If you’ve read
Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, you
probably enjoyed his escapades with his buddy, Katz, while the unlikely pair
attempted to complete the Appalachian
Trail. It’s a
good story, but recently I stumbled on an article about the first woman to solo
hike the Appalachian
Trail in May of
1955, at the age of 67—six months before I was born.
Emma (Grandma) Gatewood
didn’t have any fancy hiking equipment. No sleeping bag, tent, backpack,
hiking boots, raincoat, trail mix, or special hiking clothes for her. She is
quoted to have said, “Most people today are pantywaists.”
Well this woman
was certainly no pantywaist. Emma carried her supplies in a denim draw-string
bag. Her simple gear consisted of a woolen Army blanket, and a shower curtain
for a raincoat. She owned no fancy hiking boots—Keds worked just fine—although
they needed regular replacement. Peanuts were her energy bars. Canned Vienna sausages were one of her staples. What
else did she eat? Whatever she could find: wild strawberries, sorrel, and wild
onions. Kind strangers sometimes shared food with her, what she referred to as
“trail magic.”
I love stories
about women “firsts.” It goes to show women were tough back then, and certainly
have the ability to be tough now. I don’t know if anyone gave her a hard time
about hiking that 2050 mile trail alone, but it doesn’t matter. She wanted to,
and she did.
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