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  1. #1

    Default Noted blind hiker of Appalachian Trail dies, was supposed to speak here Thursday - Sa



    Noted blind hiker of Appalachian Trail dies, was supposed to speak here Thursday
    Salisbury Post
    Bill Irwin, who in 1990 became the first and only blind person to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail without human assistance or companionship, died Saturday morning. Irwin was scheduled to be the guest speaker at First Baptist Church's ...




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  2. #2

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    This man is a true inspiration! May he rest in Peace. Thanks for sharing!

  3. #3

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    A real Trail Hero. Sooooo many times during my thru-hike, I would look down and think, "How did Bill Irwin do this?!" I had two good eyes and I barely made it!

    When I met him at Trail Days in 2005, I asked him and he said, "The only answer I have is that the dog (Orient) led me and God led the dog."

    A true loss to the hiking community and the many folks that he inspired.

    Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
    Sunny aka Sunrise ga-me 02 aka Cody Zamora
    Have a bright and
    Sunny Day!

  4. #4
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    i met him in 90 on his hike and over the next 15 years i would see him and talk to him here and there. he dragged me to church in Monson one year. great guy

  5. #5
    Registered User FarmerChef's Avatar
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    I thoroughly enjoyed his story and was looking forward to possibly meeting him at some point. What an inspiration. He will be missed.
    2,000 miler. Still keepin' on keepin' on.

  6. #6

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    He became a man of grace. I enjoyed his book and hearing him speak and meeting him in Gatlinburg. God bless and condolences to his family.

    Rain Man

    .
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

    [url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]

    .

  7. #7
    imscotty's Avatar
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    I had the priviledge to hear him speak once. He was an inspirational man with an inspirational story. To attempt to hike the AT blind is truly to put yourself in the hands of God. One of the legends of the AT. RIP Bill Irwin

  8. #8
    Registered User ChinMusic's Avatar
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    As I hiked last year my thoughts would turn to him. The trail was so rugged in places I just could not imagine navigating the rocks without sight. RIP
    Fear ridges that are depicted as flat lines on a profile map.

  9. #9
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    Wow, I'm a bit shocked, I thought of him as roughly my own age, having met him at Trail Days in 1990. I seem to recall some stories of Bill organizing hiker feeds up in the hundred-mile wilderness, in subsequent years.

  10. #10
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    I had purchased my ticket, was all set to hear Bill this Thursday and was really looking forward to it. He will be greatly missed. Happy Trails, Bill.

  11. #11
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    RIP, I Love his story & his book!! What an amazing inspiration!!
    Take Time to Watch the Trees Dance with The Wind........Then Join In........

  12. #12
    Registered User SunnyWalker's Avatar
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    Bill's book was great and immensely enjoyable and challenging to me, a sighted person. What a testimony he had. Heaven's gain is our loss.
    "Something hidden. Go and find it. Go, and look behind the Ranges. Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you . . . Go!" (Rudyard Kipling)
    From SunnyWalker, SOBO CDT hiker starting June 2014.
    Please visit: SunnyWalker.Net

  13. #13
    wookinpanub
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    Bill slept in the bunk underneath me during Warren Doyle's Appalachian Trail Institute. We hiked together during those afternoons and I lost count of the number of times he busted his rear end. His falls were BRUTAL to watch. I remember thinking at the time "He doesn't have a chance."
    One of my biggest regrets is not meeting him during each of our thru's in 1990 (him Northbound, me Southbound). I went into South Mountain, PA for a mail drop and he scooted on by when I spent the night there behind the post office. His was an amazing accomplishment by an even more amazing individual.

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    Wow and thank you

  15. #15
    Registered User Frolicking Dinosaurs's Avatar
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    For those interested in attending memorial services for Bill Irwin: A northern service will be held in Bangor, ME on 3/8 and a southern service is tentatively scheduled for 3/15 in Birmingham, AL.

  16. #16
    Registered User CELTIC BUCK's Avatar
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    True Man of God .May he be blessed & remembered.

  17. #17
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    Yes, an amazing person. Met him a few years ago, spent a few days together, he DID NOT see his blindness as a disability at all. Told me that he fell thousands of times on his thru hike. Has been dealing with some pretty tough medical issues the past year +.

    Bill Irwin left a LOT of friends behind. A true inspiration.

  18. #18

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    Thank you Bill. Save me a spot in that lean-to in the sky. I'm gonna be pickin your brain on the trails where you're at around the heavenly campfire. I wonder how toasted manna tastes. You inspire me with how many times you got back up after falling. It's the sign of a true champion with an immense heart. Thank you!

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    Thank you Lone Wolf. That was beautiful.
    "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

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