About the Author

Bill Walker was raised in Macon, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia, where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Accounting. He traded U.S. Treasury Bonds at the Chicago Board of Trade for 10 years. He then moved to London where he traded German Bonds for Nomura International at the London International Futures Exchange for four years.

Upon leaving the trading business, Bill took a radical turn. He served for a year as a volunteer in a welfare reform program in South Texas. He then taught English as a second language in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru.

He came to hiking late in life, but has tried to make up for it. In 2005 he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. In 2006, he hiked the Long Trail. In 2009, he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. In 2010, 2011, and 2012 he hiked the wildly popular spiritual pilgrimage El Camino de Santiago (jokingly referred to as the ‘European Divorcee Trail’), which crosses the northern arc of Spain. In 2013 he completed the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, which reaches 17,768 feet and is the most popular footpath in Asia.

He has written the outdoor narratives, Skywalker–Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail (2008), Skywalker–Highs and Lows on the Pacific Crest Trail (2010), The Best Way–El Camino de Santiago (2012), Getting High–The Annapurna Circuit in Nepal (2013), and Tall Tales–The Great Talisman of Height (2014).

He lives in Asheville, North Carolina.