One weight-saving move came from rejecting a stove. He says he missed it only if the weather turned cold, and finding snowmelt water became a problem. For a typical dinner, he would mix dehydrated refried beans with water in a plastic container while he hiked, add crumbled organic corn chips, then olive oil.

“That may sound very unappealing to you. Actually, right now, I’d agree,” Williamson told his audience. “But it gets to be delicious and satisfying, after several weeks on the trail.”

Williamson got big chuckles when he related how his suppressed appetites took control during infrequent stops in remote towns. His quest for fresh spinach was intense. He was not above exploiting an all-you-can-eat salad bar for hours, or taking on the Pancake Challenge at the Seiad Valley Cafe on the Klamath River — eat five Frisbee-sized hotcakes within two hours, and you can have them for free.