Appalachian Trail Legend

**StarLyte** · 10-01-2006, 10:48

A legend is something, or someone that has performed a significant or historical deed--mythical or fact.

An Appalachian Trail legend is someone that has performed a remarkable deed(s) resulting from their passion and devotedness to the Appalachian Trail in the form of unselfishness, thru hike(s), and Trail advocacy.

An Appalachian Trail legend is one that delivers a peacefulness around him, an unspoken comfortableness yet you feel his thunder.

An Appalachian Trail legend cannot be nominated.

An Appalachian Trail legend would be someone who anonymously helps others and does not
require attention to himself in any way.

There are many hikers I know like this, but truly,
I only know of only one person that makes me feel all of those things....

.........and his name is Earl Shaffer.

(I am dedicating this post to my friend, Bag-O-Tricks)

**the goat** · 10-01-2006, 10:56

well said, StarLyte, i like that.

**Mountain Man** · 10-01-2006, 11:00

Well said Starlyte,
I like that definition.

**highway** · 10-01-2006, 11:02

I would hate to see a list of AT greats without the mention of Grandma Gatewood, one of the great AT legends...and was one in her own time.

She was truly a lightweight backpacker long before the term became synonymous with gear addiction. She carried a shower curtain for shelter & rain protection, woolen surplus GI sweater for warmth and carried her meager gear stuffed inside a laundry bag thrown over her shoulder, wearing a cheap pair of Keds tennis shoes upon her feet. She did multiple AT thru-hikes. I think her last AT thru-hike was at the tender age of 68.

Whereas so many "talk the talk"...she actually "walked the walk"

**TOW** · 10-01-2006, 11:42

That is true Marsha and MS don't hold no rank but he is simply doing what they said could not be done and for that he may go down in Appalachian Trail Folklore.

**mweinstone** · 10-01-2006, 11:58

love is the heart of aa legond. not our love of them, there love of the trail. ms loves the trail to death like a good son. legond. period.

**mweinstone** · 10-01-2006, 11:59

i bet ms does multipul hikes in his lifetime

**Heater** · 10-01-2006, 12:02

Originally Posted by The Only Wanderer

That is true Marsha and MS don't hold no rank but he is simply doing what they said could not be done and for that he may go down in Appalachian Trail Folklore.

A lot of thruhikers carried 50+lb packs. It was called the '70s.

I think MS is just nostalgiac.

**Heater** · 10-01-2006, 12:04

Originally Posted by mweinstone

love is the heart of aa legond. not our love of them, there love of the trail. ms loves the trail to death like a good son. legond. period.

I guess that's why he wants to pave the trail in Pa.

**Lone Wolf** · 10-01-2006, 15:00

Originally Posted by mweinstone

love is the heart of aa legond. not our love of them, there love of the trail. ms loves the trail to death like a good son. legond. period.

I think he loves towns, hostels and slacking more than the trail. I bet he'd love to be off it by now.

**Topcat** · 10-01-2006, 16:06

Originally Posted by L. Wolf

I think he loves towns, hostels and slacking more than the trail. I bet he'd love to be off it by now.

of course, you only have to single filter the water in town...

**Tha Wookie** · 10-01-2006, 22:48

Sounds like Benton Mackaye would qualify too.

**weary** · 10-02-2006, 00:34

Originally Posted by mweinstone

i bet ms does multipul hikes in his lifetime

Perhaps. But that by itself does not make him a legend. So far he's just another overweight guy with quirky ideas who is having an extraordinarily hard time making it to Katahdin.

I wish him well on his quest. I can think of several trail legends. However, MS isn't among them. Nor, I suspect, does he want to be.

**Almost There** · 10-02-2006, 10:55

Just because you walked up and down a path in the woods doesn't make you a legend. Just because you are interesting or fun doesn't make you a legend. I think as far as the trail goes, you should have had to of done something that infinitely gives back to the trail and it's community.

BTW from things I have read I would say Grandma Gatewood is more Mythic than Legendary.

**The Old Fhart** · 10-02-2006, 11:07

Almost There-"BTW from things I have read I would say Grandma Gatewood is more Mythic than Legendary."

I somewhat agree except for the word "mythic"

, which does roll off your tonque in a "lispic" sort of way.

Maybe the myths about her make her a legends, legends don't have to be based on fact-just look at sometimes farcical urban legends.

**weary** · 10-02-2006, 11:23

Originally Posted by Almost There

Just because you walked up and down a path in the woods doesn't make you a legend. Just because you are interesting or fun doesn't make you a legend. I think as far as the trail goes, you should have had to of done something that infinitely gives back to the trail and it's community. BTW from things I have read I would say Grandma Gatewood is more Mythic than Legendary.

Earl Shaffer thought Grandma Gatewood was a bum because of her practice of knocking on the doors of houses near the trail and demanding food.

Weary

**Lone Wolf** · 10-02-2006, 11:25

Neither one of them is a legend.

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