Emma gatewood biography

American hiker (1887–1973)

Emma Rowena Gatewood (néeCaldwell; October 25, 1887 – June 4, 1973),^[1] better known as Grandma Gatewood, was an American ultra-light hiking pioneer.

After a difficult life as a farm wife, mother of eleven children, and survivor of domestic violence, she became famous as the first solo female thru-hiker of the 2,168-mile (3,489 km) Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in 1955 at the age of 67.^[2][3][4] She subsequently became the first person (male or female) to hike the A.T.

three times, after completing a second thru-hike two years later, followed by a section-hike in 1964.^[3][4] In the meantime, she hiked 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of the Oregon Trail in 1959.^[2][5] In her later years, she continued to travel and hike, and worked on a section of what would become the Buckeye Trail.

The media coverage surrounding her feats was cre