Farewell to Bill Bowden Outdoorsman, Wuss Formerly Known as Bushwack Bill, 9/29/07

[Jazzbo]

Farewell to Bill Bowden Outdoorsman, the Wuss Formerly Known as Bushwack Bill, 9/29/07

I wish this were some sort of cruel joke, but I guess it's true. Wes, the Excursions Chair, sent an email yesterday evening to the NH Chapter Trip Leaders email list to informing them that their friend, Bill Bowden, died from a massive heart attack on Saturday afternoon. Wes reports nothing has been finalized, but there will probably be a wake on Thursday and the funeral Friday at Main St. Methodist Church in Nashua. Wes says he will pass on any further information as he receives it. I’m posting this as a public tribute and to inform those VFTT members who might have known Bill and wish to attend the wake or the funeral. I'm so sorry to hear about this. I'll post additional information when I get more info from Wes.

Bill was highly respected amongst the New England hiking and bushwhacking community. Bill was on the 4000 Footer Committee and processed member ship requests for the 100 highest list. Bill led dozens of hikes for the AMC New Hampshire chapter, both for beginners and advanced bushwhacks. On hikes I co-lead with Bill, he never failed to respond in a thoughtful way(although sometimes windy) to questions from less experienced folks about gear and wilderness skills. Bill freely gave time as an instructor NH Chapter Spring Workshops and leadership training.

Bill learned his map and compass skills the hard way serving with the US Army in Vietnam as an artillery spotter. Bill also was a highly regarded chemist in battery technology Gillette Duracell with over 30 patents to his name.

It’s hard to believe I’ve only been acquainted with Bill since February 2006 when I met him on a NH Chapter hike to Mount Garfield. Bill generously responded to my budding interest in winter hiking and mountaineering and accompanied me on further winter 4K peaks and introduced me to the pleasures of hiking in the shoulder seasons. A review of my hiking journal reveals I did 10 hikes with Bill in 2006 and 2 hikes with him in 2007. I wish we could have continued this run in 2007, but he was plagued by injuries in 2007. I was especially pleased to hear he was getting past those injuries when I heard he bagged Mount Moosilauke last weekend. Dammit! I was really looking forward to more of those pre-dawn rendezvous’ at Exit 11 Park & Drive Parking Lot in Hooksett. Twelve hikes doesn’t sound like much, but many of these were first ascents of one kind or another, so these time are amplified and really come off more like dog years. Not to mention we always had great weather for our trips. I’m thankful for knowing him as long as I did. I’m just sorry we didn’t meet earlier. Bill was a real mentor and a good hiking buddy to me. I'm going to miss him a lot. He was one of a kind. He leaves a hole in my life, so I can’t begin to imagine what it will mean for his wife Phyllis.

My hikes with Bill:

Garfield , 2/11/06
East Osceola, Osceola, 3/19/06
Passaconaway via Dicey’s Mill Trail, 4/9/06
Cardigan via Holt Trail, 4/21/06
Whiteface via McCrillis and Flat Mountain Pond Trails, 5/28/06
Mt Nancy via Nancy Pond Trail, 8/5/06
Moriah via Stony Brook, Kenduskeag Trails, 10/14/06
Mounts Pierce & Jackson, via Crawford Path, 11/12/06
Chocorua via Champney Falls, 12/16/06
Carter Dome via 19 Mile Brook Trail, Carter dome Trail, 12/29/06
North Pack Monadnock, 3/10/07
Cardigan Firescrew via Dukes & Clark, 4/21/07

Here's a picture I took of Bill in sunny, cold, crisp winter on Carter Dome last December. That's the way I'll always remember him.

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[RoySwkr]

I never met Bill. Now I guess I never will. That's too bad.

 

[kmorgan]

My condolences to his friends and family.

 

[peakn]

Just Unbelievable...

This is so incredible to hear. I've known Bill for a few years and have hiked with him numerous times, the most recent just last week to Moosilauke with him and Mary Ann. He seemed to be feeling great and even offered to take a day off to hike to Owlshead with me before winter.
Bill was a great friend and mentor. Always sensitive to my shortcomings and trail needs, to the point of changing plans/routes when necessary. I will really miss Bill more than I can express here. This is just so hard to believe.
My condolences and deepest sympathies to his wife and many friends.

Harry

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

I had the good fortune of knowing Bill for the last ten years.

As Jazzbo so eloquently put it: "He leaves a hole in my life".

 

[carole]

This is very sad to read. I have never met Bill but always appreciated his posts here. My thoughts are for those he leaves behind.

 

[Frodo]

Sad news indeed... I unfortunately never met him, but have seen his name in many canisters and in lots of AMC Outdoors magazines... His posts here were always extremely informative and he was an inspiring member of this community. This was a huge loss... My condolences to his family...

 

[dr_wu002]

This is incredibly sad... although I never hiked with Bill we did know each other from Gillette, although we did cross paths at various trailheads. We did chat quite a bit about various bushwhacks and whatnot. I'm not at Gillette anymore but it was a thrill to have a co-worker so into hiking and whatnot that posted on VFTT. My condolences.

-Dr. Wu

 

[Paradox]

I only knew him through email correspondence on the topic of summit registers. He was very thoughtful, and passionate about hiking and the mountains. He will be missed.

 

[CrazyDave]

This is Sad news indeed. I haven't ever got to meet Bill, but I've seen his name around. I wish the family well.

 

[J&J]

Very sad news. We did a bushwhack with Bushwhack Bill almost 10 years ago to the Longs in northern NH. Great guy. We always enjoyed his posts here on Views. Our condolences to his family.

 

[dms]

Sorry to hear this news, we had recently chatted about my hike to W. Tecumseh and Green, and he told me about a trip he was taking to France. I know that he loved getting out into the mountains. Condolences to his family.

 

[vegematic]

I had the good fortune to hike with Bill on the Carter Dome trip 9 months to the day before his passing. I am sorry I won't get that pleasure again. I'll offer my prayers and condolences to his family and friends.
-vegematic

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Sad news indeed. I've known Bill for many years as well. He made great contributions of his time to trip leading and outdoor education for the AMC. He will be missed.

 

[bigmoose]

I first saw Bill in action on West Bond in 2000. He was 53 then, my age, and was supervising four or five 10-12 year olds, helping them change into bushwhacking clothes for a perilous descent into the Pemi. "That guy must be crazy!" I told my 16 year old daughter.
But they whacked to the far bump, then disappeared into the void.
I only learned I'd seen the legendary Bushwhack Bill in action when I read his trail report on this site the next day. The kids - nieces and nephews - took the whack in stride and made him feel old, he reported.
We corresponded from time to time and he was always extremely helpful. Just recently he e-mailed a detailed topo showing the worst woods to avoid on the Hitchcocks. We were going to explore new routes to Hutchins and the Pilots, but....
Farewell to a class guy. Heartfelt condolensces to his survivors.

 

[Jay H]

Never met him but I've seen him on these forums. What a shock and adding my condolences to his family and friends.

Jay

 

[Motabobo]

It's all been said. I'm in the camp of those who exchanged dozens of emails, saw his name in countless canisters and never got the chance of meeting him in person. Heck ! I spoke of the guy and saw his name in canisters on that very Sept. 29th...I even arranged a meeting with him and my friends at the Four Thousand Footer Club 50th Anniversary Reunion because I couldn't go. An inspiration to me, my deepest condolences to his friends and family.
Jazzbo: that's a nice pic to be remembered with.

 

[Pig Pen]

As a serial bushwhacker I feel like I am following Bill's footsteps. I had the pleasure of hiking with him one time. He was an admirable, well respected person and to me, a kindred spirit. RIP.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I hiked Huntington Ravine with him and Ed Hawkins a few years back, and Carrigain with him and Larry Veal a couple years before that. He related the tale of Larry and himself 'whacking their way up the Anderson slide from Carrigain Notch. As I recall it, a piano-sized chunk of rock came loose up above Larry; he scrambled left for all he was worth while and the rock fortuitously broke to the right. They decided to call it a day.

Great guy. Sorry to see him check out this early.

 

[marchowes]

I never met him either, but I certainly met lots of his canister entries and duracell cards (in the canisters). I wish i had met him, afterall we live in the same town!

He's Bushwhackin' in heaven somewhere right now, where the woods are always open, and there are never any blowdowns or nettles.