Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 9,663 ratings
Price: 12.78
Last update: 12-24-2024
About this item
Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than $200. The next anybody heard from her, this genteel, farm-reared, 67-year-old great-grandmother had walked 800 miles along the 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail. And in September 1955, atop Maine's Mount Katahdin, she sang the first verse of "America, the Beautiful" and proclaimed, "I said I'll do it, and I've done it." Grandma Gatewood, as the reporters called her, became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone, as well as the first person - man or woman - to walk it twice and three times. The public attention she brought to the little-known footpath was unprecedented. Her vocal criticism of the lousy, difficult stretches led to bolstered maintenance, and very likely saved the trail from extinction.
Top reviews from the United States
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful & Unique read!
5.0 out of 5 stars Touching story about a gentle giant!
First, this is not a "how to" hike book on the Appalachian Trail. There are tons of those out there already. This is the true story of a determined, tough, unassuming, 67 year old grandmother, who on a lark, decided to thru-hike the AT. In doing so, and unbeknownst to her at the time, she became the first woman to do it solo, and garnered a level of attention that ensured that improvements were made to the trail and brought the AT into the American consciousness at a time when few people knew it existed.
The author, very much like the woman herself, is unassuming in his storytelling. He refrains from melodrama and dramatic "enhancements", but tells the story gently.....quietly..... just like Grandma Gatewood would. His reverence for her is evident, and through detailed research into her journals, and interviewing her family, we get a glimpse of an incredibly remarkable and inspiring woman. Weaving back and forth mainly between her first thru-hike of the AT, (and yes, she did it several times) and her tough, troubled marriage to an abusive and demanding husband, we see a woman who despite severe obstacles, and a troubled past, decided to do an incredibly difficult thru-hike with minimal equipment, but a lot of determination, and did so without once feeling sorry for herself or relying on tens of thousands of dollars of the latest ultralight equipment. She puts most Americans to shame!
While there are adequate details about hiking the AT, the real story is Grandma Gatewood herself. She was an incredibly simple, self-sufficient and determined woman, made famous by the simple act of walking, and even if you have no interest in hiking whatsoever, you will find this to be an uplifting and engrossing story. As an interesting side note - I am familiar with the "Gatewood Cape", yet had no idea it was named after her!
4.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read
this historical , inspiring and true story .