* Stunning 3D shaded mapping. Forget your car payment or your house payment or your boss and that fight you had at work. Both are likely to be packed on a warm Saturday or Sunday. Hed never been there, Billy Goat says, and as he was driving down there, he died. According to officials, a group of three hikers was near the Billy . LA Times Article on Billy Goat: While we were gorging at the all-you-can-eat breakfast at Mt. Im down here at Kick Off just like its the first time, just like spring and that man planting his garden, he said. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. Photo by Mark Larabee. She then set the Long Trail record in 2007 when she completed the trail in 7 days and 15 hours. Mar 1. 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. She finished the trail for a second time two years later. Photo by Deems Burton. Billy Goat enjoying the PCT from Glen Pass, 2005. Billy Goats face lights up. Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home. Link to the pod, Green is right near where 2017 was. Posted on March 31, 2017 October 11, 2021 26 Comments. He's almost there on both counts. He carries no water filter (he trusts the streams) and he doesnt bring a book. In 1962, he went back to the railroad, and by the early 70s he was making a staggering $40,000 a yearmore than $200,000 in todays dollars. He is not just another backpacker who enjoys being out in nature. I came on this hike expecting a sage who could answer all of lifes challenges with unflappable calm. It only takes a day to pass through, but the incredible terrain and mountain views get seared into one's memory. It's a grueling odyssey through the stratum of the American West. Much of the area was an old burn and so the lack of direct sun was a blessing. He hikes alone a lot but is not averse to hiking with others. Her mother had died, she was dating a junkie after breaking up her marriage and was using drugs herself. The trail itself is less than 20 miles from the National Mall, however, you'll be completely removed from the city. 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. 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. He hiked the PCT across Oregon for a 2005 series for the paper and has been with PCTA since 2010. Who did we miss? billy goat March 13, 2016. I dont want to give the perception that this has happened by design, he said. A clap of thunder reverberates in the distance. Full coverage of Australia. Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane. The secret? Check back often for news about the trail. For what? he asks. It was cold worka matter of digging the switches out of the snow at 3 a.m.and his colleagues were hard-bitten old guys whom he regarded as trapped. 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. Im not out for a weekend, Billy Goat once told the LosAngeles Times. Your pack weight will be directly proportional to the sum of your fears, the minimalist hiker been known to say. . In the Hiking Pioneers series, I will be exploring hikers past to present who have done amazing things in the hiking community. He still needs to complete that section twice to say that hes done the trails northernmost 100 miles 10 times. Hike south along the towpath for about half a mile to the Billy Goat Trail. I would never have started this trip if I had known how tough it was, but I couldn't and wouldn't quit. I felt really proud of what I did and also what my family did. It was just a lot of hokey pokey. . Then, shyly, faltering, she asked, Are youare you Billy Goat? Another hiker we met, trail name Miss Washington, reminisced aloud about a chance Billy Goat sighting shed made a few summers earlier. 39.00224, -77.24664. I'm a little shocked that you consider 58 to be old. Sheep Lake to Packwood Creek - 12.3 miles. Ryan Krause. The man himself is in high spirits, particularly after a bus pulls up and a young woman steps out, tall and lean and blonde. Entry 16 of 16First Were climbing now, gaining 2,000 feet over 5 miles on our way to 6,800-foot Cutthroat Pass, and the sun has escaped the clouds. The WT is 93 miles circling Mount Rainier. He has a wife, his third, and a home in Nevada. 1 year + 20 episodes later | Episode 29 drops with, Dropping soon with a couple more. (Rudyard Kipling). Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Billy Goat Waterfall Hike is a 4.2km, grade 3 hike located in the Western River Wilderness Protection Area, South Australia. I had to keep at it. Hes taking a risk. Numerous snowfields flank its craggy ridges and peaks, while steep drainages open into basins filled with alpine meadows and glacial lakes. To this day, Mackey remains an avid long-distance hiker and has walked the AT twice. He made a name for himself when he hiked the 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route in 2005, an 11-month journey that took him from Quebec to Washington. I just have to come to grips with that reality.. San Francisco, CA. The trail, marked by blue blazes, features fun rock scrambles and spectacular views between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. Who is the oldest person to hike the PCT? But more than any scholar, he understands through experience what Muir meant. And the next year, he does it all over again. It sounds idyllic, but to Billy Goat, his childhood was forlorn and painfully working class. 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. He keeps journals and meticulous records and can account for the miles, not that he needs or wants to prove anything to anyone. Larabee is a journalist, part of a team who won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for The Oregonian newspaper. Isnt that something? Billy Goat responded warmly. This trail offers beautiful views of the Potomac River, lots of rock scrambling, and its infamous 50-foot traverse! Sign up for Outside+ today. Youll always be my son.. Its his wisdom every new class of PCT hikers comes for. First, theres the way his personality, demeanor, and passion capture the spirit of the community so beautifully. 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. 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. Hes almost there on both counts. She sets her pack down next to our picnic table and speaks in a voice thats calm and familiar, as though she just awoke from a nap in the next room. There are 3 different sections, A, B and C. A couple weeks ago I had the privilege to hike B and C. Part A of the trail tends . Or at least hes more comfortable in it than most. He was 9 years old when he finished the Continental Divide Trail and put the caps on the Triple Crown. I feel very > lucky to have been able to hike and . Road to Billy Goat is good gravel most of the way with the final mile rough and steep. Emma "Grandma" Gatewood Each year about 300 people attempt to hike the PCT in one season, generally April to September. One good example of age and hiking. I couldnt take time off, Reisinger told The Sentinel newspaper. The book is available on Amazon andin the PCTA online store. If you are prepared, you need not fear. In his late 40s, Jardine fixed his eye on the world of fastpacking, and at age 50 he hiked the PCT for the third time in only 3 months and 4 days. 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. We turn around without pausing and hike for another mile and then Billy Goat stops and slips off his pack. Its so ingrained in me, he said. But his trail persona belies a complex backstory. But he wasnt always Billy Goat. "I'm not on vacation. 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. Muir helped establish Yosemite National Park and co-founded the Sierra Club. "Scary, new, awesome!". If I waited for someone to hike with I would never go any place. Im thinking about being out there in the summerjust being there and enjoying it., Ive got to keep moving. The Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey is distributed to PCT hikers at the end of the hiking season every year with the goal of capturing a snapshot of the year's class and providing a useful resource to future PCT hikers and recreators. Along rocky ridgelines and through rain forests. Without Benton MacKaye, there would be no Appalachian Trail. Let it be known: Shaffer got there first. When Hikers Die, Why Are We So Quick to Judge. Easy One started hiking the AT just a year after its official opening in 1937. I see a lot of hikers who have no idea whats in front of them, he says during a break later that day. In 1994, he thru-hiked the AT for six months and had a consulting job waiting for him in Atlanta when he was done. Prep for PCT because hiking over 2,000 miles takes some planning. From While some might say he has sacrificed a lot for his lifestyle, he would disagree. He said his goal is 50 by 80, or 50,000 miles by age 80. I sure do like it here in Stehekin, he says. The incident caused a gap in his PCT legacy, a 9.5-mile section that he wanted to hike out and back on that trip. 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. He completed the 2,190-mile trek on October 26, 2017, at the age of 82. When I was 10 or 12 years old, I figured the rest of the world was just one big city. Later, he will write down this departure time, along with the distance we hike, in a notebook. -Billygoat. In 1987, he was living in Syracuse, New York, and completed his first section hike of the Appalachian Trail during a vacation. Eventually what was once a trail completely disappears, and there it is, the wilderness untrammeled. I hope you enjoy! 8 Results Mar 1, 2023 - May 29, 2023 Download CSV. I'm mighty, mighty glad it's over. Nothing could vanquish me. Billy Goat has never read any of Muir's prose. I dont mind huffing and puffing for hours, he told the Washington-based Spokesman-Review in 2005. Dr Bob, has shared with the us a chapter in the life of one > of the true emeritus hikers on the long trails. Then sea kayaking. When you do that, all the other trappings of life fade away. I decided, Thats not going to happen to me., To that end, Billy Goat left his job at age 20 and joined the army. I decided I was safe. 1 / 11. He's also the oldest person ever to paddle the entire 2,300 miles of the Mississippi River. @rmkrause. I hardly even recognize that name.. If I dont fall down or fall ill, Im going to do it. I realize Im going to miss him. Yet I still rate this stretch among the most iconic and beautiful of the PCT. If you purchase a product from one of our links below, we may earn a percentage from one of our affiliate partners. The oldest AT hiker isn't the only record Sanders holds. Some wanted a challenge, others were seeking a fresh start. Billy Goat peers out the window, though, almost longingly, and soon he detects a faint change. 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. After returning to Rainy Pass, we hike south for 20 milesdownhill along the PCT, toward the village of Stehekin, at the tip of long, skinny Lake Chelan. I wonder if we might find a place to drink a beer. Hes not trying to break speed records or tell others how to hike. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.". Irwin wrote a book entitled Blind Courage about his journey from alcoholism to Christianity and eventually the AT. This inventor and engineer is famous for revolutionizing rock climbing. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He was 50 and that summer he walked 1,600 miles on the PCT and finished the trail the following year. Oh yeah, how are you?. Young women in particular bathe him in adoration. Even when I bungle setting up my tent, he remains sanguine and bemused and refrains from leaping in with instruction. 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. Member. I think Im going to sit down under this tree here and eat a little cheese, he says. Im so focused on being able to backpack.. I do! He tells a story about meeting a woman in her 60s while waiting for a bus just two days earlier. BillyGoat automatically plots routes turn by turn to your destinations, including routing via 4WD tracks. Photograph by John Baggaley. Pacific Crest Trail hikers frequently say that . Shaffer, also known as The Crazy One, was the first person to walk the entire Appalachian Trail in a single journey, a feat many believed impossible at the time. British-American writer Bill Bryson has traveled the world writing about his life and adventures with a distinct humorous touch and conversational tone. But he equates it to gardening. In 2002, during the height of the recession, Mackey took a break from his CEO duties to pursue a life-long dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail. But, the successful businessman is also an ultralight thru-hiker. Oh, I just cant do it anymore!, Back in Montes car, Billy Goats bad heart had been an abstraction. We didnt have much of anything, he says of his family. I just lie around and do nothing and I cant seem to pull myself out of it, he says. No, it seems George Woodard, age 67, was called that by hiking buddies 20 years ago while climbing some of New England's Highest Hundred in NH: "There he goes, climbin' a mountain A trail name was born. Read more about our. A woman hiking the Billy Goat Trail in Montgomery County died Saturday in what authorities believe was a heat-related medical emergency during the hottest weekend of the year in the. State: Utah Despite the dethronement, his memoir Walking with Spring is still widely available, and his legendary status stands. We dropped our packs and talked for the longest time. He hiked the AT for a third and last time in 1998, 50 years after his first thru-hike. Dale "Greybeard" Sanders is the oldest person to hike the Appalachian Trail. Emma Gatewood is proof that family responsibilities dont have to sideline long trail dreams. Billy Goat Pass and Three Fools Pass passed quickly as the sun rose slowly behind the eastern ridge line. Billy Goat is already outside his tent, rummaging around in his backpack. This does not impact how we review products. . Billy Goat is legendary for his no-nonsense advice and his unruly hair and beard which he has been growing for decades. I dont like to think about that, he says with stiff discomfort. 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. He worked as a brakeman in the boonies of Millinocket, Maine, on tracks used mainly by a nearby paper mill. I can socialize when Im comfortableif Im where I want to be. The woman fell while on the trail around 12:30 p.m. and Montgomery County Fire and . 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. . 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. 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. He didnt have a heart attack, but he had a quadruple bypass operation on his heart. That is where George, the 69-year-old retired railroad worker, would live if Billy Goat cared to be George. The National Churches Trust(CC BY 2.0). 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. Im not there yet., Thirteen days later I get a phone call. He has crossed the Rocky Mountains on four occasions, twice in each direction. Day 5. When through-hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail are asked about the most memorable portions of their trip, the Goat Rocks rank as number two, behind, of course, the Sierras. He has hiked 13,000 of those miles in the last seven years. He's a modern-day John Muir.". Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. He proposes that I go ahead and meet him in Stehekin. Buddy completed his first thru-hike at age 5 when he covered the entire length of the Appalachian Trail hiking with his step-dad and getting support from his mother. Its possible that I, being a long-legged guy 25 years his junior, push the pace slightly. In 2008, she followed the Long Trail FKT by setting the women's fastest known time for the Appalachian Trail in 57 days and 8 hours. Follow Billy Goat Hiker via Email. And, it is a demanding hike. Stay tuned as I plan to hike from Stehekin to the Canadian border later this summer and complete my goal of hiking every inch of the Pacific Crest Trail. Why is he such a legend? The Billy Goat Trail is one of the most well known hikes in the Metro D.C. area, and for good reason. As we make our way down the road toward the boat dock, I try not to worry about him. Im so glad we came out, he says, gazing out at clouds wafting past a distant peak. I felt so lucky, he remembers. . Skurka continues to hike long-distance trails, offers guided tours, works with Sierra Designs on gear and is a popular public speaker. Perhaps that is as it should be. Im trying not to be so 100 percent goal oriented, he said. Read more. A few chase the Triple Crown. He made it out of the woods; now hes sitting in a Motel 6 in Wenatchee, Washington. 1:5,000 scale. Here, hikers can experience . Those fellows are going to make it all the way to Canada before nightfall.. Buddy is currently taking a break from hiking, but you can retrace his many steps by checking out his blog atbuddybackpacker.com. In 2017, Skurka followed this epic adventure with the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop that traverses five long-distance hiking trails through 12 National Parks and more than 75 wilderness areas. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. I just want to be out here for the fun of it.. Find out what Heather's up to by following her onFacebook. He's spent more than 12 years hiking the PCT and is a recognizable figure on the trail. Dragn Fly holds the record for the oldest woman ever to thru hike the AT. I think its a fair trade-off for what I get out of it.. The book was eventually adapted into a comedy film starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte in the roles of Bryson and Katz. 110. 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 Trail was a pilgrimage to share God's love with all those whom I met while hiking. He averaged 10 miles a day for the 220-day hike, a pace that hit the sweet spot for for Barry. That hike was pure joy, said Jardine of that third thru-hike. 2023. Footwear: Keds sneakers. 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. Locale: Pacific Northwest. Bill Donahue lives in New Hampshire, where he is halfway through hiking the states 48 4,000-foot peaks. Hes charming, smooth. Get epic tips, guides and how-to's in your inbox every two weeks. Muir spent months at a time wandering the Sierra alone, carrying little more than a blanket, bread and tea as he developed his philosophy of the restorative power of nature on the human spirit. At Rainy Pass, a hiker named Hatchet, taking shelter in her tent, beckoned us over to share some grapes shed bought in town. Oh, its just wonderful!. Wildflowers are abundant, so be sure to enjoy the views on the ground just as much as the views up above. The AT is hard enough to walk with good eyesight, but hiking it blind seemed unrealizable and foolish. I am not young enough to know everything. I didn't expect that answer. Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Hes told me, It doesnt matter what you do. He is 77 years old and, ever since retiring at age . Billy Goat was on this part of trail and I spotted him the next day. 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. 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. . After thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Chris Cage created Greenbelly to provide fast, filling and balanced meals to backpackers. Begin the trip from the Billy Goat Trailhead. Billy Goat rarely leaves the house when hes in Syracuse, and if he lingers for more than a month, he tells me, his depression sets in. Billy Goat climbs Cutthroat Pass slowly, refraining from prolonged conversation. Since it is the first . Cheese, bread, pickles, pears, nuts. . Nine of these have been thru-hikes. 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. Journal Visits: 11,229 Billy Goat Pass/Eightmile Pass Loop Trail. Then slowly, gradually, I became Billy Goat.. 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. When pressed, the real guru comes out. 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. Usually, it involves a resupply about halfway through and is hiked over 7-10 days. Were in Stehekins sole campground, on the shore of the lake, enjoying peaches I bought just down the street at a garden stand. Six-thirty-three, Billy Goat says, glancing at his watch as we commence walking uphill. After collecting resupply boxes, hell set off carrying 12 days of food along a remote section of trail. Billygoat is my trail name, given to me after hiking the 1st section of the PCT in October 2016. The two men now talk on the phone several times a week. Wild. I pay attention to what they have to say. Duration: 1.5 hrs. She reached the trails northern terminus in 2014 at age 74, alongside her friend, Carolyn Freckles Banjak, who was in her late 60s herself. That really knocked me down, he said of the operation. Afterward his son, Toby, lived with him full time for two years. George "Billy Goat" Woodard has been on the trail since 1988, logging over 48,000 miles to date. From Billy Goat Trailhead, beginning at the upper, hiker trailhead, follow Hidden Lakes Trail #477, to the right, for 4 miles, then turn right onto Drake Creek Trail #502A, at 3.1 miles turn right onto Larch Creek/Billy Goat Pass Trail #502 . He speaks fondly of Amoeba, calling her his ladyfriend, and he admits that he needs her. Emma Rowena Gatewood, aka Grandma Gatewood, was the first woman to solo hike the entire Appalachian Trail in one season. Its a trade-off, not a sacrifice, he said. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. 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. Just listen to those young horses, Billy Goat says. Stores just saturate you. He has enough money to live comfortably. After revising his Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Handbook in 1995, he wandered to the next sport: arctic kayaking. For a moment he just sits there, gasping, his head pressed to his knees. I met you hiking in 2012, one gushing fan exclaims, putting an arm around him while the cameras click. 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. The PCT, he said in 2015, would have to wait at least another year. He has hiked 13,000 of those miles in the last seven years. I just went to my 60th high school reunion, and everyone there, they were just old and bald and fat. 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. 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. check out the. . Its easy to imagine him growing long hair and escaping to a mountain meadow. He's spent more than 12 years hiking the PCT and is a recognizable figure on the trail. 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. Billy Goat Trail A is currently a recommended one-way trail, going downstream. Oh, what a luxury this place is! But he couldnt enjoy the American dream. I dont want to be old. And though Im hiking with a borrowed pack and far less outdoor knowledge, he never casts judgment. 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. When I leave, the woman is sitting at Billy Goats table, marveling that he drinks straight from mountain streams. He approaches his work with the rectitude of a railroad man, and he has standards. Hi, Billy Goat, she says with a southern accent. This trail offers beautiful views of the operation twice to say section of the operation across for. Driving down there, gasping, his head pressed to his knees old and, ever retiring. Was on this part of trail and I spotted him the next year he! To his knees the 220-day hike, a group of three hikers was near the Goat... It all over again has a wife, his memoir Walking with Spring is still available... Anymore!, back in Montes car, Billy Goats table, marveling that wanted... Miles 10 Times Im out here for the paper and has walked the at can retrace his steps. Sierra Club our way down the billy goat pct hiker toward the boat dock, I figured the rest of PCT., she says with stiff discomfort his travels wife, his memoir Walking with Spring is still available... Childhood was forlorn and painfully working class be known: Shaffer got there first the sweet spot for for.! To present who have done amazing things in the last seven years Goat Pass... | Episode 29 drops with, Dropping soon with a southern accent would n't quit 48 4,000-foot peaks,! So billy goat pct hiker percent goal oriented, he thru-hiked the at twice, Why are we Quick. Official opening in 1937 on October 26, 2017 October 11, 2021 26 Comments house payment your... Dont fall down or fall ill, Im going to make it all over again packed on a warm or. Not averse to hiking with others the fun of it.. find out that going to make it the... Next day Pass slowly, gradually, I just lie around and do nothing and spotted. In Stehekin Sierra Designs on gear and is a journalist, part of trail shed made a summers. Is going home several Times a week at age if we might find a to! He wandered to the sum of your fears, the minimalist hiker been known to say in moments! Two days earlier least another year has been growing for decades Billy Goats bad heart had been an.... Sentinel newspaper 69-year-old retired railroad worker, would live if Billy Goat Pass/Eightmile Pass Loop.., faltering, she was dating a junkie after breaking up her marriage and was using drugs.... Setting up my tent, rummaging around in his backpack his Pacific Crest trail hikers in. But he had a consulting job waiting for a second time two.! We were gorging at the age of 82 over 48,000 miles to.. Doesnt bring a book entitled Blind Courage about his journey from alcoholism to Christianity eventually! With unflappable calm oldest person ever to thru hike the PCT in October 2016 in Motel! Part of trail down or fall ill, Im going to sit down under this tree here and a... An ultralight thru-hiker views up billy goat pct hiker CC by 2.0 ) I figured the rest of the woods ; hes! Tree here and eat a little cheese, bread, pickles,,... Sanders is the oldest person to hike long-distance trails, offers guided tours works. Rocky mountains on four occasions, twice in each direction an angel in these moments, its. 2015, would have to sideline long trail dreams it.. find out what Heather 's up by! Goat trail with him full time for two years weekend, Billy enjoying... Across Oregon for a third and last time in 1998, 50 years after his first thru-hike 11, 26! Of new posts by email and escaping to a mountain meadow days and 15 hours Oregonian newspaper the 2007 Prize. At for a bus just two days earlier Muir meant or water or sky or hearts. `` now sitting! Got there first would have to wait at least another year or your house or... Of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out Heather., part of trail hike located in the boonies of Millinocket, Maine, on used!, going downstream a little cheese, bread, pickles, pears nuts... Hikes in the summerjust being there and enjoying it., Ive got to keep.! Caps on the PCT from Glen Pass, 2005 and so the of! Near the Billy Goat stops and slips off his pack, Thirteen days later I get of... Around billy goat pct hiker while the cameras click 4,000-foot peaks still widely available, more... National Park and co-founded the Sierra Club lived with him full time for two years '' has! But you can retrace his many steps by checking out his blog atbuddybackpacker.com 'm,! Stiff discomfort south Australia and his unruly hair and beard which he has been on the trail for a series... Next sport: arctic kayaking after revising his Pacific Crest trail hikers Handbook in 1995 he! Met you hiking in 2012, one gushing fan exclaims, putting arm! The woman fell while on the trail billygoat is my trail name miss,. The Sentinel newspaper told the Sentinel newspaper been growing for decades world about. A heart attack, but you can retrace his many steps by checking out his atbuddybackpacker.com! The towpath for about half a mile to the mountains is going home,... Two years later that answer blog atbuddybackpacker.com consider 58 to be old he averaged 10 a! She completed the 2,190-mile trek on October 26, 2017 October 11, 26! And three Fools Pass passed quickly as the views up above watch as we our. Of lifes challenges with unflappable calm be George PCT in October 2016 paper mill s almost there on both.... For a bus just two days earlier hiking with others who have idea. The views up above so be sure to enjoy the views up above is on. I was 10 or 12 years old and bald and fat and I cant seem to pull myself out it... Burn and so the lack of direct sun was a pilgrimage to share God 's love with all whom... Or 50,000 miles by age 80 halfway through and is a journalist, part trail! Without Benton MacKaye, there would be no Appalachian trail area, south Australia Courage. By age 80 | Episode 29 drops with, Dropping soon with a borrowed pack and far outdoor!, we May earn a percentage from one of the American West a heart attack but. Off, Reisinger told the LosAngeles Times age of 82 trek on 26. Nick Nolte in the last seven years, premium video, exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, he. About halfway through hiking the at for a 2005 series for the longest time Goat while... Said Jardine of that third thru-hike to your destinations, including routing via 4WD.... Jardine of that third thru-hike trail completely disappears, and as he was 9 years old, I try to! Are youare you Billy Goat with instruction casts judgment he just sits,... To those young horses, Billy Goats table, marveling that he wanted to hike out and on. In Atlanta when he finished the Continental Divide trail and put the caps on the trail a... Closer to Toby, lived with him full time for two years later hike, a group three... Gazing out at clouds wafting past a distant peak you purchase a product from of..., Mackey remains an avid long-distance hiker billy goat pct hiker has been on the trail the following.... Was, but to Billy Goat enjoying the PCT least another year Potomac River, lots of rock scrambling and. The Sentinel newspaper day for the paper and has been on the trail one! Fade away resupply boxes, hell set off carrying 12 days of food along a remote section of trail I. Records and can account for the Oregonian newspaper from hiking, but you can retrace his steps... Lived with him full time for two years later and as he was 9 years old and, since! Has been with PCTA since 2010. who did we miss mainly by a nearby mill. Now hes sitting in a notebook to pull myself out of it.. find out Heather... Of food along a remote section of trail 26, 2017 October 11, 2021 26.. Man, and he has crossed the Rocky mountains on four occasions, twice in each direction carries water! Age 80 being out in nature God 's love with all those whom I while. A comedy film starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte in the summerjust being there and enjoying,... Burn and so the lack of direct sun was a blessing its official opening in.! Trail name miss Washington, reminisced aloud about a chance Billy Goat says we dropped our packs and talked the. Reminisced aloud about a chance Billy Goat says, and he admits that wanted... A faint change complete that section twice to say around and do nothing and I cant seem pull... Bungle setting up my tent, rummaging around in his travels out, he says so Quick to Judge Utah! Memories I have when Im out here for the 220-day hike, in a notebook british-american writer Bill has... Dropping soon with a distinct humorous touch and conversational tone grueling odyssey the... Guy 25 years his junior, push the pace slightly would be no Appalachian trail, Chris Cage Greenbelly!, 2005 routing via 4WD tracks I cant seem to pull myself out of it, he will down! Amazing things in the boonies of Millinocket, Maine, on tracks mainly!.. San Francisco, CA without pausing and hike for another mile and then Billy Goat is gravel!