If I had another week I would fall on my face. Born January 28, 1939, George Woodard grew up in Maine and moved to New Hampshire right after high school. I tell people two things: give yourself three weeks to get your body in shape and get your mind in shape, he said with a happy chuckle. (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. In 2014, Amoeba coaxed Billy Goat to try psychiatric counseling, but he balked after one visit. It has been popular with hikers since the 1800s. Photograph by John Baggaley. Daily life is rendered primeval -- food, water, shelter and miles are all that matter. Check back often for news about the trail. Billy Goat Trail is a moderate 4-mile hike located in Maryland, just minutes from Washington, D.C. Despite the dethronement, his memoir Walking with Spring is still widely available, and his legendary status stands. He doesnt have a stove, opting for ready-to-eat food. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. Two years later, Buddy was on the trail again conquering the Pacific Crest Trail along with his parents. In California, the trail zigzags through the Mojave Desert, the Sierra, Yosemite National Park and the southern Cascades. 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. He carries what he needs in a backpack weighing less than 10 pounds. 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. I met the most extraordinary man just two days ago. We rode around in a taxi cab and saw elephants in the river, and rubber trees and forests. Many people say the Goat Rocks Wilderness and the Knife's Edge Trail in Washington are the most beautiful and scenic sections of the Pacific Crest Trail. Billy Goat is already outside his tent, rummaging around in his backpack. Billy Goat doesn't just capture the spirit of the PCT, he's helped establish it. Chance encounters are described in awed tones in Internet journals. I decided I was safe. 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. The organization still oversees the stewardship of the trail today. I was strong. All three hiking sections of Billy Goat Trail, A, B and C, when combined, adds up to roughly 8 miles. 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. An excerpt from the PCTAs 2016 publication of The Pacific Crest Trail, Exploring Americas Wilderness Trail. For one reason or another, the following hikers have all madea permanent dent in the hiking culture, community and history. Let it be known: Shaffer got there first. Their secret? Duration: 1.5 hrs. Road to Billy Goat is good gravel most of the way with the final mile rough and steep. Tag: George "Billy Goat" Woodard. Im not on vacation. 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. They had great-grandchildren and canes and walkers. 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. The most venerated hiker in PCT history is outside, however, standing beside the large wooden sign that welcomes visitors to Rainy Pass trailhead. Some wanted a challenge, others were seeking a fresh start. 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.". Im not out for a weekend, Billy Goat once told the LosAngeles Times. Unbeatable! In January 2014, things changed. He is not just another backpacker who enjoys being out in nature. Something lost behind the Ranges. The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. We shoulder our packs. Its raining at Rainy Pass, Washington. 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. Iro. The Billy Goat trail is a popular access trail that allows hikers to trek deep within the Pasayten Wilderness. 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! 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. 3428. Hes almost there on both counts. Get Directions. @rmkrause. "Maw . Hes standing beneath the small roof sheltering the trailhead sign and holding his palm out, into the rain, deciding whether its prudent to commence our planned four-day, 40-mile hike now, in a storm, at four in the afternoon. 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. 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. I didn't expect that answer. 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. 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. To inspire, educate and promote fellowship among long distance hikers and those who support long-distance hiking. "I'm not on vacation. ::Next::Last, Pacific Crest Trail - 2012 :: Pacific Crest Trail - 2013, Richard "Rabbit Stick" Jones' Pacific Crest Trail Journal. The woman fell while on the trail around 12:30 p.m. and Montgomery County Fire and . He proposes that I go ahead and meet him in Stehekin. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. When you do that, all the other trappings of life fade away.". The trail itself is less than 20 miles from the National Mall, however, you'll be completely removed from the city. Lost youth wasnt the only obstacle beleaguering Bill Irwin: the 50-year-old thru-hiker was also blind. 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. The Hiking Life is a compilation of tips and advice on trip planning, lightweight backpacking techniques, and improving your wilderness skill set. And now Im just about to dip my feet in the bathtub. January 14, 2017 by Billy Goat Leave a comment. Trail culture - Some people prefer to be lone wolves, which offers a more quiet experience and an increased chance of seeing wildlife. Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home. 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. Shelter: shower curtain. He is 77 years old and, ever since retiring at age 49, he has hiked roughly 150 days a year. With the focus no longer on whether or not we could finish, we could enjoy how much fun it was to spend months in the wilderness.. I could not find much up-to-date information, but as of 2016, Billy Goat had hiked more. Im not thinking about 1,000 miles. 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. He completed this loop in 208 days at a record-breaking pace of 33 miles per day. Jennifer Pharr Davis Direction: Northbound, Journal Stats I had to keep at it. Climb 1:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mt. Hell record how long each of our rest stops are. Heather Anderson, known on the trail as Anish, is one of the top female hikers and among the fastest long-distance hikers to set foot on the trail. 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. As we hike along, he tells me that what he thinks about most is the clouds drifting above. 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. 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. Stores just saturate you. He has enough money to live comfortably. Get epic tips, guides and how-to's in your inbox every two weeks. - Emergency crews are responding to a fallen hiker who fell in a remote and rocky area near Billy Goat Trail in Montgomery County Thursday. His 50,000-mile goal looms, but Billy Goat is trying to keep it in perspective. Photo by Deems Burton. I talk with them. He hiked the PCT across Oregon for a 2005 series for the paper and has been with PCTA since 2010. Following this record, Pharr Davis was nominated as one of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year in 2012 and wrote a memoir entitled Called Again about her record-breaking hike. The book is in the process of being adapted for the screen. And there was nothing to dono clubs, no Boy Scouts, nowhere to go after school. The only sound is the clink of small metal squares attached to a fence paralleling the border that are engraved with messages denouncing illegal immigration. And then theres his sheer persistence. 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. The PCT passes through 6 out of 7 of North Americas ecozones. Well, he says, that one was plaguing me for three years.. Might he have lessons to teach me? Ive come along to witness Billy Goat cement his PCT legacy and to find out why this unrelenting hiker keeps goingand how he contends with the slowing down and the falling apart that awaits all of us. This 60-plus hiker has walked the Appalachian Trail 17 times since 1972. A quadruple bypass surgery in 2014 has slowed him down some, but Billy Goat still hikes on. I dont want to die anywhere.. According to officials, a group of three hikers was near the Billy . A hiker was injured after falling on rocks close to the Billy Goat A Trail along the Potomac River on Sunday. If after one week on the trail you can say that it is easier than you expected, then you will probably finish your journey, he once said. I couldnt take time off, Reisinger told The Sentinel newspaper. 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. Across swift, frigid streams and plunging canyons. BillyGoat automatically plots routes turn by turn to your destinations, including routing via 4WD tracks. Im so focused on being able to backpack.. Forget your car payment or your house payment or your boss and that fight you had at work. 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. But, the successful businessman is also an ultralight thru-hiker. He has hiked 13,000 of those miles in the last seven years. Why is he such a legend? These days, when hes not hiking, Billy Goat hangs his hat in Syracuse, New York, renting a room in the home of a woman he describes as a very good friend. Amoeba (she prefers to go only by her trail name) is a 72-year-old retired insurance underwriter who accompanies him to all his doctors appointmentsand like everyone else, calls him Billy Goat. His hair, untrimmed since 2004, is an unruly tangle of gray cascading down from the rim of his broad khaki hat, and his long beard, likewise untrimmed, is a bounteous mist of tiny white whorls. I would think Im a loner more than not.. I realize Im going to miss him. He has walked across the South and the Southwest, the Northeast and the. December 2016. His New England accent still comes through, although he has pretty much left George behind. Most people are pantywaists, she allegedly once told Ray Jardine. This is a 12 mile loop, mostly within the Pasayten Wilderness. 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. Sanders started his journey in January 2017 when he hiked a short section of the trail in Georgia. 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. But there is something boyish about Billy Goat as well. Even now, in the middle of August, there are still patches of snow in the creases of the steep,sharp-ridged mountains above. He died somewhere in North Carolina. 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. It was just a lot of hokey pokey. Im not there yet., Thirteen days later I get a phone call. Hes charming, smooth. 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. PCT: Goat Rocks. There have been 15 thru-hiker deaths on the PCT. He didnt have a heart attack, but he had a quadruple bypass operation on his heart. I'm mighty, mighty glad it's over. "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. I hardly even recognize that name.. The most venerated hiker in PCT history is outside, however, standing beside the large wooden sign that welcomes visitors to Rainy Pass trailhead. Oh yeah, how are you?. 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. While he was visiting the United States, Bryson decided to hike the Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz, an overweight, struggling alcoholic. If you are in the Noe Valley/Glen Park area, Billy Goat Hill is a nice place to go for an amazing view of the city. He had a pager and office phone, employees to manage, and a demanding boss. 1 / 11. He has three younger sisters who he calls on birthdays but rarely sees in person. But he couldnt enjoy the American dream. But Billy Goat is who he is because he makes decisions were trained to regard as audaciously wronglike hitchhiking after the age of 70. 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. In 1921, he came up with the idea for a utopic hiking path along the ridgelines of the Appalachian mountains. 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. Should we say goodbye to Monte, whose battered but heated Honda idles nearby? . 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. Go!" For a connection to history, join the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Association for an annual Justice William O. Douglas hike, including a through-hike every three . Outlook. He has hiked 13,000 of those miles in the last seven years. 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. Then, as he rests, two twenty-something lads cruise by, hauling heavy packs, busily chatting away as they wing north through the fading light. You can only fill your plate once, the server says, eyeing me warily. Approximately 14 other trails climb to eventually join the Pacific Crest Trail. Who did we miss? . The hike. Its almost like its my job, like Im the ambassador.. Fall is coming and the leaves will soon be changing. Hike Trails Map. Billy Goats face lights up. For the 12 years prior to 2014, Billy Goat hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail. Isnt that something? Billy Goat responded warmly. 5 photos. The triple-crowner has logged over 32,000 miles and has become a legend among long-distance hikers. 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. Hes taking a risk. A Harvard trained forester, MacKaye spent his life studying the outdoors and advocating for its conservation. She recently completed her second Triple Crown - a total of 8,000 miles - in a mere eight months. I just want to be out here for the fun of it.. 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