James Walkin Jim Stoltz, 57

Walkin Jim Stoltz set off on his last forever wild hike on Friday, Sept. 3, 2010. Our master troubadour and dear friend fought a heroic battle with cancer in Helena. He was 57 years old. Walkin Jim is widely known throughout the U.S. for his unique combination of long-distance hiking, original songwriting and photography. He accomplished over 28,000 miles of long-distance treks, including the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, an east to west cross-continent hike, the entire U.S. Continental Divide, and trips from Yellowstone to the Yukon. Between trips, Jim would create, produce and perform original shows of his travels with photography and music, always incorporating his keen sense of environmental awareness and justice for all things wild. His musical, hiking and environmental career spanned 45 years. Jim produced nine musical albums, one music video for children, and was also an accomplished poet, writer, photographer and painter. He founded the nonprofit Musicians United to Sustain the Environment (MUSE) with a group of professional musicians concerned about the health of our planet and wanting to help protect it. The Environmental Protection Agency honored Jim with its Outstanding Achievement Award for his advocacy of nature and wilderness across America. Jim was born in Royal Oak, Mich., June 8, 1953, to Wilbur and Audra Stoltz. He graduated high school from Royal Oak - Kimball High School. Walkin Jim began playing the guitar when he was in the fourth grade and first attained his love for the outdoors and hiking with the Boy Scouts. He is survived by his true friend, Leslie Stoltz, of Big Sky; brother, Mark Stoltz, of Honor, Mich.; sisters, Susan Grace Stoltz of Fairbanks, Alaska, and Lisa Mohr of Wixom, Mich.; and many nieces and nephews. Jim s life work and dreams centered on his desire to share and protect the beauty, the unique character, the mood, and the value of wilderness through his music, writings, art and activism. He leaves a special and enduring legacy to his family, friends, and innumerable list of fans. Contributions can be made in honor of Walkin Jim Stoltz to MUSE (Musicians United to Sustain the Environment) P.O. Box 1512, Helena, MT 59624. More about Jim is at www.walkinjim.com. To offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Jim, please visit www.retzfuneralhome.com.