Wife and I flew into Big Creek on Wed to have a look around. Saw the new weather station and webcam set up. Really impressive. Powered by Solar and looks to connect to the outside world via satellite. Really looking forward to the new lodge.

When we were walking back to the plane we saw an older guy walking up the road with a walking stick and cane and had a back pack on.

We stopped to chat and it turned out to be Wilbur Wiles walking to the airstrip from his cabin. Mr. Wiles is 98 years old (same age as my Dad would have been) and has lived in the Idaho back country since 1936. He moved to the Big Creek area when the CCC completed the road to BC. He logged, hunted, mined, and trapped the area from his cabin "up the road" from the lodge area.

Wilbur's mission Wed. was to fix the starter in his truck and catch the mail plane back to Cascade to do some grocery shopping. Tools for fixing the starter was in his backpack.

Talking to a true pioneer like Mr. Wiles was the high point of the trip.

Makes one very humble.

TD

That is very cool, thanks for sharing.

Wow, I need to get off my ass and get in better shape just in case I live into my 90's.

You just met a sort of legend in the Idaho back country.

Wilbur is featured in the National Geographic magazine from November of 1969 in a story by Maurice Hornocker on a cougar study conducted out of Taylor Ranch.

I met him several times over the years about 30 years ago. I used the same Kelty pack and climbing spurs he used and shown in the article during my summers there doing similar work.

He has a mining claim if I recall. His path has crossed a lot of interesting times in the Idaho backcountry and is mentioned in several local history books.

Get him to talk next time...you won't be disappointed.

Hmmm, I need to fly into Big Creek and see if there is an opportunity to provide their new lodge solar system, but I digress. I'd much rather meet Wilbur, I next will google that Nat Geo story, wow what a living legend

The piece was called , "Stalking the Mountain Lion...To Save Him" if I recall correctly. The cover has a picture from a Bali story, I think.

Get him to talk next time...you won't be disappointed.

We got to talk w/ Wilbur about 45 minutes before we had to deedee out of there.

I got some additional background from Carol and Ray Arnold the next day.

Someone with a recorder needs to find a way to get with him and just let him tell his story. I don't have the skills or equipment for such an interview.

TD

Zane!!!

Swingle!

Shit, if I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself.

Shit, if I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself.

Amen to that brother! But wasn't it fun at the time???

I have a PDF of the 1969 article about Wilbur. If you want a copy, PM me and I'll send it to you.