Toronto, Ontario
About Grandma Gatewood
I trekked some of the streets today in Toronto (what else is new?) but I felt my mind to be miles away on a lonely but what's become a popular trail. After an article about a trail-blazing walker was forwarded to me I felt to be backtracking and backtracking with this person.
The person referred to is Emma Rowena Gatewood. An excellent book was recently published delineating her story and how she saved the well-known trail in America's east coast - the Appalachian Trail.
In 1955 Emma, known to many as Grandma Gatewood, became the first woman to hike the entire 2,168 mile (3,489 km) trail. She did so in sneakers and carried an army blanket, a raincoat, shower curtain, and a change of clothes. She took to harvesting wild plants and also carried cheese, nuts, and dried fruit along with dried (well you know we Hare Krishnas don't eat meat).
Now I was only 3 when this remarkable person accomplished this amazing feat, with her feet. She is regarded as a pioneer for ultra-light hiking. Awesome also is that she hiked the Appalachian Trail once again in 1960 and again at age 75 three years later.
This give me hope that age (I'm almost 62) is not a restriction for achieving long distance pilgrimage. Her journey reminds me of the incredible hikes of yogis in the Himalayas who carried nothing, sometimes not even clothes on their back. It is also reminiscent of what I've read about the Pandava princes of the Mahabharat when they made their final foot trek through the mountains.
Totally inspiring!
May the Source be with you!
4 KM
No comments:
Post a Comment