Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery ft. BISON, a real-life AT hiker

Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery ft. Bison, a real-life AT hikerBacon Phat
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Grandma Gatewood's Walk tells the story of Emma Gatewood, the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail and first human to hike it three times.

In this episode:

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Show notes:

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The episode

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15:05: Emma Gatewood is the first woman to thru-hike the AT at age 67

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15:25: The AT was 2,184.9 miles in 2015; now it's about 2,200

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17:52: Earl Shaffer was the first person to hike the AT

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18:39: Originally conceptualized by Benton MacKaye

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19:00: Shelters on trail

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21:23: Bison left from Springer Falls in Georgia on March 15, 2015 and finished on October 12

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22:50: in Emmas pack

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25:25: Bison learned backpacking in the Boy Scouts

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27:55: Bison's base weight now is 10 pounds 

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28:55: Camping with silnylon tarp

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30:25: Emma thought hiking "would be a good lark”

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31:00: Misinformation about the trail

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33:45: External frame backpacks

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37:02: Emma Gatewood's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren

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37:45: Getting kids outdoors

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40:10: "Leave no trace"

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41:05: Walking as medicine

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47:05: Average day on trail AT style 

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54:00: Didgeridoos on the AT

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56:05: Luxury items

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1:00:28: Hike or drive up Springer Mountain

 

1:10:10: Gene Espy second to hike AT

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1:13:00: Trail magic

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1:14:00: Miss Janet, Baltimore Jack, Ice Cream Man, Odie from Hiker Yearbook

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1:15:15: Emma Gatewood had terrible abusive marriage

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1:17:05: Post-trail depression

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1:18:55: Famous walkers: Old Leatherman, Edward Payson Weston, Johnny Appleseed

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1:21:25: Good representative/starting section of trail is Dicky Gap to Damascus: Clingmans Dome, Buzzard Rock, Grayson Highlands State Park

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1:24:20: Bison’s favorite sections: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine

 

1:25:52: Mahoosuc Notch

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Ben Montgomery's biography of Emma Gatewood is a must-read for any serious thru-hiker. Every AT hiker knows of Mrs. Gatewood and has her favorite story of the legendary hiker. The OG ultra-light backpacker was the first woman to thru-hike the AT and the first human to completely hike the trail three times. She carries a hand-sewn denim shoulder bag and wears Keds. She doesn't even have a sleeping bag. She sleeps on the grass and in shelters. She brings multiple pairs of glasses because she steps on her only pair on her first attempt.

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Emma is also super inspiring because she leaves her husband and is able to get a divorce with a farm and alimony in 1940. After she leaves her husband and saves her life, she becomes an advocate for trail maintenance, hiking, wilderness, and self-exploration. We love this book, and we love her!

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