Grandma Gatewood

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Grandma Emma Gatewood (1888–1973) was the first woman to hike the 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine solo.

She did it in 1955 at the age of 67, wearing Keds sneakers and carrying an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain which she carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder. She hiked it again in 1960 and then again at age 75 in 1963, making her the first person to hike the trail three times (though her final hike was completed in sections).

She was an Ohio farmer's wife who had eleven children and 23 grandchildren. Local newspapers picked up on her story, leading to a profile in Sports Illustrated and an appearance on the Today Show.

She first hiked the trail after reading about it in a magazine. "I thought it would be a nice lark," she said, adding "It wasn't." Another time she complained "For some fool reason, they always lead you right up over the biggest rock to the top of the biggest mountain they can find."

She also walked 2000 miles of the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri, to Portland, Oregon, averaging 22 miles a day.

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