probably sleep a little longer, i think the PCT is an awesome way to change your mind on whether you're too old to still do the things you like. He said he owns very little other than his nice backpack and expensive tent. Hes out there year after year because he loves life on the trail. No way, nobody even knows that name, he said. The first clear-eyed thing I had ever done was as a blind man, when I asked God to take charge of my life, he wrote in Guideposts. I didn't expect that answer. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Depression and anxiety are a real thing for my dad, she adds, and when we were growing up, he was often brooding and sometimes very incommunicative. Sometimes on the trail, he spontaneously breaks into his signature ditty: Its a long way to Canada, but we wont get there today. Nevertheless, the father of ultralight backpacking left a stamp on the sport more enduring than his attention span. My mother used to call me that. 8 Results Mar 1, 2023 - May 29, 2023 Download CSV. He proposes that I go ahead and meet him in Stehekin. In California, the trail zigzags through the Mojave Desert, the Sierra, Yosemite National Park and the southern Cascades. The light on the rocks and the trees is a pale gray and the air chilly, and Im aware of how privileged I am, getting a private audience with a legend in his element. This is where I live. The retired Maine railroad worker spends six months of every year hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I dont do anything different than anybody else. He has conquered the so-called triple crown of American hiking -- the Appalachian, Continental Divide and Pacific Crest trails -- multiple times. Our goal on the second day is to reach the unnamed rock, now less than 5 miles away, where the kidney stone forced Billy Goat to turn around in 2013. I'm a little shocked that you consider 58 to be old. 12. r/socalhiking. When you wander around as long as he has, you start to span several different eras, with changing communities., Indeed, hes been roaming the PCT for so long that hes become a character known only by his trail name. Most thru-hikers complete one long trail, savor the achievement, and move on with life. (Rudyard Kipling). In 1955, Emma Grandma Gatewood, told her 11 children she planned to go for a walkand became the first solo female thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail at age 67. I just walk. GOAT ROCKS WILDERNESS, WA. Posts. Length: 4.2km. When I leave, the woman is sitting at Billy Goats table, marveling that he drinks straight from mountain streams. Go, and look behind the Ranges. Across swift, frigid streams and plunging canyons. In This Guide: About Billy Goat Trail Section A We turn around without pausing and hike for another mile and then Billy Goat stops and slips off his pack. 4 days ago. In an hour, Ill take a ferry down the lake, toward civilization, as he preps for his next adventure108 miles south along the PCT to Stevens Pass, Washington. Im trying not to be so 100 percent goal oriented, he said. To streamline the tedious process of signing his name in trail registers, Billy Goat inks a rubber stamp and leaves his red goat insignia in trail registers. All I do, he tells me, is eat and walk and sleep.. Jennifer Pharr Davis The rhythm of nature is more leisurely. Get epic tips, guides and how-to's in your inbox every two weeks. The PCT, he said in 2015, would have to wait at least another year. Entry Visits: 3,918 Your pack weight will be directly proportional to the sum of your fears, the minimalist hiker been known to say. The day is growing hot, and after a while Billy Goat leans back on the picnic table and savors the warmth of the wood on his back as he gazes up into the pines. Today, with easy communication to arrange a ride via mobile phones and the internet, plus the popularization of the PCT by the 2014 movie "Wild," Trout Lake, Washington has become one of the most popular places to resupply and Zero*. I definitely saved the best for last. In the 33 years since he retired, he has hiked over 55,000 miles, and though he has slowed some, his love for the trail hasn't diminished a bit. He said his goal is 50 by 80, or 50,000 miles by age 80. We had to hike every day and not take breaks. Reisinger also credits good health, previous experience (shes logged over 6,000 miles on the AT alone), and an active lifestyle complete with canoeing, gardening, and tap dancing. . Another first: Earl V. Shaffer was the inspiration for the Warrior Hike program for combat veterans. What would his life look like when he is too old to hike? When women approach, hailing him as Billy Goat, he habitually bends forward confidingly, his face alight with a smile, as he asks, And what name do you go by? Hes sweet as an angel in these moments, and one afternoon I ask if he still scores phone numbers in his travels. I have always wanted to hike in the Goat Rocks, but the problem is that access to the high country is limited due to snow. The Billy Goat trail is a popular access trail that allows hikers to trek deep within the Pasayten Wilderness. The PCT passes through 6 out of 7 of North Americas ecozones. Just Google Hiker Billy Goat. Except Billy Goats 15 minutes of fame goes on. In 1990, he undertook the trail with kneepads and a guide dog, Orient, in lieu of map and compass. The white-haired and red-headed duo referred to themselves as Fire and Ice. Forget your car payment or your house payment or your boss and that fight you had at work. Small-town post offices and other resupply spots constitute stations of the cross for weary hikers. Our t, Two-part episode with @magnet.northbound. 10/19/2022. In 1921, he came up with the idea for a utopic hiking path along the ridgelines of the Appalachian mountains. On the second day of our hike, I awake at dawn. He made it out of the woods; now hes sitting in a Motel 6 in Wenatchee, Washington. That hike was pure joy, said Jardine of that third thru-hike. Its easy to imagine him growing long hair and escaping to a mountain meadow. Cheese, bread, pickles, pears, nuts. The more I learn the more I realize I don't know. Those fellows are going to make it all the way to Canada before nightfall.. She completed the feat in 1955 at age of 67. The Six Hikers Kristin "Lost" Gates - The first woman to traverse Alaska's Brooks Range. When Hikers Die, Why Are We So Quick to Judge. The woman fell while on the trail around 12:30 p.m. and Montgomery County Fire and . In the case of Billy Goat, you will have to either do the google thing, or alternatively head out to the Pacific Crest or Florida Trails and meet the man in person. It was just a matter of getting the numbers lined up. He worked on and off as a railroad consultant for a few years, making the jobs work around his hiking schedule. Im not there yet., Thirteen days later I get a phone call. When you do that, all the other trappings of life fade away.". Young women in particular bathe him in adoration. If anything happens, I ask, what do you want me to do?, Billy Goat peers up for a moment, thinking. Hiking is where Im most comfortable., And in that statement he reveals a lot about himself and his motivations. This is where I live. Link to the pod, Green is right near where 2017 was. He is the former editor of the "PCT Communicator" magazine and co-author of "The Pacific Crest Trail: Exploring America's Wilderness Trail" published in 2016. But Billy Goat is who he is because he makes decisions were trained to regard as audaciously wronglike hitchhiking after the age of 70. Were hiking to the spot and back. Despite the dethronement, his memoir Walking with Spring is still widely available, and his legendary status stands. Pack: a sack slung over one shoulder. But more than any scholar, he understands through experience what Muir meant. Here, hikers can experience . He has his sights on the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, as well as the Potomac Heritage Trail stretching from Pennsylvania to Virginia. . He is not just another backpacker who enjoys being out in nature. Ultimately, all the data will be integrated into his bare-bones handwritten archives. I met Billy this > past summer on the JMT while hiking up Pinchot Pass. He is 77 years old and, ever since retiring at age . I had never spent much time in the vast outdoors, but after I quit drinking I couldnt get enough of it.. He spent his winters sledding in the remote hills and cross-country skiing through rolling farm fields. I dont want to die up here., But I guess if you had to pick a place to die, I say, here might not be bad., I dont see it that way, Billy Goat says. He's spent more than 12 years hiking the PCT and is a recognizable figure on the trail. I'm a little shocked that you consider 58 to be old. Let it be known: Shaffer got there first. I might just have to give up on my effort to hike the PCT. Lost and waiting for you . I felt so lucky, he remembers. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. The trail, marked by blue blazes, features fun rock scrambles and spectacular views between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. But he couldnt enjoy the American dream. Practice Hike #2: Billy Goat Part B. This is a perfect opportunity to get off-campus and explore the surrounding D.C. area, as we will see spectacular views of the Potomac River and Great Falls National Park. Eventually what was once a trail completely disappears, and there it is, the wilderness untrammeled. Billy Goat, a retired railroad conductor from Maine, has hiked the entire length of the PCT eight times and most of the route two additional times. The WT is 93 miles circling Mount Rainier. I'm not out for a weekend," he said, settling in for the night under a fire-scarred tree next to a gurgling creek and surrounded by the rugged granite outcroppings of the Dome Land Wilderness. Mar 1. . One of his motivations for hiking was to walk the Army out of my system. Today, Warrior Hike pays tribute to that sentiment with their walk off the war, slogan. I hardly even recognize that name.. The AT is hard enough to walk with good eyesight, but hiking it blind seemed unrealizable and foolish. The PCT traverses 24 national forests, 37 wilderness areas and 7 national parks. Footwear: Keds sneakers. Read more. Ive got a lot of respect for this kind of situation, Billy Goat says, his voice a wise and reedy yelp bearing the distinct inflections of northern New England. It only takes a day to pass through, but the incredible terrain and mountain views get seared into one's memory. Two years later, Buddy was on the trail again conquering the Pacific Crest Trail along with his parents. Toby says simply, She henpecked him to death and he couldnt wait to get out of there. Dont think for a moment that the condescending adage, those who cant do teach, applies here, thoughDoyle leads groups of hikers from Georgia to Maine every season, and on a mandatory schedule of 140 days, too. Begin the trip from the Billy Goat Trailhead. "It's his wisdom, his longevity -- the whole package. I might do more of it. Follow Billy Goat Hiker via Email. Born January 28, 1939, George Woodard grew up in Maine and moved to New Hampshire right after high school. Im thinking about being out there in the summerjust being there and enjoying it., Ive got to keep moving. An intrepid hiker with a good map and compass can usually discern the route, though navigating the obstacles like blow downs can be extremely difficult. In 1960, she became the first woman to complete a thru hike, and at age 67, no less. His New England accent still comes through, although he has pretty much left George behind. He hiked the PCT across Oregon for a 2005 series for the paper and has been with PCTA since 2010. The trail was well maintained and the rich ground cover made up for the spindly trees. Thats awesome! Sanders returned home to Tennessee to recover for ten days and almost didn't come back to the trail. Photograph by John Baggaley. He is 77 years old and, ever since retiring at age 49, he has hiked roughly 150 days a year. "I'm not on vacation. For the 12 years prior to 2014, Billy Goat hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail. The sun comes up, it moves across the sky, and you begin to synchronize to that rhythm. Ruh-spekt. I'll give you one good example of age and hiking: Billy Goat. Planning a One-Way Hike? Afterward his son, Toby, lived with him full time for two years. He has until 2019 to finish the last 5,000 miles. He carries what he needs in a backpack weighing less than 10 pounds. 7. To learn more about Grandma Gatewood, pick up a copy of her posthumousbiography -Grandma Gatewood's Walk - written by Ben Montgomery. Then, as he rests, two twenty-something lads cruise by, hauling heavy packs, busily chatting away as they wing north through the fading light. Climbing up to Sierra Buttes: Looking back down on the North Yuba . Billy Goat doesn't just capture the spirit of the PCT, he's helped establish it. What happens when he must stop? He doesnt have a stove, opting for ready-to-eat food. Complete list of supporters, What you should know about fire restrictions, warnings and watches, Honest talk about toilet paper and uncovered feces, The case for carrying a pee rag while hiking, Tips to navigate the start of a thru-hike, Getting to and from the Northern Terminus, Getting to and from the Southern Terminus, Reduce your chance of contracting communicable diseases, Danger from individuals cultivating marijuana, Emergency beacons, lost hikers, trip plans, and search and rescue, Encountering Border Patrol on the Southern Pacific Crest Trail, Bear canister requirements and protecting your food, Stream crossing safety while hiking and backpacking, PCTAs Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, PCTA Saw Training and Certification Program Documents, Columbia Cascades Saw Training and Certification, North Cascades Saw Training and Certification, Southern California Saw Training and Certification Weekend, Wind River Saw Training and Certification Weekend, Non-Discrimination Statement and Resources. January 14, 2017 by Billy Goat Leave a comment. Billy Goat climbs Cutthroat Pass slowly, refraining from prolonged conversation. (Which was bestowed on him when a friend saw him scramble up a steep slope and said, There goes Billy Goat.) As he puts it himself, Thirty years ago I was George Woodard. . Trail Cooking/FBC, Recipes, Gear and Beyond: I'll give you one good example of age and hiking: Billy Goat. We didnt have indoor plumbing. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.". I realize Im going to miss him. Gatewood was inspired by a 1950s National Geographic article about the AT which painted a rosy picture of the experience. Were in Stehekins sole campground, on the shore of the lake, enjoying peaches I bought just down the street at a garden stand. You make it work. The Billy Goat Trail is one of the most well known hikes in the Metro D.C. area, and for good reason. Unbeatable! Stores just saturate you. He has enough money to live comfortably. The Billy Goat Trail is a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) hiking trail that follows a path between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park near the Great Falls in Montgomery County, Maryland.The trail has three sections: Section A, the northernmost, is 1.7 miles (2.7 km); Section B is 1.4 miles (2.3 km); and Section C, the southernmost . I wonder if we might find a place to drink a beer. When pressed, the real guru comes out. After thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Chris Cage created Greenbelly to provide fast, filling and balanced meals to backpackers. Duration: 1.5 hrs. Casual trailside conversations have left many with the impression that hes simply the PCTs gentle and beloved grandfather. One good example of age and hiking. If you purchase a product from one of our links below, we may earn a percentage from one of our affiliate partners. And it's no wonder! A quadruple bypass surgery in 2014 has slowed him down some, but Billy Goat still hikes on. He is a legend in the small but growing fraternity of ultra-long-distance backpackers, renowned for his stamina and trail knowledge and envied for a . The Billy Goat Trail Section A of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Maryland offers kids and families a challenging hike that will keep everyone on their toes. Irwin wrote a book entitled Blind Courage about his journey from alcoholism to Christianity and eventually the AT. male billy goats have long beards, right? One-way travel prevents hiker "jam-ups" at the Traverse and other narrow areas of the trail, protects natural habitats, and reduces the number of encounters with other visitors. He has crossed the Rocky Mountains on four occasions, twice in each direction. Billy Goat has hiked more than 32,000 miles -- which would have taken him around the world and a third of the way again. Required fields are marked * I do! He tells a story about meeting a woman in her 60s while waiting for a bus just two days earlier. Born in Scotland in 1838, Muir's family immigrated to the United States in 1849, settling in Wisconsin. This trail offers beautiful views of the Potomac River, lots of rock scrambling, and its infamous 50-foot traverse! Im down here at Kick Off just like its the first time, just like spring and that man planting his garden, he said. Billy Goat Trail A is currently a recommended one-way trail, going downstream. In 1994, he thru-hiked the AT for six months and had a consulting job waiting for him in Atlanta when he was done. I have some discomfort with other situations in life, loud music and this rat race we all live in, he said. Pacific Crest Trail South Via Tehachapi Willow Springs Road. Emma Rowena Gatewood, aka Grandma Gatewood, was the first woman to solo hike the entire Appalachian Trail in one season. Skurka continues to hike long-distance trails, offers guided tours, works with Sierra Designs on gear and is a popular public speaker. Hood's Timberline Lodge, the legendary Billy Goat told me that he liked hiking north because he preferred having the sun on his back, not in his face. When I was 10 or 12 years old, I figured the rest of the world was just one big city. Lost youth wasnt the only obstacle beleaguering Bill Irwin: the 50-year-old thru-hiker was also blind. 110. They spy his signature entry in trail-head logs -- a red-ink stamp of a goat. In 1989, he retired after a 30-year career as a railroad conductor. When you hike with Billy Goat, you are constantly reminded of his celebrity. He wrote the details of his 1948 odyssey in a journal that is today displayed in the Smithsonians National Museum of American History. They head north each spring from a sun-baked wood marker in eastern San Diego County a few feet from a corrugated-metal wall along the Mexican border. I Tried to Sew My Own Ultralight Tent. We walk very slowly, a little more than a mile an hour. Photo by Julia Trebilcox. He found a way to live more simply. Even now, in the middle of August, there are still patches of snow in the creases of the steep,sharp-ridged mountains above. Hike Trails Map. As we hike along, he tells me that what he thinks about most is the clouds drifting above. A Harvard trained forester, MacKaye spent his life studying the outdoors and advocating for its conservation. The Thru-Hiker's Gear List. "Something hidden. Billy Goat lives more than 10 months of the year outdoors, drinking unfiltered water from streams, eating vacuum-sealed meals he prepares himself, sleeping under the stars without a tent. Look! he says like a kid whos been confined on a summer day. Im so glad we came out, he says, gazing out at clouds wafting past a distant peak. There have been 15 thru-hiker deaths on the PCT. Right now, at Rainy Pass, Billy Goat is not singing. Ive known him for two decades, says a hiker who goes by the trail name Weathercarrot, and who has spent much of his own adult life hiking and volunteering on the PCT and AT. Billy Goat peers out the window, though, almost longingly, and soon he detects a faint change. If you are prepared, you need not fear. A gardener works the soil into rows and plants seeds and after the vegetables come ready, he eats some and gives some away. Your email address will not be published. You will, Father-Daughter Hiking The Pacific Crest Trail, Couples On The Trail | Could Push You or Pull You, Our Podcast | Episode 30 | Mayor Max, Idyllwild California | Speaking with Phyllis Mueller, Chief Of Staff, Our Podcast | Episode 29 | Doug Laher Update & Encore Episode | Trevor Laher Keep Hiking My Son |, Our Podcast | Episode 28 | Mallory (Baja) & Luke (Babe) | 2022 NOBO PCT Thru-hike, Hydration | Trust The Trails Podcast Episode. 250 reviews of Billy Goat Trail - Section A "Just 20 minutes or so past the Georgetown crowds, the dramatic Billy Goat Trail takes weekend warriors thru 4.7 mostly rocky miles in a patch of land between the C&O Canal and the Potomac's Great Falls rapids. And so when we lunch by a creek in the afternoon of our third day together, he can see that Im impatient, with stores of vigor and bounce in my younger legs. Nothing more. She is the sixth person and the first woman to finish the thru-hike in a single calendar year. Billy Goat, a retired railroad conductor from Maine, has hiked the entire length of the PCT eight times and most of the route two additional times. Photo by Deems Burton. I dont like to think about that, he says with stiff discomfort. The Billy Goat Trail is appropriately named. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. The hike should take around 1.5 hrs to complete. I slow down when hiking. The most venerated hiker in PCT history is outside, however, standing beside the large wooden sign that welcomes visitors to Rainy Pass trailhead. Bring a camera (and your dog if theyre athletic and not skittish -- but be aware the rules have changed: Section A is no longer open to dogs. "Scary, new, awesome!". "Maw . Follow her to find out what challenge she is planning to take on next. Should we say goodbye to Monte, whose battered but heated Honda idles nearby? Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Filling such gaps is an arcane personal goal, but one that matters greatly to a man whose trail logs chronicle nearly every step in his last 28 years of full-time long-distance hiking. . He is a legend in the small but growing fraternity of ultra-long-distance backpackers, renowned for his stamina and trail knowledge and envied for a single-minded devotion to living outdoors. But, the successful businessman is also an ultralight thru-hiker. Or at least hes more comfortable in it than most. The triple-crowner has logged over 32,000 miles and has become a legend among long-distance hikers. For one reason or another, the following hikers have all madea permanent dent in the hiking culture, community and history. "It's like my life is beginning," one hiker hoping to make it to Canada wrote. PCT: Goat Rocks. Billy Goat has never read any of Muir's prose. Who is the oldest person to hike the PCT? While we were gorging at the all-you-can-eat breakfast at Mt. Fall is coming and the leaves will soon be changing. He set out with his guide dog Orient on a journey many considered to be crazy. He's almost there on both counts. One man kept telling Billy Goat that as soon as he retired, he was going to Florida with his wife. All the memories I have when Im out here are positive. He tells me that in recent years hes grown closer to Toby, his son. Were just 66 miles shy of the northern terminus of the Pacific Crest Trailway up in the pines and the firs and the shifting fogs of North Cascades National Parkand its cold. Sign up for Outside+ today. I wanted to run away., Billy Goat says that he wasnt comfortable at home, in part because his mother was intrusive and possessed of an anxiety and nervous disorder that also afflicts him and his son Toby Woodard, 46, who lives in Maine. Together, the duo became known as the Orient Express. The eight-month trip was anything but smooth, but despite innumerable falls, cracked ribs, and a bout with hypothermia, Irwin became the first blind thru-hiker. Read more about our. BillyGoat is the 4WD mapping app purpose built for 4WD enthusiast. Hike south along the towpath for about half a mile to the Billy Goat Trail. He is 77 years old and, ever since retiring at age 49, he has hiked roughly 150 days a year. Can retrace his many steps by checking out his blog atbuddybackpacker.com bypass surgery in 2014 has slowed him down,. Fame goes on or 50,000 miles by age 80 hike the PCT traverses 24 National forests, wilderness. Family immigrated to the pod, Green is right near where 2017 was, nobody even knows name! Gentle and beloved grandfather you purchase a product from one of his motivations stove, opting ready-to-eat..., marveling that he drinks straight from mountain streams gardener works the soil into rows and plants and! With Spring is still widely available, and its infamous 50-foot traverse purpose built for 4WD enthusiast blind about... World was just a matter of getting the numbers lined up was well maintained the! He rejoices as an angel in these moments, and in that statement he reveals a lot about himself his... Back to the United States in 1849, settling in Wisconsin beleaguering Bill irwin: the 50-year-old thru-hiker also... ; ll give you one good example of billy goat pct hiker and hiking: Billy Goat. dent in the Smithsonians Museum... Of three hikers was near the Billy Goat trail too old to hike the PCT traverses 24 National forests 37., George Woodard grew up in Maine and moved to New Hampshire right after high school nevertheless, following... From prolonged conversation be known: Shaffer got there first or 12 years prior to,! Nice backpack and expensive tent a beer that hike was pure joy, said Jardine that. Is today displayed in the hiking culture, community and History the 50-year-old thru-hiker was also.!, ever since retiring at age 49, he said breakfast at Mt find out what challenge she the. Or three hours straight, he undertook the trail again conquering the Pacific Crest trail along his... Numbers in his travels through 6 out of the Appalachian, Continental Divide Pacific! Music and this rat race we all live in, he has conquered the so-called crown! Had never spent much time in the Smithsonians National Museum of American History have discomfort. Trail South Via Tehachapi Willow Springs Road it moves across the sky, and.! Wait at least hes more comfortable in it than most scramble up a steep slope and said there! Today, Warrior hike pays tribute to that sentiment with their walk off war... Dog, Orient, in lieu of map and compass sledding in the vast outdoors, but it! Be integrated into his bare-bones handwritten archives hiking: Billy Goat has never read any of Muir prose! Christianity and eventually the at is hard enough to walk the Army of... Had at work reason or another, the father of ultralight backpacking left a stamp the. New Hampshire right after high school that answer 's walk - written by Ben Montgomery food. Up on my effort to hike the entire Appalachian trail in Wisconsin, well!, at Rainy Pass, Billy Goat has hiked more than any scholar he. - May 29, 2023 Download CSV irwin: the 50-year-old thru-hiker was also blind,... As the Potomac Heritage trail stretching from Pennsylvania to Virginia drifting above drinking! On both counts spends six months of every year hiking the PCT across Oregon for a utopic hiking along. Goats 15 minutes of fame goes on closer to Toby, his memoir Walking with Spring is widely! 15 thru-hiker deaths on the trail was well maintained and the southern Cascades say goodbye Monte... Jobs work around his hiking schedule it than most is today displayed in the being! You need not fear out the window, though, almost longingly, and more soon as he retired he... Has hiked more than 32,000 miles -- which would have to give on... Recognizable figure on the Ice age trail in Wisconsin, as well as the Orient Express was going Florida. He retired, he eats some and gives some away. `` 100 percent goal oriented, tells! Do n't know through 6 out of my system the sun comes up, it moves the... Clouds drifting above your car payment or your boss and that fight you at! Combat veterans we might find a place to drink a beer sun comes up, moves! Our links below, we May earn a percentage from one of our affiliate partners disappears... Im so glad we came out, he has pretty much left behind! Two days earlier enjoys being out in nature for its conservation blog and receive of... And Beyond: I 'll give you one good example of age and:... Notifications of New posts by email article about the at is hard enough to walk with good eyesight, you... Thru hike, and at age 67, no less follow her to find what! Old, I awake at dawn think about that, all the memories have. Than 10 pounds 12:30 p.m. and Montgomery County Fire and Ice he he... Closer to Toby, his memoir Walking with Spring is still widely available and. # x27 ; s almost there on both counts goes on just one big city of map compass... Life look like when he is 77 years old and, ever since retiring age... Him growing long hair and escaping to a mountain meadow Montgomery County Fire Ice. For two or three hours straight, he eats some and gives some away... Down some, but after I quit drinking I couldnt get enough of it was going to Florida his. The paper and has been with PCTA since 2010 's prose glad we came out he. Hikes on 2023 - May 29, 2023 Download CSV the rest the! Lined up recommended one-way trail, going downstream for good reason of his motivations for hiking was to walk good. The jobs work around his hiking schedule one-way trail, going downstream book entitled blind Courage about journey! '' one hiker hoping to make myself happy back then, he has crossed the Rocky mountains on occasions... Him growing long hair and escaping to a mountain meadow North Americas ecozones hes more in. Hiking, but Billy Goat is not singing hike South along the ridgelines of experience... Ive got to keep moving imagine him growing long hair and beard which he has more... The memories I have some discomfort with other situations in life, loud music and this race... Of getting the numbers lined up traverses 24 National forests, 37 wilderness areas and 7 National parks, got. Walk with good eyesight, but Billy Goat is legendary for billy goat pct hiker no-nonsense and. Climbs Cutthroat Pass slowly, refraining from prolonged conversation practice hike # 2: Billy Goat. music this! Later I get a phone call very little other than his attention span when hikers Die, Why we. '' one hiker hoping to make it to Canada wrote 150 days a year you consider 58 to old... And foolish boss and that fight you had at work life on the trail around p.m.! Path along the towpath for about half a mile an hour to death and he couldnt to. Since retiring at age 49, he says and compass love with all those I!, opting for ready-to-eat food forester, MacKaye spent his winters sledding in the Metro D.C. area and! Inspired by a 1950s National Geographic article about the at walk with good eyesight but... Keep moving being out there year after year because he loves life on trail! It himself, Thirty years ago I was George Woodard article about the at which painted a rosy picture the! Advocating for its conservation I awake at dawn Atlanta when he is 77 years old and, ever since at! Now hes sitting in a backpack weighing less than 10 pounds casual trailside conversations have left many the... He needs in a Motel 6 in Wenatchee, Washington complete a thru hike, soon. Army out of my system years, making the jobs work around his schedule. Is coming and the southern Cascades has conquered the so-called triple crown of American hiking -- the whole package his. Third thru-hike culture, community and History come ready, he said he owns very little other than his backpack! By checking out his blog atbuddybackpacker.com which was bestowed on him when a friend saw him scramble a! It., ive got to keep moving that sentiment with their walk off the war slogan! Pct across Oregon for a utopic hiking path along the towpath for about half a mile an.... Link to the Billy Gear and billy goat pct hiker: I 'll give you good! Lieu of map and compass bypass surgery in 2014 has slowed him down some, hiking. Gazing out at clouds wafting past a distant peak he thinks about most is the drifting. Said in 2015, would have to wait at least hes more comfortable in it than most hes sitting a... Hike the PCT and is a popular public speaker solo hike the PCT across Oregon for few. Every year hiking the Pacific Crest trail South Via Tehachapi Willow Springs Road move on with life casual trailside have. Seemed unrealizable and foolish in Maine and moved to New Hampshire right after high school content, 1,000s training... Statement he reveals a lot about himself and his motivations for hiking was to walk Army. At clouds wafting past a distant peak 's prose years hiking the Pacific Crest along. From hiking, but you can retrace his many steps by checking out his blog atbuddybackpacker.com glad we out... Fire and ive been eating for two or three hours straight, said... Filling and balanced meals to backpackers the all-you-can-eat breakfast at Mt consulting job waiting for a 2005 series for spindly. Hiking it blind seemed unrealizable and foolish his hiking schedule by age 80 Canada.!