Two Women, Two Trails, One Shared Spirit: A Reflection on Grandma Gatewood's Walk and Wild

I’m an avid hiker and have always dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail. After going through a divorce following a 20-year emotionally abusive marriage, my sister recommended I read Grandma Gatewood’s Walk. I found the audiobook and was hooked immediately—I loved every minute of it. Emma Gatewood is absolutely amazing, and one day I hope to be just like her. Hearing all she endured gave me hope for my own life. Every avid—and even aspiring—hiker should read or listen to her incredible story. Hiking the Appalachian Trail remains on my bucket list, and I’m more determined than ever to follow in her footsteps. A year later, I was introduced to Wild by Cheryl Strayed and absolutely fell in love with that story as well.

Emma “Grandma” Gatewood was the first woman to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. She did so in Keds, without a tent, carrying only a denim shoulder sack she sewed herself—all at the age of 67. The trail stretches 2,168 miles from Georgia to Maine. In Grandma Gatewood’s Walk, Ben Montgomery beautifully recounts her early life, the hardships she faced, and her brutal trek along the trail in 1955. Gatewood endured 30 years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from her husband while raising 11 children, running a household, and working the fields. In a time when divorce wasn’t considered an option, she found solace in long walks, sometimes with her children in tow. After reading about the trail in a 1949 issue of National Geographic, she attempted her first hike in 1954 but got lost in Maine. She tried again in 1955 and succeeded, completing the trail in 146 days. She went on to hike the trail two more times and even walked 2,000 miles of the Oregon Trail in 1959. Her hikes brought media attention to the poor condition of the Appalachian Trail, and her influence helped inspire the passage of the National Trails System Act of 1968, ensuring trails remain accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

In contrast, Wild by Cheryl Strayed is a memoir chronicling her 1,100-mile solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail as a journey of personal healing. At 26, Strayed was grieving the sudden death of her mother, coping with a fractured family, and struggling with addiction and the collapse of her marriage. Feeling broken and lost, she decided to hike the PCT—despite having no prior hiking experience. She began in the Mojave Desert and hiked through California and Oregon, ending at the Bridge of the Gods in Washington. Along the way, she faced harsh weather, exhaustion, wildlife, strangers, and emotional reckonings. Strayed’s story is raw, honest, and deeply emotional, resonating with readers everywhere. She was more prepared than Gatewood, carrying modern gear and relying on resupply boxes she mailed ahead.

Both women undertook long-distance hikes alone, which was rare and groundbreaking in their respective eras. Their stories brought national attention to the trails they hiked—Gatewood to the Appalachian Trail and Strayed to the Pacific Crest Trail. Each hike was a form of healing and empowerment: Gatewood left behind an abusive marriage, while Strayed confronted grief and addiction. Their journeys inspired bestselling books, and in Strayed’s case, a film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon.

Publication & Adaptation Details

• Wild by Cheryl Strayed: Published March 2012
• Wild (film): Released December 2014
• Grandma Gatewood’s Walk by Ben Montgomery: Published April 2014

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