The First Woman to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail Alone Did It as a ‘Lark’

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Welles
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The First Woman to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail Alone Did It as a ‘Lark’

Post by Welles »

I was amazed, moved and somewhat awed by this story.
Emma Gatewood set out wearing sneakers, with a duffel slung over one shoulder.

On April 4, 1948, Army veteran Earl Shaffer set out from the southern end of the Appalachian Trail (AT) to, as he famously said, “walk the war out of my system.” When he finished at the northern terminus, Maine’s Mt. Katahdin, 124 days later, Shaffer became the first person known to have thru-hiked the 2,000 mile-plus trail that snakes its way up the mountainous spine of the eastern United States. Less than a decade later, a 67-year-old grandmother laced up not hiking boots but sneakers, and became the first woman to thru-hike the trail on her own*. While Shaffer’s journey of finding redemption on the trail is better known, Emma Gatewood’s trek is just as compelling: After a lifetime of dire hardship, she was simply drawn to the freedom of a long walk.
The First Woman to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail Alone Did It as a ‘Lark’ — by Philip D'anieri

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a ... a-gatewood

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Re: The First Woman to Thru-Hike the Appalachian Trail Alone Did It as a ‘Lark’

Post by Sandy »

I enjoyed this article.
I am trying to imagine the courage it must have taken for her to do this feat alone... but then her entire life required a courageous spirit didn't it?
Imagine letting a man off from a sentence of murder because the mostly male court system thought his family needed him. They and especially she was better off without him! He was a monster and yet he didn't break this resilient woman.

She shows a kind of determination and bravery perhaps we all, both men and women, can draw from. We are human beings and can do anything we set our mind to.

Thanks Welles.
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Sunny
“We measure and evaluate your Spiritual Progress on the Wall of Eternity." – Guardian of Destiny, Alverana.
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