One Step At A Time

Amy Wartham //

I recently discovered the most amazing and inspiring woman and felt compelled to share her story with others.

Emma Rowena Gatewood, known as “Grandma Gatewood” was the first woman to hike the entire 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail (AT) by herself in one season. She was 67 years old (67!). She was also a mother of 11, a grandmother and even a great-grandmother when she accomplished this feat in 1955.

Gatewood sewed herself a small drawstring sack. In it, she carried as few items as possible, including a shower curtain to keep the rain off, a Swiss Army knife, a flashlight, Band-Aids, iodine, a pen and a small notebook. She wore through seven pairs of canvas shoes, many of them Keds.

On her journey, she ate Vienna sausages, raisins, peanuts, and greens that she found on the trail, as well as relied on the generosity of strangers for other meals.

She completed her first hike in only 146 days, walking an average of 14 miles a day! (Did I mention she was 67 years old!) It was considered a remarkable pace, especially given her age, her limited gear and the condition of the trail. She often set out before sunrise and didn’t stop until she was about to drop. 

Her story doesn’t stop with that first hike. Gatewood returned to thru-hike (hiking straight through in less than 12 months) again in 1957, making her the first person, male or female, to successfully tackle the Appalachian Trail twice. Gatewood said the second time was so she could enjoy it. In 1964 at the age of 75, she tackled it again, (though her final hike was completed in sections) making her the first person to hike the trail three times!

A 1949 article in National Geographic about the Appalachian Trail is what sparked a flame in Gatewood. Her daughter, Lucy Gatewood Seeds, has said in interviews she believes the fact that no woman had yet hiked the trail presented a challenge to her mother. In Gatewood’s obituary, her daughter Rowena was quoted as saying her mother stated, “If those men can do it, I can do it.”

But what wasn’t known about Gatewood until 2014, was how she’d suffered at the hands of an abusive husband for the entirety of her marriage. For many, they speculate that that may have been the motivation for her to take on the challenge. She wasn’t a hiker, or a dedicated explorer of nature, but she was used to hiding out from her husband in the woods, and taking walks as way to find peace. Over the years, she’d learned to be resourceful. Working on a farm was hard work and she was accustomed to pushing through physical pain.

In 1959 she headed west, walking from Independence, Missouri to Portland, Oregon as a part of the Oregon Centennial celebration. She averaged 22 miles a day. In fact, she left two weeks after a wagon train, but passed it in Idaho! The trip covered nearly 2,000 miles and only took her 95 days.

By this time, newspapers were calling her “America’s most celebrated pedestrian.”

As I continue to find out more about Grandma Gatewood, I’m in complete awe of this woman. For someone who lived a life of struggle and hardship, she also demonstrates to the world what perseverance and grit look like.

Here’s what I learned from her life.

1.)   Don’t give up. No matter how hard things get, remember why you started and find a way to keep going – even if that means taking it one step at a time.

2.)  Do something you love. Even if it’s considered “weird” and no one else understands why you’re doing it. If it brings you joy or provides you with the “something” you need – do it and don’t worry about what others think!

3.)  Be flexible. Grandma Gatewood had to deal with a variety of unexpected challenges such as wild animals, lack of food, rain, hot weather, cold weather, and everything else in between. Having the ability to be versatile, resilient and responsive to change will take you a long way.

4.)  Ask for help when you need it. One of the most compelling aspects of Grandma Gatewood’s journey was the “trail magic” she received from strangers along the trail. At night, she would often walk to nearby homes and ask people for a meal and a place to sleep at night. She would explain that she was hiking the Appalachian Trail and people who open their homes to her, feeding her and giving her a dry and warm bed for the night.

Although I feel confident in saying that I’ll never hike the Appalachian Trail, she does inspire me to do things that are more suited to my interests and abilities. Find your own Grandma Gatewood and become inspired or better yet, become a Grandma Gatewood for someone else.

Whatever you choose to do, let your own determination and desire move you forward on life’s path.