"7 Things You Didn't Know About the Appalachian Trail"

[summitsandskies]

Although many of you probably already know all of these little facts! I thought it was an interesting read. The only one I knew was #1. :p

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/08/14/7-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-appalachian-trail/

[Wise Old Owl]

I really wish you had not post this... discuss the victim, dont mention the moron that did it.

[Dogwood]

BEST thing I found in that entire link is this:

Emma Rowena Gatewood (a.k.a. Grandma Gatewood) was well past her prime when she became the first solo woman to complete the Appalachian Trail in 1955 at the age of 67. The mother of 11 and grandmother of 23 began her journey at Mount Oglethorpe in Georgia, wearing Keds sneakers(not ideal for hiking, we’d say) and carrying a small knapsack with only an Army blanket, raincoat and plastic shower curtain inside. “I thought it would be a nice lark,” she told reporters of her inspiration to take on the trail. “It wasn’t.” But despite the difficulty, the trail didn’t demoralize her too much, as Grandma Gatewood returned to hike the AT again in 1960 and 1963(ate the young age of 75), thus becoming the first person top complete the trail three times and the oldest female thru-hiker until the record was broken in 2007.


NOW, that's inspirational!

Notice she said NOTHING about her age, being a female, bears, guns, UL, how much money will I need to hike the AT?, what's the BEST tent?, or ANYTHING negative. She said it was difficult but SHE STILL DID IT --- THREE TIMES!!!

[summitsandskies]

Dogwood: I agree! That was also my favorite "thing" in the article. What a true Salt of the Earth woman. Proves that determination and grit will get you further than any fancy gear ever will. (I am curious what she did for her food, though.)


Wise Old Owl: I agree, it is unfortunate that they chose to put the "serial killer" story as #1. They should be focusing on the positive aspects of the AT rather than the bad attention. (I posted it for the other stories in there, such as #5.) That's the sensationalist media for you, though.

[chris too]

Dogwood: I have a good friend who said he had the great pleasure and honor of talking to her at a sportsman's convention in Cleveland some years back-- he says that the feisty little woman told him that she ate canned beans -- Yikes.

[Wise Old Owl]

Wise Old Owl: I agree, it is unfortunate that they chose to put the "serial killer" story as #1. They should be focusing on the positive aspects of the AT rather than the bad attention. (I posted it for the other stories in there, such as #5.) That's the sensationalist media for you, though.


Thanks that was a better way to put it....

[gunner76]

she ate canned beans probably opened the can with her teeth . I bet she would walked me into the ground. Wish I could have met her. I sure she had lots of interesting tails or her adventures on the trails.

[Wise Old Owl]

she had teeth? There isn't a photo to confirm that.

[magic_game03]

I'm partial to "Easy One" after meeting him in '04 on the side of the trail in his homemade tent. We talked for a bit but mostly I remember being fascinated that this old man was hiking the trail. I always wondered how he crossed the Mahoosuk Notch.

[The Cleaner]

Dogwood: I have a good friend who said he had the great pleasure and honor of talking to her at a sportsman's convention in Cleveland some years back-- he says that the feisty little woman told him that she ate canned beans -- Yikes. I still find canned beans left at a shelter every once in a while :eek:.....

[chris too]

Her way sounds rough... I wonder how long it took her cause that's a whole heap of beans -- I guess that was one way to keep the boys away;)

[HikerMom58]

Her way sounds rough... I wonder how long it took her cause that's a whole heap of beans -- I guess that was one way to keep the boys away;)

That's funny, chris too. Welcome to White Blaze!! :)

[chris too]

Thank you, HikerMom! I very much like it here:)

[BigHodag]

"Easy One" may be the oldest to complete and file for 2,000 mile recognition.

I met Buzzy (age 87) who was SOBO in MD enroute to Harpers Ferry. He and his 65+ companions were finishing up his hike.

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/2/6/4/0/9/at-2010-md-buzzy87-friends62_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=42369)

[SCRUB HIKER]

I can't decide which is worse, this list which starts with the murderer, or the CNN list (http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/07/06/12.things.appalachian.trail/index.html) which starts with "It's possible to hike the AT without a tent" and says that thru-hikers "often leave the tent at home" and use shelters the whole way for 2000 miles.

[summitsandskies]

I can't decide which is worse, this list which starts with the murderer, or the CNN list (http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/07/06/12.things.appalachian.trail/index.html) which starts with "It's possible to hike the AT without a tent" and says that thru-hikers "often leave the tent at home" and use shelters the whole way for 2000 miles.

Haha! At least the CNN list was actually written by a section hiker. I can't quite tell which parts of that one are meant to be comedic or not... This made me laugh: "Not wearing your glasses increases the number of animal sightings. But keep in mind that while without your glasses a tree stump can look like a bear, a bear also can look like a tree stump."