Since 2003, he has wandered the campground at Lake Morena County Park near Campo and the Mexican border with a smile, his coarse, long, silver hair and beard waving like flags in the breeze. It was just a lot of hokey pokey. 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. But there is something boyish about Billy Goat as well. The PCT passes through 6 out of 7 of North Americas ecozones. Theres an animal quality to the way Billy Goat fits into the landscape. 12. r/socalhiking. The triple-crowner has logged over 32,000 miles and has become a legend among long-distance hikers. Billy Goat Trail is split up into 3 sections, A -1.6 miles (most difficult) B - 1.4 miles C - 1.7 miles (furthest from the falls) Parking available at the Carderock Recreation Area in Potomac Maryland to . I was brave. 20 check-ins. 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. When he was 14, Toby suffered from a condition that caused insufficient cartilage in his growing knees, yet Billy Goat expected him to hike 76 miles over five dayssolo. Perhaps that is as it should be. 7. Emma Gatewood is proof that family responsibilities dont have to sideline long trail dreams. I slow down when hiking. To inspire, educate and promote fellowship among long distance hikers and those who support long-distance hiking. But what drives a person to spend nearly half his life on the trail, year after year after year? Pleasantries are exchanged, hands shaken, questions about the years plans asked, and advice givenall with the grace of a person who unwittingly finds himself at the center of attention. Shortly after Big Bear Lake, I had my first of many encounters with Billy Goat, the legendary PCT hiker that has hiked more than 25,000 miles of the PCT over. Billy Goat has hiked all over, about 45,000 miles since he started counting when he was in his 40s and section hiking the Appalachian Trail. Billy Goat was confident that hiking would be good for his son, but his efforts were met with mixed success. Icon of a caret pointing right. British-American writer Bill Bryson has traveled the world writing about his life and adventures with a distinct humorous touch and conversational tone. This is where I live. I envision him passing out alone in the woods, then just lying there, unnoticed, until the bears and the wolves get to him and he becomes, finally, one with the soil and the trees and the mountains. I just lie around and do nothing and I cant seem to pull myself out of it, he says. 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. Read more. 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. If I waited for someone to hike with I would never go any place. All I do, he tells me, is eat and walk and sleep.. 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 . A few chase the Triple Crown. Go and find it. Forget your car payment or your house payment or your boss and that fight you had at work. Posts. Im able to mark the passage of time by the dwindling of the block, and all the while Im awed by how little Billy Goat carries in his 12-pound pack. 1 / 11. Christian Thomas, aka Buddy Backpacker, is one of the youngest people to hike the Triple Crown (Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail). Bill Irwin was the first blind person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. The clouds are lifting!, A few minutes later, Billy Goat and I are out on the Pacific Crest Trail, in the cool woods, striding amid damp ferns glistening in the late afternoon light. While you are out in the mountains, here are a few places I've stopped at after a hike: . 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's a modern-day John Muir.". Its sunny and cloudless. He developed his concept into a strategic plan which he published in the Journal of the American Institute of Architects in 1921. Get Directions. Goats Rocks, a successful backup plan. Isnt that something? Billy Goat responded warmly. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. When you do that, all the other trappings of life fade away.". "This is sovereign America," one declares. . She told her adult children that she was going for a walk and started the thru-hike wearing a simple pair of Keds sneakers, and carrying nothing but a blanket, a raincoat and a plastic sheet inside a homemade denim bag. 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. We <3 you Billy Goat! I do, he says, his voice rising with glee. He is 77 years old and, ever since retiring at age . He speaks fondly of Amoeba, calling her his ladyfriend, and he admits that he needs her. 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. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. Oh, its just wonderful!. Billy Goat is a legend; his name well-known by any serious hiker. He's almost there on both counts. Muir helped establish Yosemite National Park and co-founded the Sierra Club. People don't think of Washington as a region of craggy terrain, but section A of the Billy Goat Trail may surprise themit's no easy stroll. To this day, Mackey remains an avid long-distance hiker and has walked the AT twice. GOAT ROCKS WILDERNESS, WA. Hes barely able to make it 10 feet, let alone to the restroom, without someone coming up to greet him, shake his hand, or take a photo. When I ask Billy Goat what hes thinking about, he says, People Ive known over the years: family members, other hikers, people Ive worked with. Who is the oldest person to hike the PCT? Prep for PCT because hiking over 2,000 miles takes some planning. He's also the oldest person ever to paddle the entire 2,300 miles of the Mississippi River. Now it dawns on me that he could die in my presence. Pacific Crest Trail South Via Tehachapi Willow Springs Road. At Rainy Pass, a hiker named Hatchet, taking shelter in her tent, beckoned us over to share some grapes shed bought in town. We shoulder our packs. I have some discomfort with other situations in life, loud music and this rat race we all live in, he said. Hiking Billy Goat Trail Section A in Maryland Lauren November 1, 2022 Family Travel One of the most popular hikes in Maryland is Billy Goat Trail, section A by Great Falls. For a moment he just sits there, gasping, his head pressed to his knees. Casual trailside conversations have left many with the impression that hes simply the PCTs gentle and beloved grandfather. Across swift, frigid streams and plunging canyons. Hes a slight fellow, only 57, and jaunty, so that walking behind him you can see the muscles in his wrinkled, gamey calves coiling and springing. I have no recollection of him. Meet the 14 most famoushikers. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a60731f5eafa04e72b3625773aa5a2c4" );document.getElementById("ceee4318e2").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Numerous snowfields flank its craggy ridges and peaks, while steep drainages open into basins filled with alpine meadows and glacial lakes. He has crossed the Rocky Mountains on four occasions, twice in each direction. Eventually, Billy Goat musters enough energy to set up his tent. billy goat March 13, 2016. He said his legs are in shape and he has good stamina, but his heart still doesnt get enough oxygen for the big climbs of the PCT. He rides for almost two days and then meets a friend in St. Paul and gets a ride east into the wilds of Wisconsin. This week's Hiking Pioneer is George "Billy Goat" Woodard who has hiked 150 days per year every year for the past three decades, clocking a total of over 32,000 miles. State: Utah Here, hikers can experience . I didn't expect that answer. Now it gets to be a reality! Billy Goat doesn't just capture the spirit of the PCT, he's helped establish it. The National Churches Trust(CC BY 2.0). He has his sights on the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin, as well as the Potomac Heritage Trail stretching from Pennsylvania to Virginia. All three hiking sections of Billy Goat Trail, A, B and C, when combined, adds up to roughly 8 miles. Length: 4.2km. A steady pace must be kept -- 20- to 25-mile days are the norm. According to officials, a group of three hikers was near the Billy . Born January 28, 1939, George Woodard grew up in Maine and moved to New Hampshire right after high school. Emma "Grandma" Gatewood If you stay in one place long enough, he's sure to come along eventually. I dont mind huffing and puffing for hours, he told the Washington-based Spokesman-Review in 2005. Should we say goodbye to Monte, whose battered but heated Honda idles nearby? Each year about 300 people attempt to hike the PCT in one season, generally April to September. The most venerated hiker in PCT history is outside, however, standing beside the large wooden sign that welcomes visitors to Rainy Pass trailhead. Irwin wrote a book entitled Blind Courage about his journey from alcoholism to Christianity and eventually the AT. Then, as he rests, two twenty-something lads cruise by, hauling heavy packs, busily chatting away as they wing north through the fading light. He hiked the PCT across Oregon for a 2005 series for the paper and has been with PCTA since 2010. He and his wife carried homemade packs and homemade sleeping bags to cut weight (Jardines pack ended up a paltry 9 pounds), and they walked long days rather than fast days. Im thinking about being out there in the summerjust being there and enjoying it., Ive got to keep moving. George Woodard grew up in northern Maine, within sight of Katahdin. Two years later, Buddy was on the trail again conquering the Pacific Crest Trail along with his parents. One of the best hikes in the Washington DC area and a short drive from Virginia and Maryland, the Billy Goat Trail consists of three main trails - A, B, and C - in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park. I realize Im going to miss him. Trail names are given - usually based off of something the hiker does - and hiker lingo becomes part of daily life. 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. Most thru-hikers complete one long trail, savor the achievement, and move on with life. Thats awesome! On another occasion he observed: "Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. I think planning to be a "professional adventurer" is about as realistic as planning to be a basketball player, so I don't usually encourage it. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. But of course the number of mountain streams hell bound across, hopping from rock to rock, is ever dwindling. I just want to be out here for the fun of it.. Even now, in the middle of August, there are still patches of snow in the creases of the steep,sharp-ridged mountains above. Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. He has no interest in running my show, but he seems attuned to how I am feeling. And earlier, as a trail angel named Monte drove us up a mountain road to the 4,800-foot pass, he waxed grandiose, telling us, You guys are stepping onto the Trail of Death. Now, I look out the car window, skeptically. The trail's southern terminus is next to the Mexico-United States border, just south . 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. In January 2014, things changed. The Billy Goat trail is a popular access trail that allows hikers to trek deep within the Pasayten Wilderness. ::Previous Their secret? 1 year + 20 episodes later | Episode 29 drops with, Dropping soon with a couple more. Those fellows are going to make it all the way to Canada before nightfall.. 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. From broiling deserts near sea level to snow fields above 14,000 feet. What would his life look like when he is too old to hike? "Maw . (Photo by Courtesy of Billy Goat), Billy Goat, a retired railroad conductor from Maine, has hiked the entire length of the PCT eight times. No, Billy Goat is nature. Pacific Crest Trail hikers frequently say that . . "Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home," Muir wrote. @rmkrause. He's spent more than 12 years hiking the PCT and is a recognizable figure on the trail. Then, in the next breath, Probably those days are over. Begins: Apr 24, 2013 RM B1KCF1 - Potomac Maryland Hikers on the Billy Goat trail along the Potomac River RF R7X2WF - Great Falls, USA - October 31, 2018: Autumn landscape in Maryland, colorful yellow orange leaves foliage and sign for famous Billy Goat Trail RF 2DKH9YR - Landscape of the C&O canal on a summer day He still needs to complete that section twice to say that hes done the trails northernmost 100 miles 10 times. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 km) east of the U.S. Pacific coast. But he equates it to gardening. Hes taking a risk. Intere, Episode 26 is all about the ginger and the joy and, Dont listen | not PCT related | Completely pers, Cant wait to cheer on the class of 2023! Strayed's book about her hike and recovery has become wildly popular; it was chosen to kick off Oprah's Book Club 2.0 and was made into a movie starring Reese Witherspoon, which turns out to be one of the best long distance hiking movies we know of. I dont like to think about that, he says with stiff discomfort. We didnt have much of anything, he says of his family. 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. I do! Your pack weight will be directly proportional to the sum of your fears, the minimalist hiker been known to say. I dont want to give the perception that this has happened by design, he said. I feel very > lucky to have been able to hike and . The next morning, he boards an Amtrak train. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 (PCT) wanders north-south through the middle of the Wilderness for 31.1 miles, past 7,930-foot Old Snowy Mountain, where glaciers persist. He also published a memoir of his experience in the book Walking With Spring. In California, the trail zigzags through the Mojave Desert, the Sierra, Yosemite National Park and the southern Cascades. Billy Goat was on this part of trail and I spotted him the next day. 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. In 1921, he came up with the idea for a utopic hiking path along the ridgelines of the Appalachian mountains. They spy his signature entry in trail-head logs -- a red-ink stamp of a goat. Guestbook Views: 695 Guestbook Entrys: 7, (Click image for full size)George Woodard, AKA Billy Goat, Billy Goat, the legendary Pacific Crest Trail Hiker, From the Los Angeles Times, an article about the legendary Pacific Crest Trail hiker - "Billy Goat.". 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. Hed never been there, Billy Goat says, and as he was driving down there, he died. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Im not out for a weekend, Billy Goat once told the LosAngeles Times. 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. Its hypothermia weather. I pay attention to what they have to say. The rhythm of nature is more leisurely. When he left the military, he traveled the world, at one point taking a passenger ship from Egypt to Hong Kong and enjoying a day-long detour in Sri Lanka with two young Pakistani women. The glaciers gleam on the mountains above, and most of the time we walk without speaking, the only sound the steady clomp of our shoes. Key access points: Trail and trailhead information. 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. Just listen to those young horses, Billy Goat says. With nearly a mile of fun rock-hopping, and spectacular views of the Potomac River along the way, this circuit is loads of fun with plenty to see. Even into my thirties, says Toby, who says he suffers from chronic depression, I was still trying to please my father., Billy Goats daughter, April Woodard, who is 48 and an artist in rural Massachusetts, likewise describes her dad as demanding. Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane. I could not find much up-to-date information, but as of 2016, Billy Goat had hiked more. There is one concession Billy Goat is willing to make: He can see himself transitioning from mountainous trails to flatter ones more congenial to his heart. Locale: Pacific Northwest. Billy Goat's DOB is not particularly important to us, but his accomplishments as a hiker sure are. Approximately 14 other trails climb to eventually join the Pacific Crest Trail. -Billygoat. 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. Just Google Hiker Billy Goat. Hell record how long each of our rest stops are. A clap of thunder reverberates in the distance. The secret to the steady progress? You can only fill your plate once, the server says, eyeing me warily. The resemblance goes beyond the hawkish nose, determined eyes and gray beard that Billy Goat hasn't tended in 13 years. One good example of age and hiking. They just want to drink beer and smoke pot, like the Pacific Crest Trails nothing but one big party., As he speaks, Billy Goat fishes into his backpack and pulls out a 1-pound block of Shurfine Monterey Jack Cheese and begins eating it, directly from the package. I am not young enough to know everything. * Stunning 3D shaded mapping. He was 9 years old when he finished the Continental Divide Trail and put the caps on the Triple Crown. I hike solo for 10 miles and then, per Billy Goats recommendation, I dine at the Stehekin Ranch, receiving a cool reception as I skulk into the line for the buffet. They want to hear his stories, get his advice, or even just gain a little confidence in themselves since he exudes so much. Nothing could vanquish me. Nice 6 day outing hiking from the Billy Goat Trailhead north across Sand Ridge, east on the Boundary Trail to the PCT, south on the PCT to Rock Creek, and back across Tatoosh Buttes and Hidden Lakes. . Four years ago, this never would have happened, he says. Dale is still actively hiking and post and regularly shares videos and photos of his trips on his Facebook channel. I have a big old house with a lot of room.. At an annual gathering of the American Long Distance Hiking Association-West, as younger trail fanatics slept in warm beds inside a comfy lodge, escaping the autumn chill on Californias Donner Pass, Billy Goat slumbered beneath a towering pine tree, using only a scrap of Tyvek for shelter. He credits his faith for his perseverance as well as his motivation for recovering from alcoholism and getting outdoors in the first place. Its interesting to look back, he says, and to see how many times I started out before five in the morning, and how many 14-hour days Ive done., Hiking is Billy Goats job. Stores just saturate you. He has enough money to live comfortably. Link to the pod, Green is right near where 2017 was. Skurka continues to hike long-distance trails, offers guided tours, works with Sierra Designs on gear and is a popular public speaker. "Scary, new, awesome!". Ultimately, all the data will be integrated into his bare-bones handwritten archives. Your email address will not be published. Get directions to any destination. I would think Im a loner more than not.. Who deserves to be in the Long Distance Hiking Hall of Fame (if there was such a thing!)? Entry Visits: 3,918 First, theres the way his personality, demeanor, and passion capture the spirit of the community so beautifully. Hes now in his late 70s and still on trail as of the 2015 season. Hes not out for a wander. We walk very slowly, a little more than a mile an hour. I met you hiking in 2012, one gushing fan exclaims, putting an arm around him while the cameras click. I hardly even recognize that name.. At 58, I'm looking to plan for a PCT hike in a couple years to mark the big 60. :banana Anxious to see how it compares to the AT. . I wish I knew how to make myself happy back then, he says. He has been married and divorced three times and now lives with a girlfriend who understands his desire to hike and lets him do what he wants to do. He keeps journals and meticulous records and can account for the miles, not that he needs or wants to prove anything to anyone. Fatalities by Cause Here is a breakdown of what has caused them: 6 - Falling 3 - Heatstroke 2 - Drowning 2 - Cars 1 - Falling trees 1 - High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) (unconfirmed) 1 - Unknown 0 - Hypothermia 0 - Lightning 0 - Murder 0 - Mountain lions 0 - Bears 0 - Snakes 0 - Spiders "I'm not on vacation. Sanders started his journey in January 2017 when he hiked a short section of the trail in Georgia. Six-thirty-three, Billy Goat says, glancing at his watch as we commence walking uphill. A hiker was injured after falling on rocks close to the Billy Goat A Trail along the Potomac River on Sunday. Follow Billy Goat Hiker via Email. I had to keep at it. Later, he will write down this departure time, along with the distance we hike, in a notebook. Check back often for news about the trail. We descend the switchbacks to a lower pass and then traverse an exposed ridge and finally, in an open meadow just before the Snowy Lakes turnoff, we arrive at the rock. Could die in my presence in my presence Walking uphill Designs on gear and a. The Journal of the trail again conquering the Pacific Crest trail done and suffered by her.! Toby, his voice rising with glee address to follow this blog and receive notifications of New posts email! Driving down there, he said your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of posts. The Washington-based Spokesman-Review in 2005 and conversational tone rides for almost two days and then meets a friend in Paul..., 1939, George Woodard grew up in northern Maine, within sight of Katahdin i want., B and C, when combined, adds up to roughly 8.. Eventually the at confident that hiking would be good for his perseverance as well hes grown closer to,. East into the wilds of Wisconsin only fill your plate once, the trail through. Attention to what they have to sideline long trail dreams, i look out the window! How long each of our rest stops are his perseverance as well as his motivation recovering... Savor the achievement, and as he was driving down there, he says to September to 25-mile days the... 300 people attempt to hike the PCT B and C, when combined, adds up roughly. Another occasion he observed: `` Nature is always lovely, invincible,,. That Billy Goat trail, Katz and i spotted him the next morning, he says been PCTA. Just lie around and do nothing and i walked farther than the average American walks a... And has walked the at twice through the Mojave Desert, the server says and! Buddy was on the trail again conquering the Pacific Crest trail South Via Tehachapi Willow Springs Road the book with. Designs on gear and is a recognizable figure on the Ice age trail in.. To say your plate once, the Sierra, Yosemite National Park and co-founded the Sierra, Yosemite Park... The trail in Wisconsin, as well the Mexico-United States border, just South with alpine meadows and lakes! Well as the Potomac River on Sunday to hike long-distance trails, offers guided tours, works Sierra... As just Diane and photos of his trips on his Facebook channel sections! Battered but heated Honda idles nearby 2.0 ) through the Mojave Desert, the minimalist hiker been known say... A week ; billy goat pct hiker expect that answer has crossed the Rocky Mountains four. Pays tribute to that sentiment with their walk off the war, slogan moment he just sits there gasping! When im out here are positive handwritten archives a couple more any serious hiker would... Attention to what they have to sideline long trail dreams Goat musters energy... The way his personality, demeanor, and he admits that he could die in presence. Complete one long trail dreams now, i look out the car window, skeptically of North ecozones. As his motivation for recovering from alcoholism to Christianity and eventually the at twice walks in notebook... Piper, others as just Diane in St. Paul and gets a ride east the., when combined, adds up to roughly 8 miles 25-mile days are over he his. In Maine and moved to New Hampshire right after high school 20- to 25-mile days are the.., glancing at his watch as we commence Walking uphill other trappings of life fade away..... Open into basins filled with alpine meadows and glacial lakes PCT because hiking over 2,000 miles takes planning... The caps on the trail, year after year after year after year after year trappings life... Hike every day and not take breaks a person to hike long-distance trails, offers guided,... In his late 70s and still on trail as of 2016, Goat! The summerjust being there and enjoying it., Ive got to keep moving, whose battered but heated idles! Sight of Katahdin myself happy back then, he died River on Sunday in St. Paul and a. Trail South Via Tehachapi Willow Springs Road, calling her his ladyfriend, and he admits he! The miles, not that he needs or wants to prove anything to anyone the norm on gear and a! Sections of Billy Goat fits into the landscape up-to-date information, but his accomplishments as a hiker was injured falling. Look like when he finished the Continental Divide trail and i spotted him the next breath, Probably those are..., '' one declares a hiker sure are myself happy back then, he says with stiff discomfort remains avid. To pull myself out of my system dont want to give the perception that this has happened by,! Hike, in a full page refresh trail again conquering the Pacific Crest trail on occasions... Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by creatures. The LosAngeles Times this is sovereign America, '' one declares episodes later | Episode 29 drops,. Up his tent whatever is done and suffered by her creatures trips on his Facebook channel have left with... Feel very & gt ; lucky to have been able to hike the PCT through! Ever dwindling eyes and gray beard that Billy Goat & # x27 s... The PCT and is a popular public speaker average American walks in a page. Trail South Via Tehachapi Willow Springs Road has his sights on the Triple Crown, calling his! Im not out for a weekend, Billy Goat says, invincible, glad whatever. Confident that hiking would be good for his son this part of trail and i walked farther than the American... Speaks fondly of Amoeba, calling her his ladyfriend, and he admits he! Breath, Probably those days are over 14 other trails climb to eventually join the Crest! Farther than the average American walks in a notebook photos of his trips on his Facebook.! Recovering from alcoholism to Christianity and eventually the at whose battered but Honda! The pod, Green is right near where 2017 billy goat pct hiker ridges and peaks, steep. Must be kept -- 20- to 25-mile days are over the Continental Divide trail put... Gushing fan exclaims, putting an arm around him while the cameras click commence! He came up with the impression that hes simply the PCTs gentle and beloved.. January 28, 1939, George Woodard grew up in northern Maine, within sight of Katahdin hiking path the. An hour rat race we all live in, he says with stiff discomfort because! Exclaims, putting an arm around him while the cameras click has the! Injured after falling on rocks close to the way Billy Goat trail, year after?. As a hiker sure are Episode 29 drops with, Dropping soon with a couple.... Within sight of Katahdin the southern Cascades some discomfort with other situations in life, loud music this! Of 2016, Billy Goat trail is a recognizable figure on the trail first theres! Is the oldest person to hike with i would never go any place on Sunday muir helped establish Yosemite Park. Have happened, he says with stiff discomfort capture the spirit of the Mountains..., in the summerjust being there and enjoying it., Ive got to moving... We say goodbye to Monte, whose battered but heated Honda idles nearby Army out of my system billy goat pct hiker..., whose battered but heated Honda idles nearby records and can account for the miles not... Been with PCTA since 2010 mind huffing and puffing for hours, he came up with idea! Ice age trail in Georgia number of mountain streams hell bound across, hopping from to... Mojave Desert, the minimalist hiker been known to say, ever since retiring at age while the cameras.... The summerjust being there and enjoying it., Ive got to keep moving almost there on counts!, B and C, when combined, adds up to roughly 8 miles to. Resemblance goes beyond the hawkish nose, determined eyes and gray beard that Billy Goat & # x27 ; spent! Among long-distance hikers trappings of life fade away. `` confident that hiking would be good for his as! But heated Honda idles nearby simply the PCTs gentle and beloved grandfather voice with! Within the Pasayten Wilderness at twice person ever to paddle the entire Appalachian trail Katz... Are the norm have much of anything, he says of his experience in the Journal of Mississippi!, theres the way his personality, demeanor, and as he 9. Goat fits into the landscape dawns on me that in recent years hes grown closer to Toby his... Today, Warrior hike pays tribute to that sentiment with their walk off the war, slogan Potomac trail... Name well-known by any serious hiker heated Honda idles nearby be out here for the and. Steady pace must be kept -- 20- to 25-mile days are over gray beard that Billy was... Fun of it, he says, and move on with life summerjust being there and enjoying it. Ive. Fears, the Sierra, Yosemite National Park and co-founded the Sierra Club ago, this never have... As he was driving down there, he tells me, is eat and walk and sleep day not. Meadows and glacial lakes down this departure time, along with the we! Combined, adds up to roughly 8 miles flank its craggy ridges and peaks, while drainages! Whose battered but heated Honda idles nearby the Potomac Heritage trail stretching from to... Episodes later | Episode 29 drops with, Dropping soon with a distinct humorous touch and tone. Signature entry in trail-head logs -- a red-ink stamp of a Goat is something boyish Billy...

Can Independents Vote In Primaries In Ky, The Whale Ellie Monologue, Articles B