This woman is an AT legend.
When Gatewood set out, she brought with her just a homemade denim bag with a blanket, a shower curtain, a cup, a canteen and bottle for water, a small pot, a spoon, a Swiss Army knife, a first-aid kit, pins, a flashlight, a piece of rope, a raincoat, a warm coat, a change of clothes, and her trusty Keds sneakers. She wore out seven pairs of Keds during the entirety of her trip. Remarkably, Gatewood did not bring a sleeping bag, a tent, a compass, or a map. Instead, she relied on the hospitality and kindness of strangers who lived along the trail for food and shelter. This was rather easy to do, because Gatewood became something of a local celebrity in the neighboring towns.
Media coverage of her trip was extensive with local reporters stopping to interview her. Her own children found out about her trip because a newspaper clipping had made its way to her hometown in Ohio. Despite this hospitality, the trip was not entirely comfortable. Gatewood often slept on front porch swings, under picnic benches, or on a bed of leaves. She ate canned Vienna sausages, raisins, nuts, chicken bouillon cubes, or greens she found on the trail. Gatewood was particularly resourceful and had learned which plants were edible before her trip.Her own children found out about her trip because a newspaper clipping had made its way to her hometown in Ohio.
This is my favourite part of the whole thing. What a boss.
Total baller
She was quoted as saying that, based on the National Geographic article’s rosy descriptions, she thought “it would be a nice lark. It wasn’t.” She continued, “This is no trail. This is a nightmare. For some fool reason, they always lead you right up over the biggest rock to the top of the biggest mountain they can find.”
Accurate
Beyond badass woman!
