Ben Montgomery

Although it seems wholly inadequate, the only word I can think of to describe this book -- and this woman -- is "WOW!"

Author Ben Montgomery tells the story of Emma "Grandma" Gatewood, the first woman to ever through hike the 2,050 Appalachian Trail in 1957 at the age of 67. She then became the first person -- male or female -- to hike the trail two, and then three times. She was first inspired to hike the trail while reading about it in an article in National Geographic magazine. The article claimed that any person in reasonable health should be able to hike the trail and wouldn't need any special equipment. (This was in a time when even those who created the trail didn't imagine that anyone would hike it all the way through. It was intended for day or weekend hikes). Emma hiked it with a hand-sewn back satchel which carried only the essentials (omitting a tent) and went through numerous pairs of flimsy shoes in her journey.

Using her journals, newspaper articles, letters, and interviews with children and others who knew her as sources, Montgomery gives us a picture of this extraordinary woman. He not only brings readers along on Emma's journey, but also tries to discover her motivation for making such a quest.

Emma spent her married life on a farm in southern Ohio, which had much more in common with Appalachian West Virginia than the rust belt cities of the northern part of the state. Her married life was miserable. Her husband was mercilessly abusive, and the author implies that at least some of her 11 children were conceived via instances of marital rape. In that era and in that place, a husband's word was gospel, and after one particularly bad fight although Emma was left with a bludgeoned face, 4 broken teeth, and broken ribs, the local sheriff came and arrested *her* because her husband, with hardly a scratch, claimed Emma was being uncooperative.

Decades after being in a horrible marriage Emma finally divorced her husband. Once her children were finally grown she was ready to live life on her terms. All she told her children was that she was going for a walk, and that's all they heard from her until she had walked more than 800 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

Emma had much to say about the "lazy" attitudes of people of her day. Those who would rather jump in the car than walk a few blocks to run an errand (and this was in the 50s and 60s -- God only knows what she'd have to say today!) She also had a deep reverence for the outdoors . Although she's not a household name today, she gained quite a bit a fame during her journey, and as a result of her hike she brought much-needed attention to the inadequacies of the Appalachian Trail as it was in her day -- from poorly maintained trails, to missing blazes, to falling-down shelters.

Even after her Appalachian Trail hikes, Emma continued making long-distances walks throughout the rest of her life, including walking the 2,000 mile Oregon trail among others.

If you're looking to be inspired, or for a reminder that age is just a number, look no further than this book.

5 enthusiastic stars.… (more)

In 1955, an older person--a woman from Ohio who had already endured her share of life's tests and challenges--walks the entirety of the Appalachian Trail (or AT), from Mount Olgethorpe,Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. At 67 years old, Emma Gatewood is credited as the first woman to complete the thru-hike, and the first person to complete the thru-hike three times.

Grandma Greenwood's story, on both on the trail and in her past, are decisively a woman's, creating another facet of the story of a lone hiker on the Appalachian Trail. I wasn't enamored by the writing style or tone of the author, but he gave a considerable amount of attention to the character of Grandma Gatewood, which I appreciated and enjoyed.… (more)