View Full Version : Peace Pilgim, class of '52
Today (September 21, 2003) has been declared the international day of peace. I thought I'd acknowledge this by mentioning Peace Pilgrim, purportedly the first woman to thru-hike the AT. Inspired by her hike, she became a self declared pilgrim for peace walking thousands of miles a year until her death in 1981.
I'm curious as to what other people know about her.
Peace Pilgrim's AT journey (http://www.peacepilgrim.net/ap_trail.htm)
Interestingly, she appears to have been an ultralighter:
"I lived out-of-doors completely, supplied with only one pair of slacks and shorts, one blouse and sweater, a lightweight blanket, and two double plastic sheets, into which I sometimes stuffed leaves. I was not always completely dry and warm, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. My menu, morning and evening, was two cups of uncooked oatmeal soaked in water and flavored with brown sugar; at noon two cups of double strength dried milk, plus any berries, nuts or greens found in the woods."
max patch
09-22-2003, 08:30
Peace Pilgrim is one of the interesting historical names of the trail.
One correction though; while she is considered to be the first female to do the trail in one continous journey she was not a thru-hiker. Her journey was Mt. Ogelthorpe to the Susquahana (sp?) River in PA and then she went to Katahdin and flip-flopped back to PA.
Youngblood
09-22-2003, 09:04
Originally posted by max patch
Peace Pilgrim is one of the interesting historical names of the trail.
One correction though; while she is considered to be the first female to do the trail in one continous journey she was not a thru-hiker. Her journey was Mt. Ogelthorpe to the Susquahana (sp?) River in PA and then she went to Katahdin and flip-flopped back to PA.
I disagree, I think she was a thru-hiker in every sense of the word... and a whole lot more. She was a pioneer, those of us who have hiked the trail in more recent times are just following the foot steps of people like her.
Youngblood
GAME'00
She also detoured to complete the Long trail for an extra 165 miles.
I used the word "purported" because I'm aware that some people include flip floppers and people who make big detours (but come back to continue where they left off) as thru-hikers and others don't. For example, Wingfoot defines flip-floppers as a kind of thru-hiker, while Maxpatch clearly disagrees.
I figure its not my place to confirm or deny her or anyone else that label. I ain't gotta dog in that fight.
Blue Jay
09-22-2003, 09:32
A flipflop is not a thruhike, that's a new one. Good thing this thread is about Peace Pilgrim.
Youngblood
09-22-2003, 09:38
She 'hiked her own hike' before that was just a 'cool phrase'. She hiked all the way from Georgia to Maine... and that is my definition of a thru-hiker. I also realize that some folks, but not as many as you think, will tell you to 'hike your own hike' and then in another breath tell you that you can't call yourself a 'real thru-hiker' unless you hiked in 'such and such way'. As you can probably tell, I disagree with that attitude... it's a long way and hiking it by other peoples restrictive set of rules can take a lot of the enjoyment out of it. I don't think it is, or should be that way.
Youngblood
Anyhow, I'm sure she wouldn't have cared about the label.
I was struck by her idea that for her walking was prayer. It's powerful notion that resonates for me. Walking can be a lot of things for me, and prayer is one of them.
Thank you, pedxing, for posting the link to Peace Pilgrim...what an inspiration, on so many levels...
Fenu
i went to that site, enjoyed the read, and was informed of a worm while there....
Yikes! I hope its a coincidence. I have pretty good protection (McAffee, Zone Alarm and Swat it) and had no problems or alerts and have been to the site a half dozen times in the last few days.
no problems sice, and no further problems - i had just re -upped my norton and i think it isolated and quarantined the scoundrel.
warren doyle
09-24-2003, 09:16
Hail Peace Pilgrim! The first female to walk the Appalachian Trail in one hiking season.
Gee, I wonder if BJ would have yelled "Shame!" at her if she spoke at a Gathering.
Interesting thought?
TJ aka Teej
09-24-2003, 09:38
Originally posted by warren doyle
Gee, I wonder if BJ would have yelled "Shame!" at her if she spoke at a Gathering.
Interesting thought?
Gee, I doubt she'd have the poor judgement you displayed when you read aloud an anti-American rant of decades old mediocre beat poetry written by a mediocre "poet" in front of hundreds of hikers one month after the 9/11/01 terrorist attack. 'Shame' was the politest comment I heard directed at you that night.
Lone Wolf
09-24-2003, 09:52
What poetry by what poet and how did it relate to 9/11? I've heard from others that were there that what Warren said was blown out of proportion and taken out of context. It seems some folks love drama and making mountains out of molehills. Explain TJ.
warren doyle
09-24-2003, 19:47
Lone Wolf: The poet was my mentor Don West, founder of the Appalachian South Folklife Center where the first eight Gatherings were held. His stature in my eyes was equal to Martin Luther King Jr. (there is an article about him on the ALDHA website). He use to read his poetry (about 10-15 minutes worth) as part of the Gathering introduction on Friday evening. I continued that tradition at the Pipstem Gatherings after he passed on in 1992. The 2001 Gathering theme (held at Dartmouth) was to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the beginnings of ALDHA. I read five poems - the first one was on the front page of the first ALDHA newsletter in 1983 (which could be sung to the tune of 'Woodstock'); the second one was a poem about the 1985 Gathering by the Poetry Man (AT Class of 1985); and then, in keeping with tradition, three poems by Don West. I chose these poems because Don would have chosen and read them as well if he was there. The first poem was called 'Song of the Saw' which was how the last Gathering ended the previous year in Pipestem (2000) when my children and I performed an original concept piece of Don's poetry set to music and dance on Sunday night. The second poem was the controversial one (and I mentioned its 'honesty' to the audience before I read it). It was called "Sad, Sad, America" and was written in the early 1950's. The last poem was optimistic and was called "Vision".
Yes it was blown out of proportion by a small contigent of audience members and then, two months after the fact, on the info superhighway (at-l list). As to the Gathering 2001, after Friday night no one mentioned anything negative to me personally and I continued to do-my-things on Saturday and Sunday. I also had only one person contact me by e-mail about their frustrations on that particular night.
I'd be more than happy to visit Damascus and read his poetry either at the library or at Dave's Place or any place else a small group of people would like to get together to hear some wonderful poetry.
By the way, I read that particular poem to several groups that fall of 2001. The only adverse reactions came from a few members in that Friday night audience at ALDHA.
TJ aka Teej
09-26-2003, 07:56
So that's the version of events you want people who weren't there to think happened, Warren? Interesting.
Originally posted by L. Wolf
It seems some folks love drama and making mountains out of molehills.
Yup Wolf, some folks do love drama. Perhaps that's what motivated Warren to recite that 'poem' that night.
And some people evidently like making molehills out of mountains. It was an interesting night, with people booing, walking out, and calling 'shame' at the founder of their organization. I just brushed it off to poor judgment or intoxication. True, some did think it was nothing out of the ordinary, 'just Warren being Warren'. It's also true it was a minor topic on the at-l for a while afterwards, but remember in that time frame the at-l was the primary internet medium for ALDHA members to keep in touch. Brian's Triple Crown and water filters were more interesting topics to most.
As for Warren's using this thread about Peace Pilgrim to take a cheap shot at Baltimore Jack - well, that's 'just Warren being Warren' I suppose.
Warren- care to post that 'poem' you said West would've chosen to read to us while bodies beneath the World Trade Center's ruins still smoldered?
Blue Jay
09-26-2003, 09:18
With all due respect TJ. The fall of the World Trade Center did NOT suspend Freedom of Speech, although many would like it to do so. Whatever was said may have been outrageous, inflamatory, or even disgusting. Clearly Mr. Doyle believed it should be said. Frankly, if more people had spoken up children would not be dying in a war with the WRONG Country.
TJ aka Teej
09-26-2003, 12:56
Originally posted by Blue Jay
With all due respect TJ. The fall of the World Trade Center did NOT suspend Freedom of Speech, although many would like it to do so. Whatever was said may have been outrageous, inflamatory, or even disgusting. Clearly Mr. Doyle believed it should be said. Frankly, if more people had spoken up children would not be dying in a war with the WRONG Country.
Did I say it did, Blue Jay? Warren certainly had the right to say anything, no matter how inappropriate, that he wanted to. He did bravely distance himself from ownership of the sentiment expressed though, by claiming it was the 'poem' that West himself would have chosen to read three weeks after the tragedy. Certainly, and for instance, if Warren choose to speak at a murder victim's wake announcing the dead guy was a miserable bastard who deserved to die a terrible death, he could say it if he believed it. But with all due respect Blue Jay, others have the right to believe he was wrong to do so, and they have the right to say so.
(And you can't out-peacenik me on this current war. I believe the best way to support our troops would be to impeach Mr. Bush.)
Blue Jay
09-26-2003, 13:21
I stand corrected.
[i] I believe the best way to support our troops would be to impeach Mr. Bush.) [/B]
Dead wrong I'm afraid. Having been deployed overseas immediately after the 9/11 attacks I can say the best way to support our troops is to send food, magazines, and personal hygiene items. Generally most soldiers dont give a damn about politics, they're there to do their job and get home safe.
SGT Rock
09-27-2003, 13:43
Right on the money bulldog.
And thanks to all the Whiteblazers that have been supporting me! What a bunch of trail angles!
TJ aka Teej
09-27-2003, 19:47
This thread might win the prize for furthest topic drift :O)
Originally posted by SGT Rock
And thanks to all the Whiteblazers that have been supporting me! What a bunch of trail angles!
Thanks for the reality check, Bulldog & Rock.
I didn't mean to stir up trouble posting this thread. I think it is important that we support the troops by supporting the troops. Regardless of your stand on the war, it is obvious that things would be worse if we had a less professional, less able and less dedicated group of people out there.
MedicineMan
09-30-2003, 00:54
After scanning this thread I am glad I am not in touch, kinda like when my oldest daughter couldnt believe I didnt know who Whitney Spears was or a cor-worker who was stunned that I have never seen 'ER'....I'm going to keep on paddling and hiking but surely now I will never enter a Gathering, something about soap that irritates me.