Darwin again
07-10-2009, 19:05
The National Museum of American History has an ongoing exhibit focusing on Earl Shaffer and the Trail (http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1303):
Link: http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1303
Snip: "Earl Shaffer was the first person to walk the entire Appalachian Trail in one continuous hike. Shaffer had no expert advice, no previous footsteps to follow, or even guidebooks to help him. At the time, experts on the Appalachian Trail believed that a hike of the entire Trail was impossible. Shaffer started his walk in April 1948 at Mount Oglethorpe, Georgia, and completed the Trail four months later at Maine’s Mount Katahdin. Shaffer kept a diary, along with photographs taken along the way, to prove to skeptics that he had really accomplished what he claimed. This exhibition features photographs taken along the trail, Shaffer’s diary from the 1948 hike, and maps he used. The exhibition also covers the conception and development of the Appalachian Trail and its larger cultural and environmental impact."
There's an online 8-page browsable exhibit at the link with a few pictures and an interactive map with some of Earl's pictures, plus a link to the Museum's flickr group to which hikers can add photos.
The physical exhibit at the Museum runs from today through October 10, 2009.
Link: http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1303
Snip: "Earl Shaffer was the first person to walk the entire Appalachian Trail in one continuous hike. Shaffer had no expert advice, no previous footsteps to follow, or even guidebooks to help him. At the time, experts on the Appalachian Trail believed that a hike of the entire Trail was impossible. Shaffer started his walk in April 1948 at Mount Oglethorpe, Georgia, and completed the Trail four months later at Maine’s Mount Katahdin. Shaffer kept a diary, along with photographs taken along the way, to prove to skeptics that he had really accomplished what he claimed. This exhibition features photographs taken along the trail, Shaffer’s diary from the 1948 hike, and maps he used. The exhibition also covers the conception and development of the Appalachian Trail and its larger cultural and environmental impact."
There's an online 8-page browsable exhibit at the link with a few pictures and an interactive map with some of Earl's pictures, plus a link to the Museum's flickr group to which hikers can add photos.
The physical exhibit at the Museum runs from today through October 10, 2009.