View Full Version : Don't Flame me, but what is "Billville"?
Exactly what or who is Billville?
i asked that question on a thread i started last week:cool: neo
Did you ever get a reply Neo?
yeah about a group of hiker with shirts all the same,i still did not quite get it though:cool: neo
wbdent I don't know if I truely understand it either. But I know how it started. They have some fun times in there little group of club or what ever you want to refer to it as. They had a contest Friday night at Trail Days that was an absolute hoot. You don't have to be a drinker to have fun with them.
As best as I can tell the story went something like this:
Someone was hiking down the trail and came to a road crossing, saw a sign for a garage sale, went to the sale and bought a white tee shirt for $1. It said "bills electrical". next hiker coming down the trail aslo saw the sign and went down and also got a "bills electrical" shirt for $1. Eventually 5 or 6 hikers bought these shirts and due to some strange timming ended up caming all together, all wearing this "Bills Electrical" shirt. I think there may also have been some drinking involved. They had a time they never forgot.
Panzer
HA!
Wow, that is funny how the story has morphed. To set the record straight (with as many details as I know - I wasn't there):
Billville started as the Walking Party of Traveling Bills. Along the trail, several hikers - including Jester 2000 - found a rack of Tractor SUpply Company work shirts. They were RED, full button down shirts, all with the name Bill stitched on them. The Walking Party of Traveling Bills became known as Billville when they all camped out together at Trail Days.
The current version of Billville includes only one original member, Jester, with the occasional visits by the others. Overall, tho, Billville is now a collection of thru-hikers, section-hikers and trail angels. We sponsor several events every year, provide trail magic to thru-hikers and help out on work trips. We are not an organization, but on rare occasions we can act like one.
In the end, we are just a fun group that likes to hang out with old friends and meet new ones. Everyone is welcome as Billville - well, almost everyone. Having a sense of humor is not required, but it will certainly help. :)
I don't know if I explained things or just made them more confusing. Perfect.
From what little I know.... they got thier name from the shirts and basicly they are just a bunch of nice and funny folks that enjoy a good time along with a good laugh. They have thier ring leaders but other than that it is an area where people hang/camp and have fun. They also do a lot of Trail Magic!
Tha Wookie
05-18-2005, 10:41
It is a great group. I was honored to spend some time with them at Trail Days. It was real nice to meet Jester, who always is contributing positive things to the hiking community.
I only caught the tail end of Trail Days, but was inspired to hang out Sunday night for a spell as well with the dwindled yet not disheartened campground crew.
The leki walker was perfect. Do you think I could borrow it in a couple years, guys?
ahh, yes! "Annoying and Confusing the Humorless since 2000"
The Billevillains are the hottness.
Rain Man
05-18-2005, 11:47
I walked by the Billville pavilion (okay, canopy) in "tent city" several times a day, including around midnight twice, and they seemed a quiet, open, happy group! Was I at the wrong place, perchance? LOL I think not.
I did see these famous Billvillians at their canopy--
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/7239/sort/1/size/medium/cat/500/page/1
Rain:sunMan
.
Jester2000
05-18-2005, 16:10
Billville is a mystery, surrounded by a puzzle, enclosed by a connundrum, and smothered in secret sauce.
Just wanted to thank everyone for stopping by Billville and having fun with us --you're all invited back anytime. BSR gear contest was the best contest yet in Billville (and the best attended), and we've decided to make it an annual event.
It was wonderful to meet so many new folks and have them spend time with us. One of the quotes from the Blue Book applies --
"It's nice to have respectable people stopping by in Billville."
"Yeah, and not just to tell you to knock it off."
Tha Wookie
05-18-2005, 16:26
What about that quote about the shower party?
:D
Lion King
05-18-2005, 18:54
"It's nice to have respectable people stopping by in Billville."
"Yeah, and not just to tell you to knock it off."
SWEET!
I knew if I stayed up till 6 a.m. a couple of nights, one of my remarks would be appreciated...hey man, still in Erwin, Paddled today, going back to Beauty Spot tonight...the trail Magic and the Spirit of Trail days lives on just North of Erwin...I wonder how long we can keep the tarp up there.
Great seeing you guys again.
superman
05-19-2005, 08:25
Jester,
Tell them how you "Bills" won the talent contest at Trail Days. I recall red shirts worn with skirts and a lot of people having fun.
BJack,+1,Giggler,Nightstalker, Hikin Heidi and I all enjoyed the Billville salad w/ dinner last night. Thanks again!
undefinedBoth Jester and Chomp have given ya'll a good idea how it all came about. Quite simply the trail is a magical place. The friends that you meet out there come into your life and it's forever. This all started in 2000 and still going strong. Satisfaction garaunteed!
Nightwalker
11-10-2005, 13:43
Billville is a mystery, surrounded by a puzzle, enclosed by a connundrum, and smothered in secret sauce.
Can I get that on a kaiser?
:jump I was there at the birth of Billville. I watched it grow and cherished and nurtured it. Like the tall sturdy oak that started out as a little nut Bilville started as a little nut, and grew into a great big giant nut. The origional Bills didn't make it to Katahdin as a group but thanks to Jester the spirt of Billville lives. Many of us from 2000 have joined trail angels, hikers and friends to become sort of associate Bills and the group keeps growing. You will find the Bills at every siginificiat gathering of AT Hikers and if you are not amused by what you find I pity you. You will usually find many of the better known hikers and (forgive the term) "trail legends" sitting around the Bills tent, tarp or campfire. You can usually find the Bills by looking for rusty cars or pick up trucks held together by hiking bumper stickers. The noise level may be slightly higher as you approach. There may be a smell of alcohol in the air but the use of the product is for spirtual purpose, not to be confused with drinking for fun. Red is the color worn by most Bills and you can't miss the red blaze on the t-shirts worn by the newer Bills or the tan and red tractor shirts the lucky origional Bills wear. Don't be confused, just be amused, because thats all the Bills expect from anyone.
:welcome To Billville, no one is turned away. (perhaps thats whats wrong with the group)
Blue Jay
11-11-2005, 17:22
Red is the color worn by most Bills and you can't miss the red blaze on the t-shirts worn by the newer Bills or the tan and red tractor shirts the lucky origional Bills wear. Don't be confused, just be amused, because thats all the Bills expect from anyone.
:welcome To Billville, no one is turned away. (perhaps thats whats wrong with the group)
So that's why there's no Target stores along the trail.
Not sure if this is a definition, but Billville is something Warren Doyle will never be a part of! ;)
Not sure if this is a definition, but Billville is something Warren Doyle will never be a part of! ;)
How bout Wingfoot?;) ;)
How bout Wingfoot?;) ;)
Well Wingfoot has spent many hours chatting with hikers and sharing a beer with hikers. Warren from his testimony doesn't drink, so I suspect that if only one could join Billsville, Wingfoot will be preferred. Though both would be excellent members of any group that deals with the trail.
DiamondDoug
11-15-2005, 11:10
I have a picture of the original Bills I took at Trail Days in 2000.
Now if only I had a scanner...
How bout Wingfoot?;) ;)
Oh sure, here's one of WF at the Doyle, pre-Billville!
http://www.blistersdicegame.com/trail64.jpg
Jester2000
11-15-2005, 21:15
What, are you guys going to resurrect the Billville election thread next? As for Wingfoot and Warren Doyle:
It has been said many times -- almost everyone is welcome in Billville. And by "almost everyone," I don't mean "not them." I, in fact, made a good faith offer to Warren to stop by Billville during the Gathering, instead of just afterwards. Warren decided not to come, and that's cool. You have to admit, he is crazy busy that weekend. If I were him I'd be sleeping every chance I could get.
As to alcohol, we don't like this sort of info getting out, but there are actually Billvillains who DON'T DRINK. Shocking, I know. Even more shocking: that they can tolerate the rest of us.
Anyway, WD and WF are always welcome to visit. I don't think either would ever consider themselves a citizen, though.
Warren is so respected they named a hotel in Duncannon after him. Of course two towns in Massachusets were named after Wingfoot, Marblehead and Athol.