After being reinstated for conscription, Goodwin attempted to appeal his assignment for conscription but was denied multiple times. After being denied, he returned to Cumberland once more to prepare his final appeal. While back on Vancouver Island, Goodwin and other draft evaders fled to the hills of Cumberland in sometime in April or May 1918, hiding out in the mountains around Comox Lake. By breaking into a cabin, Goodwin and the other objectors were able to survive with supplies provided by friends and community members.