In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Minus33, we are joined by Badger’s pal, Billy Widmer. In addition to being The Trek's go-to tech guru, Billy has an accomplished backpacking resume that includes an AT thru-hike, a lot of trekking through his native lands of New York, and a recent and very unorthodox thru-hike of the Arizona Trail. The conversation spins off in a predictably tangential fashion, where we talk about web 3.0, the blockchain, and the mental health impacts of 100% remote work.
We wrap the show with a triple crown of ways to stave off the winter blues and the news of some recent bear activity near McAfee Knob on the AT.
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Interview with Billy Widmer
Time stamps & Questions
00:04:13 - QOTD: What’s your death row meal?
00:07:20 - Welcome Billy!
00:07:52 - How did you get your trail name?
00:08:44 - Is that your death row meal?
00:09:00 - Were you always vegan in NY?
00:09:35 - What’s your hiking background?
00:10:24 - Was that your first long-distance hiking trip?
00:10:48 - What have you been up to since the AT?
00:12:07 - When did you do the Uinta Highline?
00:12:22 - Give us the rundown on that!
00:12:56 - Does Utah get similar weather too Colorado?
00:13:41 - Why did you choose eastbound?
00:14:10 - Is there a logistical reason why people go one way versus another?
00:14:26 - How much of it is trailed?
00:15:00 - Is there a specific difference between the East terrain and West terrain?
00:15:56 - For someone interested in the Uinta Highline, do you have any prep advice?
00:17:14 - What is the Nolan’s 14?
00:18:07 - Do you have to complete it in a certain amount of time?
00:18:26 - How many people have done it within 60 hours?
00:18:56 - What went wrong in your attempt?
00:19:57 - Did you give yourself checkpoints for pacing?
00:21:11 - What Mt. Elbert the first 14er you ever did?
00:21:28 - Would you make another attempt?
00:21:44 - Did you do Capitol Peak?
00:22:28 - What is it like going over the knife’s edge on Capitol Peak?
00:23:18 - Chaunce, would you do Capitol Peak?
00:24:19 - Have you done any other 14ers that rival Capitol Peak?
00:24:51 - How does that compare to climbing in Yosemite?
00:25:15 - What’s the most intense climbing you’ve done?
00:26:12 - Where did your idea for the AZT come from?
00:28:30 - Because of the water access, did your route work for you?
00:29:39 - What was your timeframe for hiking the AZT?
00:30:35 - Was it a fairly solo journey?
00:31:07 - Does your mind start playing tricks on you?
00:32:16 - What was the wildlife like?
00:33:24 - Do bites happen regularly?
00:34:53 - Any other wildlife encounters?
00:35:07 - What is a Gila monster?
00:35:50 - Are they endangered or just good at hiding?
00:36:02 - Do they bite?
00:36:33 - How long did it take you to hike the AZT?
00:37:43 - What was your average daily mileage?
00:38:01 - How does the AZT compare to the AT?
00:38:58 - Would you do it again?
00:39:33 - Did you encounter ridiculously hot days?
00:39:58 - Were you hiking in the evenings at all?
00:40:22 - Did you become the Guthook/Far Out hero?
00:41:11 - Any other notable highlights/lowlights from the AZT?
00:42:17 - Do you wish you would have picked a longer trail?
00:45:24 - As a vegan, what do you eat on trail?
00:48:11- What do you like about working for Zach?
00:48:55 - What do you hate about working for Zach?
00:50:27 - What has your career path looked like?
00:52:12 - Is it accurate that other companies try to lure you in with benefits or perks?
00:54:08 - What’s Chaunce’s candy count so far?
00:55:02 - How do you get started in the tech world?
00:55:40 - Is there a specific programming language someone should start with?
00:56:14 - Do you need to be proficient in math to be a good developer?
00:57:30 - What is web 3.0?
01:00:40 - It decentralizes everything right?
01:01:10 - What is proof of concept?
01:02:29 - What is a “block”?
01:04:11 - Do you believe this is the future of universal currency?
01:05:42 - What’s an NFT and is Zach one?
01:09:56 - You mentioned you think everything will be digital. What would a digital world look like?
01:11:03 - Do people think it’s bad that things will all become digital?
01:14:02 - How do you feel about remote work?
01:19:26 - What’s your major fuck up at The Trek?
01:21:50 - What’s on your outdoor bucket list for the next year?
SEGMENTS
Trek Propaganda
- How I Managed Chronic Depression on my AT Thru-Hike by Sarah Wolfson
- Bear Activity Near McAfee Knob by Kelly Floro
Triple crown of ways to fight off the Winter Blues
Thank you again too Minus33!
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