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 Trail was a pilgrimage to share God's love with all those whom I met while hiking. While we were gorging at the all-you-can-eat breakfast at Mt. Let it be known: Shaffer got there first. Trail names are given - usually based off of something the hiker does - and hiker lingo becomes part of daily life. Both are likely to be packed on a warm Saturday or Sunday. Billy Goat has hiked more than 32,000 miles -- which would have taken him around the world and a third of the way again. His 50,000-mile goal looms, but Billy Goat is trying to keep it in perspective. Ryan Krause. We didnt have indoor plumbing. Subject: [pct-l] Conversation with Billy Goat - very long; From: wayneskraft at comcast.net (Wayne Kraft) . Billy Goat was confident that hiking would be good for his son, but his efforts were met with mixed success. When I finish a hike, I start thinking about the next year a day after I get home. 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. 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.". After thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, Chris Cage created Greenbelly to provide fast, filling and balanced meals to backpackers. I dont like to think about that, he says with stiff discomfort. Trail culture - Some people prefer to be lone wolves, which offers a more quiet experience and an increased chance of seeing wildlife. The man himself is in high spirits, particularly after a bus pulls up and a young woman steps out, tall and lean and blonde. 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. Jennifer Pharr Davis British-American writer Bill Bryson has traveled the world writing about his life and adventures with a distinct humorous touch and conversational tone. I really like this trail. Nothing could vanquish me. 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. Get Directions. In many ways, Billy Goat looks as old as weather itself. The mother of ultralight backpacking was also a mother of 11 and grandmother of 23. 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. 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. Entry 16 of 16First The WT is 93 miles circling Mount Rainier. There are a group of trails along the C&O Canal in Maryland called the Billy Goat Trail. Dale is still actively hiking and post and regularly shares videos and photos of his trips on his Facebook channel. Oh, its just wonderful!. I'm not out for a weekend. Youll always be my son.. You just forget about all these things that seem so trying.. The next morning, I repeat this line to Billy Goat and he rolls his head back, cackling with delight. 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. He completed this loop in 208 days at a record-breaking pace of 33 miles per day. Its possible that I, being a long-legged guy 25 years his junior, push the pace slightly. He carries no water filter (he trusts the streams) and he doesnt bring a book. 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+ . 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. Icon of a caret pointing right. . Read more. According to officials, a group of three hikers was near the Billy . Im not there yet., Thirteen days later I get a phone call. By the end of the trip, Irwin had fallen so much that he wore shin guards to protect his legs from the inevitable knee-crushing stumbles. I see a lot of hikers who have no idea whats in front of them, he says during a break later that day. 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. Were hiking to the spot and back. 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. The resemblance goes beyond the hawkish nose, determined eyes and gray beard that Billy Goat hasn't tended in 13 years. Billy Goat Day is a Florida Trail hiker reunion and celebration all rolled into one. Billy Goat enjoying the PCT from Glen Pass, 2005. We <3 you Billy Goat! He wrote the details of his 1948 odyssey in a journal that is today displayed in the Smithsonians National Museum of American History. 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. Hed never been there, Billy Goat says, and as he was driving down there, he died. Photo by Julia Trebilcox. The Ice Age Trail lays before him now, gentle and rolling and lined with maples and cedars. 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. 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. 8 Results Mar 1, 2023 - May 29, 2023 Download CSV. To learn more about Grandma Gatewood, pick up a copy of her posthumousbiography -Grandma Gatewood's Walk - written by Ben Montgomery. Without Benton MacKaye, there would be no Appalachian Trail. 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. * Stunning 3D shaded mapping. Mark Larabee is the PCTA's Advocacy Director. Bill Donahue lives in New Hampshire, where he is halfway through hiking the states 48 4,000-foot peaks. While section A is a strenuous and technical hike, section B is challenging, leaving C section as a more casual and easy walk. 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. I have become Billy Goat by happenstance. Billy Goat Trail is a moderate 4-mile hike located in Maryland, just minutes from Washington, D.C. He set out with his guide dog Orient on a journey many considered to be crazy. 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. I sure do like it here in Stehekin, he says. On the second day of our hike, I awake at dawn. Bill Bryson retraced their chaotic 800-mile journey in his bookA Walk in the Woods, published in 1998. Entry Visits: 3,918 Billy Goat doesn't just capture the spirit of the PCT, he's helped establish it. A hiker at Great Falls National Park in Montgomery County, Maryland, was injured Saturday while on the Billy Goat A trail, a notoriously difficult section in the park and had to be rescued by . George "Billy Goat" Woodard has been on the trail since 1988, logging over 48,000 miles to date. I do! He tells a story about meeting a woman in her 60s while waiting for a bus just two days earlier. Heres How it Went. 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. He is 77 years old and, ever since retiring at age 49, he has hiked roughly 150 days a year. I might just have to give up on my effort to hike the PCT. I feel very > lucky to have been able to hike and . Planning a Pacific Crest expedition takes longer than the journey itself. She completed the feat in 1955 at age of 67. While he was visiting the United States, Bryson decided to hike the Appalachian Trail with his friend Stephen Katz, an overweight, struggling alcoholic. Larabee is a journalist, part of a team who won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for The Oregonian newspaper. He speaks fondly of Amoeba, calling her his ladyfriend, and he admits that he needs her. 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. 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. Most thru-hikers complete one long trail, savor the achievement, and move on with life. He is 77 years old and, ever since retiring at age 49, he has hiked roughly 150 days a year. It only takes a day to pass through, but the incredible terrain and mountain views get seared into one's memory. That really knocked me down, he said of the operation. I hardly even recognize that name.. 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 . 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. Hike Trails Map. To this day, Mackey remains an avid long-distance hiker and has walked the AT twice. Billy Goat. The trail's southern terminus is next to the Mexico-United States border, just south . An encampment of Minutemen, a citizens group that patrols for illegal immigrants, surveys the area from a nearby hill. There have been 15 thru-hiker deaths on the PCT. 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. ::Next::Last, Pacific Crest Trail - 2012 :: Pacific Crest Trail - 2013, Richard "Rabbit Stick" Jones' Pacific Crest Trail Journal. I am not young enough to know everything. My mother used to call me that. When you do that, all the other trappings of life fade away.". Since 1996, hiking the AT has been a dream. Billy Goat was on this part of trail and I spotted him the next day. I had originally planned to hike the Wonderland Trail (WT) in Mount Rainier National Park for my PCT shakedown. Planning a One-Way Hike? We shoulder our packs. He's almost there on both counts. Generally, the trail vibe is fun . Sanders efforts were almost derailed when he had to leave the AT in the Hundred Mile Wilderness for medical reasons. When I get out here, I just forget what all my troubles are.. Prep for PCT because hiking over 2,000 miles takes some planning. Toby says simply, She henpecked him to death and he couldnt wait to get out of there. The writings contained in a log book at the PCT trail head glow with anticipation. I'm not on vacation. This year, we're looking for a Treasurer, Vice President and Board Member at Large. Pacific Crest Trail South Via Tehachapi Willow Springs Road. In 1989, he retired after a 30-year career as a railroad conductor. 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. 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. "This is where I live. We dropped our packs and talked for the longest time. But of course the number of mountain streams hell bound across, hopping from rock to rock, is ever dwindling. The dirt is soft under our boots and when we come to a little gap in the trees, Billy Goat rejoices. The trail, marked by blue blazes, features fun rock scrambles and spectacular views between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. From his youth, Muir was prone to wandering and exploration. Go, and look behind the Ranges. 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. Posts. Climb 1:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mt. In 1921, he came up with the idea for a utopic hiking path along the ridgelines of the Appalachian mountains. Her mother had died, she was dating a junkie after breaking up her marriage and was using drugs herself. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. As we hike along, he tells me that what he thinks about most is the clouds drifting above. Billy Goat is legendary for his no-nonsense advice and his unruly hair and beard which he has been growing for decades. 1:5,000 scale. This topic is empty. 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. Meet the 14 most famoushikers. Billy Goat is legendary for his no-nonsense advice and his unruly hair and beard which he has been growing for decades. January 14, 2017 by Billy Goat Leave a comment. 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 met Billy this > past summer on the JMT while hiking up Pinchot Pass. Journal Visits: 11,229 The rhythm of nature is more leisurely. Numerous snowfields flank its craggy ridges and peaks, while steep drainages open into basins filled with alpine meadows and glacial lakes. His coping mechanism is hikingthe longer hes off the trail, the harder he finds life to be.. 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. . If I had another week I would fall on my face. Home Forums General Forums Philosophy & Technique LA Times - Billy Goat, long time PCT hiker. For six months of the year, Billy Goat's home is the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,650-mile uber-trail of the West that stretches from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon and Washington. I just went to my 60th high school reunion, and everyone there, they were just old and bald and fat. He has three younger sisters who he calls on birthdays but rarely sees in person. Follow her to find out what challenge she is planning to take on next. The Billy Goat Trail is one of the most well known hikes in the Metro D.C. area, and for good reason. I wouldnt want to mess that up. 9. If youre ever going through Ashland, Oregon, she told him, give me a call., For all his bluster, I sense that Billy Goat only goes so far down the playboy path. Stores just saturate you. He has enough money to live comfortably. Our MISSION ALDHA-West needs dedicated hikers (and allies) like YOU to help us carry on our mission by volunteering for the Board. 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. Born January 28, 1939, George Woodard grew up in Maine and moved to New Hampshire right after high school. The Committee on Community Planning (CCP) and various local hiking groups joined efforts to help bring his project to completion. But his trail persona belies a complex backstory. He found a way to live more simply. I'm a little shocked that you consider 58 to be old. Why is he such a legend? John Muir is arguably one of the best-known naturalists and conservationists of the 20th century. 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. Then sea kayaking. Billy Goat climbs Cutthroat Pass slowly, refraining from prolonged conversation. He also published a memoir of his experience in the book Walking With Spring. The next morning, he boards an Amtrak train. Hes almost there on both counts. The Billy Goat trail is a popular access trail that allows hikers to trek deep within the Pasayten Wilderness. 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. First, theres the way his personality, demeanor, and passion capture the spirit of the community so beautifully. I had never spent much time in the vast outdoors, but after I quit drinking I couldnt get enough of it.. Welcome to the blog of the Pacific Crest Trail Association. 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. 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