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OREM — A Utah County man who made headlines for hiking to the top of Mount Timpanogos more than 1,000 times throughout his lifetime, a feat that cemented his legacy as an icon for many in the state's large outdoor scene, has died.
Benjiman Woolsey, of Orem, died on Sunday at the age of 81, according to an online obituary. A cause of death was not listed.
Several people, especially the friends he made during all his many hiking trips, have taken to social media to honor Woolsey in recent days.
"You taught me much through the years we shared on this mountain. I know I will never approach your total, and I doubt anyone will," wrote David Kenison in one of those posts. "You truly loved this mountain and inspired so many of us to love it too. You will never be forgotten!"
Timpanogos Hiking Company called Woosley "the man, the myth, the legend" who "inspired so many hikers, young and old." Another hiker, Tanner Maxwell, wrote that Woosley was a "legendary and inspirational man."
Woolsey told KSL.com in 2014 that he grew up playing sports, but he eventually turned to hiking to stay active and healthy in an atmosphere he preferred over a gym. He first hiked Mount Timpanogos in 1966 at the age of 24, well before it became the popular hike it is today. He recalled being the only runner at times in his earliest adventures.
The hike isn't exactly the easiest. It's about 13.9 miles out and back with an elevation gain of nearly 5,000 feet, according to Alltrails.
Yet Woolsey would go on to summit the mountain nearly 200 times over the next few decades. However, a vast majority of his hikes came after he turned 50. News outlets began to cover his major milestone journeys along the way, including when he chose to summit the mountain 72 times at age 72 and 73 times at age 73.
Then, in August 2018, he reached the summit for the 1,000th time, an adventure that added more challenging elements. He said he had to dodge lightning and endure a heavy summer downpour to make it to the top.
"Other than that, it was really a great hike," he told KSL.com at the time. "It always is."
Woolsey kept going after that even after the COVID-19 pandemic. He posted on Facebook in 2021 that he had resumed hiking after a two-year hiatus. It's estimated that he submitted the mountain about 1,150 times in his lifetime, Kenison wrote on Facebook.
While he is most known for hiking Mount Timpanogos, Woolsey also completed the Y Mountain hike hundreds of times. He explained in 2018 that his hikes were partly to prove a point that age is only a number.
"Part of the reason I do that is to encourage or show people that they don't have to sit in a rocking chair when they retire," he said. "There are a lot of things that they can be active doing."
Aside from hiking, he was the father of four children and multiple grandchildren, the Deseret News reported in 2018. He worked as a mailman in Orem up until he retired at 62.
A viewing will be held in Orem on Friday before a funeral service on Saturday, per his obituary.
