The wayfarer passes on; Goodbye Walkin’ Jim
Jim Stoltz
and Joyce Rouse (
a fellow MUSE artist)
, March 2009. Grayson Co., Va.
The wayfarer passes on;
Goodbye Walkin’ Jim
By Todd Wilkinson
Jim Stoltz was headed for a gig in Bozeman, Montana
and a new tune apparently had been rattling around in his brain.
At a turnout along the Gallatin River where we happened to be stopped, watching kayakers slalom through a rock course during high water, he pulled over in his pick-up truck, opened the door, said hello and reached for his guitar.
He wanted to commit the memory of a chord variation to his fingers. Ideas for his folksy wildland ballads visited him this way, though more often, he was dozens of miles away from a road—and alone— when the inspiration for new melodies found him.
On foot
, doing that Aristotelian thing he did, the crooner and photographer from Big Sky, who was given the handle, “Walkin’ Jim,” racked up 28,000 miles, more than the distance reaching around the world at the equator.
Stoltz was no stranger to hundreds of valleys across the country, though he related to most the same way he did to other places in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—by backcountry trails, animal paths, and favorite shortcuts that required a bushwhack.
Before long-distance trekking became the rage
of extreme ultra-light athletes, before some people did it to earn fame for themselves or win a book contract, Stoltz took up mega-wandering for modest reasons—to see places where the masses never go and to have a conversation within.
This was the stuff that fueled Walkin’, Jim the altruistic performing artist whose songlist, more or less, reflects most of the major conservation battles that have been fought in Greater Yellowstone and America since the Carter Administration.
More than a generation ago, the Michigan native set out with a full backpack as a 24 year old from West Quoddy Head, Maine and didn’t stop until his soles squished in the sea sand on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington.
A singular heroic accomplishment for anyone, but it came the year after he hiked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail and before he subsequently completed the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and major stretches of the Rocky Mountain spine encompassed by the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor.
After every visit to the Back of Beyond
, Stoltz had an expanded repertoire, carried forth by a more generous spirit based on the belief that he was the luckiest person on Earth. His wife, Leslie, indulged his forays and knew that they served as ground-truthing research for what he brought to the stage, trying out his songs on her first.
It’s debatable whether Stoltz was more a firebrand conservationist who would carry a tune, or a musician cut from the cloth of St. Francis who often said he sang for the animals.
To pay the bills during the winter months
when snow impeded him, he provided the main entertainment at dinners set in an old cabin near Big Sky reachable only by horse-drawn sleigh. He almost never turned down an invitation to perform for conservation organizations, large or small, be it on behalf of creating more wilderness, protecting grizzlies and wolves, or halting the old logging practice known as clearcutting.
In 2006, he barnstormed across 46 states as a founding member of Musicians United to Save the Environment (MUSE).
Earlier this winter, he delivered a performance in Missoula in support of The Last Best Place Campaign to finally bring passage of a comprehensive statewide wilderness bill in Montana.
In spite of all the time he made for protecting the environment
, Stoltz never let on to his audiences that he knew his own time was short, his own end drawing near. He had been battling cancer for years, rallying again after each new flare up, but never complaining.
This past summer, he succumbed at age 57 in Helena, Mont. On his Webpage at
, he posted a quote from Rachel Carson, who also died from cancer not long after she published her book, Silent Spring.
Carson had said, “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find resources of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
A better epitaph comes from Walkin’ Jim himself and a song he composed called Morning in the Mountains:
“So live each day like you mean it,
Grab hold of each dawn that comes your way.
And if it’s blessings you’re a countin’
Try a morning in the mountains,
There ain’t no better way to start the day.”
It says something that he was loved, most of all, by kids.
Todd Wilkinson, an environmental writer and longtime admirer of Jim Stoltz, lives in Bozeman. He is author of a forthcoming book in 2011 about the evolution of American media mogul turned bison rancher and eco-philanthropist Ted Turner.
The Walkin' Jim Stoltz event
November 6, 2009 - FOREVER WILD: A CELEBRATION OF WILDERNESS
One of America’s most unique folksingers and backcountry travelers, Walkin’ Jim Stoltz, on tour from the mountains of Montana, will bring his powerful multi-media show, Forever Wild, to the 1908 Courthouse in Independence, Virginia, on Friday, November 6th, at 7:00 PM. The mix of stunning photography, stories, and music make this one-of-a-kind concert an inspiring journey into our nation’s last wilderness areas. This event is brought to you by the Grayson County chapter of Blue Ridge Discover Center and the 1908 Courthouse Foundation.
Tickets were made available through Deb Shell, Barr's Fiddle Shop, Main Street, Galax, VA, S&L Outdoors, Sparta, NC, and at Rouse House Music, next to the 1908 Courthouse, Independence, VA.
Event Summary:
Walkin Jim Concert, November 6th, 2009, at the Historic 1908
Courthouse, Independence, Virginia.
Due to the diligence of many volunteers, and their getting the word out, last night's concert was well attended. Three complete rows of extra chairs were necessary to accommodate the crowd. At 7:00 PM, and as planned, I opened the evening with a simple description of BRDC, how I became acquainted with Jim Stoltz, and a thanks to the volunteers and the 08 Courthouse Foundation. Joyce Rouse opened for Jim with several of her songs, livening up the audience with her unlimited energy. Among her offerings were a piece on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and her hopeful candidate for the Virginia State Song, "Virginia Beauty".
Jim began with some stories, a brief history of his wilderness walking life, and then a song. Throughout the evening, he alternated between lights on, with his story telling and singing, to lights off, with his amazing slide show accompanied always by his deep resonating voice and the guitar. He took us all over the North American landscape to places few of us will ever see. For the exception of four or five images, all of the slides were his. And all of his songs are originals.
Jim is passionate about saving the wild places for all things living, and continued to push that theme on every level. His merchandise table also included, besides CDs, tee shirts, his book, and some educational videos, an array of ways to get involved with wildlife and natural areas advocacy. He also had several original paintings done with cattle markers, a unique concept.
For the audience, it was a ride through canyons, over high sierra peaks, wandering rivers of Alaska, and deep alpine forests. It was also emotional, as his voice can invoke the deepest passions, sadness, celebration, humor, and a spiritual overtone that he does well. From "Just one Mosquito", a funny song about critters he's encountered along his way, to "Old Crystal Bell", a tribute to an old school house and the ghosts found within, he plumbed the full range of feelings, allowing us all to share in the fullness of his life. He had said to me earlier in the day, while setting up, that he is completely aware of how lucky he is.
During intermission, while the 08 Foundation served snacks, Jim signed CDs and books, and conversed with many new admirers. In other words, he got a lot of love. The second half was shorter, with one different approach. Close to the end, he had Susan Gleason and yours truly come on stage to read quotes from famous folks whose work and ideas have helped to grow our awareness of protected outdoor spaces, as well as the essential value of ecological balance. This reading was accompanied by guitar and slides, creating yet another strong message.
Everyone seemed to go away with smiles and many hugs were passed around. Those who stayed, were enlisted in helping Jim pack up his gear and van. By 11:00 PM, the courthouse was locked and dark. You, the community and our collective interests all made it more than worth every minute invested. Happy trails, will keep in touch.
- Scott Jackson-Ricketts