Montana man, 63, who has no family spends his life traveling back and forth across US on horse-drawn carriage at 3mph and has just started his fifth trip

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Since 2009, Lee Crafton, or Lee Horselogger as he prefers to be called, has been traveling across the country in a horse-drawn carriage, and now he's on his fifth trip.

His journey started in 2006 when he lost his ranch in East Glacier, Montana after 27 years and dropped out of his Ph.D. program. Lee took his life savings of $75 and a couple of horses and decided to explore the nation, traveling at just three miles an hour.

Needless to say, Lee is not your typical 63-year-old.

But one year prior to his career change, Lee was diagnosed with Lymphoma at age 48 and had a tumor growing in his neck. Weary of chemotherapy, he opted for more naturopathic herbal treatments. Believe it or not, his tumor started to shrink and his cancer was gone.

His cancer diagnosis ultimately served as a wake up call, reminding him of his humanity and what he wanted to do with his remaining time.

'If you're unhappy and you're under stress, you're not going to get well,' he told the Seattle Times in 2009. 'What the cancer did is it kicked me in the ass,' he says. 'About all I can say is it woke me up. It got me doing things I should have done years ago.'

In 2009, Lee had a 50-foot-long horse team and wagon. Today, he has one horse left named Jessie, who travels at 3mph.

But what motivates this horseman? As he told local ABC affiliate WPBF - why not?

'63 years old, I don't have any family, so I figured why the hell not? See what goes on in the world,' he said.

Despite being alone on the road (besides his horse, Jessie), he seeks out human connection from all walks of life.

'I travel to see nursing homes to meet people, go to schools, I do my show and tell, this is a horse. You know, a lot of people have never seen a horse,' Lee told WPBF.

Lee hit a bump in the road, literally and figuratively, last year when a car driving recklessly above the speed limit with a state troopers on its tail hit his carriage and sent Lee and his traveling partner, Baron, 10 feet in the air and 25 feet down in a ditch.

Despite not having any money and only enough food for his horse, Lee did not get discouraged and instead raised money for the materials to make a new carriage with the help of a GoFundMe and selling his own merchandise.

He's also picked up some side hustles over the years, such as pulling logs with his horses and transporting other goods (which is exactly what a horse logger's job is).

Lee has lived without electricity, running water, or a motor-run vehicle for the last 18 years, and has no intention of slowing down now that he's on his fifth cross-country road trip.

'This experience is one I will never forgo,' Lee said, cherishing his time on the road.

He appreciates the little things in life, especially when other vehicles give him space on the road.

'That's the biggest issue, just give me enough room, I'm driving but I'm like anybody who's driving,' Lee said.

But he's also a deep thinker, documenting his revelations and posting them to his YouTube channel or Facebook page.

'The secret to the meaning of life is become so immersed in something that theres no 'you' separating from what's going on, so that you aren't even aware of it.

'That's what traveling is for me...that's what this whole thing is,' Lee said in a recent Facebook video.

Lee, who is currently in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is en route to Boston, Massachusetts.

Neat.  Good for him.

Very cool, good man took his last money after being in an accident and feed his horse.

That's pretty cool.  Thanks for sharing

Wow!  

I have seen him a couple times in the last week.  I know exactly where he's at right now.  He was staying out by the bunkhouse out between Laramie and Cheyenne.  

Now I wish ida stopped and said hi.  

Those horses must hate him.  

Life savings of $75?

Well.. if that's all he had after he lost his home and property,  I guess that would have been his life savings.  

Maybe he spent his savings trying to keep his property?  


I have been 20 bucks from being homeless before.  My two toddler kids were my motivation to keep plugging along.  


Not everyone is a millionaire.

Thats one way to see the nation. Hopefully he isnt covering the same ground on multiple passes but aims for unexplored regions. Its a big country, after all.

You know I was going to make some snide or sarcastic remark but thats just the chains of society leeching into my brain.   That dude is probably much freer than most.  

And fuck cancer

If he ever passes near my place I'd gladly offer him a bed, shower, and some hot meals for a few days.

Keep on rocking in the free world…

you're not the typical billy badass billionaire b**ma MMA fighter tough guy hard case pronstar chef navy squeal GDer with the harem of hairless below their eyelashes 20 year old yurpean supermodels, broseidon?

Your traditional american house is an anchor on your freedom, that only serves for your wife to decorate and show your in-laws how she's not a complete failure.

Grass, clearing snow, roof problems, foundation problems, neighbor problems, tornadoes, hurricanes, bugs, govt edicts, etc.

I am single and I have no inlaws.  My house doesn't serve any of those things.  I very much enjoy having it and do not wish to live in a horse wagon with a garbage can tied on the back.

Dude is living

He is obese.  I am curious if so many here think about reality. Who is going to pay for his hospital stay after his stroke or heart attack.  The millions of dollars surgery to save his life. Who is going to pay for his diabetes meds or is his plan to only "live" until the first time he needs medical care.

I think it's a cool idea, in one's head to not have a job and live as a gypsy in a covered wagon with no house or job or responsibilities..for a few minutes.  But that also come with some massive downsides and there are very good reasons we all don't do what he is doing.

Honestly if you changed just a very few things about the story, this thread would be going a lot differently.

Cause nobody who lives in a sticks and bricks shack has those issues.

Great if you can do it!  Hopefully he continues his GFM and earns some spending money so that if an event occurs against he can recover.  Yep the crazy drivers are the biggest hurdle.  I see farmers with big equipment have troubles.  Supposed to be Amish in the area but haven’t seen any horse drawn buggies.

The Mennonites drive them around in vans.

I'm still in the area.  I should stop and say hi to him if he is still there..

As a fellow Arfcommer you know I love you man. But now I have that song going through my head by that stupid fucking '60s communist. So while I love you, I'm not really liking you right now.

They do, but they generally have a job, health insurance which isn't completely paid for by...you and I.  We who choose to participate in traditional society bear our responsibilities, or at least most of us attempt to when it comes to things like our own health care, financial future for when we are old and need the help of others etc.

This guy has no family, no job or income, no insurance other than likely "free" from the marketplace.  He contributes next to nothing in the system but I sure as hell suspect he is going to take from it when it's time....and time is acomin for him.

It doesn't say he is looking for work or wants to get back on his feet to become a contributing member of society again.  It says he is choosing his life of a traveling bum, it's what he wants.  I find it interesting that in this case, arfcom seems suddenly supportive of that which they would normally otherwise attack and disparage.  

I have contributed to society almost all my life.  Society loves to take take take.  

I'd bet he did too before losing his home.  


The couple times in my life I could have used the help.. "society" did nothing for me.  Save for the random good hearted person or two.  


I don't feel I should be responsible for society when all they want is to tax you to death while stealing from you.

The Goat Man used to go all over. I remember seeing him down here in GA when I was a kid.

Sounds like maybe everything he had went to doctors.

He should have some Clydesdales to haul his fat ass around.

you can lead a hor 2 culture...

He died 11/15/98 in a Ga nursing home, was 97 yr old.

If you see him, tell him to watch out for Rafiki.

Haha.  

I just drove out there.  He has continued on with his journey. He's not there anymore.

Goodbye

FREEDOM

Awesome!

Keep on trucking to your own beat and path!


Happy trails to you sir!

He lost his ranch,  house and had leukemia and said fuck it all, and it was doing things on his terms.  I would say he’s doing pretty damn well, and supposedly his cancer is not a problem anymore.

As long as he is happy, living his his life the way he wants to he’s not obviously bugging anyone else or bothering anyone else for money or panhandling. Let the man be.



In addition to my Other post up there.



You gotta find that one thing in life for you.  It Will be different for everyone.

Where does he winter and I imagine getting through the great lakes area in interesting. I imagine a lot of people donate stuff to him

This reminds me of the movie "The Straight Story" about the guy on the lawnmower but this guy is fulltime. I bet he could sell his story as a movie or documentary and it would be better than most crap out now

I feel sad for him going to Boston. He should go somewhere free

Who pays for healthcare for all of the fat welfare leeches who contribute nothing to society ?

Trying to remember if I knew him.

Neat, when I was on the Mississippi, we ran into character that was downbownd while we were up bound. Master Cheif spotted him near the bank, and sent out a crew on the work punt to investigate.  Guy stated every year he started in Texas or somewhere in the southwest and picked up cheap horses and mules and did a modern day cattle train to norther latitudes. When he got to his destination he would sell his live stock and spend the next few days  between the home center and the river bank constructing his personal raft out of closed cell foam. He kept 3 things for each raft that he made. Oars, oar locks and a PFD. He had waterproof bags for his belongings but I don't count those because he's got to carry his stuff somehow,  he was just smart about it in his situation.

Once, his raft was ready he would float down the Miss to Nawlins and retrieve his items, then dispose of his raft and start planning for next year.

You see some interesting things on the Miss!

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Least he seems to be living, most folks these says are just existing. Getting harder and harder to live that sort of life but I'd give it a go under similar circumstances.

That man is freer than you or I will ever be.

He’s a horse powered Forrest Gump.    

When you have literally Nothing to live for, why not mix it up, and just do whatever the hell you want to do.  No matter how outlandish.  

I like this quote.   The secret to the meaning of life is become so immersed in something that theres no 'you' separating from what's going on, so that you aren't even aware of it.

And if the same dude was homeless, living in a fucking cardboard box and pushing all his possessions around in a stolen shopping cart while panhandling, GD would be ready to shoot him for sport!

GD's lack of critical thinking never surprises me.