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Published: Nov. 22, 2021, 4:48 p.m.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Minus33, we are joined by Badger\u2019s pal, Billy Widmer.\xa0 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.\xa0 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\xa0

Time stamps & Questions

00:04:13 - QOTD: What\u2019s your death row meal?\xa0

00:07:20 - Welcome Billy!\xa0

00:07:52 - How did you get your trail name?\xa0

00:08:44 - Is that your death row meal?\xa0

00:09:00 - Were you always vegan in NY?\xa0

00:09:35 - What\u2019s your hiking background?\xa0

00:10:24 - Was that your first long-distance hiking trip?\xa0

00:10:48 - What have you been up to since the AT?\xa0

00:12:07 - When did you do the Uinta Highline?\xa0

00:12:22 - Give us the rundown on that!\xa0

00:12:56 - Does Utah get similar weather too Colorado?\xa0

00:13:41 - Why did you choose eastbound?

00:14:10 - Is there a logistical reason why people go one way versus another?\xa0

00:14:26 - How much of it is trailed?\xa0

00:15:00 - Is there a specific difference between the East terrain and West terrain?\xa0

00:15:56 - For someone interested in the Uinta Highline, do you have any prep advice?\xa0

00:17:14 - What is the Nolan\u2019s 14?\xa0

00:18:07 - Do you have to complete it in a certain amount of time?\xa0

00:18:26 - How many people have done it within 60 hours?

00:18:56 - What went wrong in your attempt?\xa0

00:19:57 - Did you give yourself checkpoints for pacing?

00:21:11 - What Mt. Elbert the first 14er you ever did?\xa0

00:21:28 - Would you make another attempt?\xa0

00:21:44 - Did you do Capitol Peak?\xa0

00:22:28 - What is it like going over the knife\u2019s edge on Capitol Peak?\xa0

00:23:18 - Chaunce, would you do Capitol Peak?\xa0

00:24:19 - Have you done any other 14ers that rival Capitol Peak?\xa0

00:24:51 - How does that compare to climbing in Yosemite?\xa0

00:25:15 - What\u2019s the most intense climbing you\u2019ve done?\xa0

00:26:12 - Where did your idea for the AZT come from?\xa0

00:28:30 - Because of the water access, did your route work for you?\xa0

00:29:39 - What was your timeframe for hiking the AZT?

00:30:35 - Was it a fairly solo journey?\xa0

00:31:07 - Does your mind start playing tricks on you?

00:32:16 - What was the wildlife like?\xa0

00:33:24 - Do bites happen regularly?

00:34:53 - Any other wildlife encounters?\xa0

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?\xa0

00:36:33 - How long did it take you to hike the AZT?

00:37:43 - What was your average daily mileage?\xa0

00:38:01 - How does the AZT compare to the AT?\xa0

00:38:58 - Would you do it again?

00:39:33 - Did you encounter ridiculously hot days?\xa0

00:39:58 - Were you hiking in the evenings at all?\xa0

00:40:22 - Did you become the Guthook/Far Out hero?

00:41:11 - Any other notable highlights/lowlights from the AZT?\xa0

00:42:17 - Do you wish you would have picked a longer trail?\xa0

00:45:24 - As a vegan, what do you eat on trail?\xa0

00:48:11- What do you like about working for Zach?\xa0

00:48:55 - What do you hate about working for Zach?\xa0

00:50:27 - What has your career path looked like?\xa0

00:52:12 - Is it accurate that other companies try to lure you in with benefits or perks?

00:54:08 - What\u2019s Chaunce\u2019s candy count so far?\xa0

00:55:02 - How do you get started in the tech world?\xa0

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?\xa0

00:57:30 - What is web 3.0?

01:00:40 - It decentralizes everything right?\xa0

01:01:10 - What is proof of concept?\xa0

01:02:29 - What is a \u201cblock\u201d?

01:04:11 - Do you believe this is the future of universal currency?\xa0

01:05:42 - What\u2019s an NFT and is Zach one?\xa0

01:09:56 - You mentioned you think everything will be digital. What would a digital world look like?\xa0

01:11:03 - Do people think it\u2019s bad that things will all become digital?\xa0

01:14:02 - How do you feel about remote work?

01:19:26 - What\u2019s your major fuck up at The Trek?\xa0

01:21:50 - What\u2019s on your outdoor bucket list for the next year?\xa0

SEGMENTS

Trek Propaganda\xa0

• 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!\xa0

[divider]

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