Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail - Ben Montgomery (paperback)

Pulitzer Prize finalist Ben Montgomery chronicles the brilliant 2,050-mile journey of Emma Gatewood, a 67 year old great-mother who, in 1955, hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, the first woman to do so alone. Gatewood undertook her journey at a time when the trail, then the longest footpath in the world, was falling into a state of disuse and disrepair. When she successfully completed it, the resulting press coverage repopularized the A.T. and led to its preservation and repair. Montgomery scoured Gatewood’s journals and letters, interviewed numerous family, friends, and acquaintances of hers, and sourced newspaper and magazine articles. The resulting masterpiece won a National Outdoor Book award. This inspiring tale will have you itching to go on your own wilderness adventure. 277 pages.