The Appalachian Trail:
Calling Me Back to the Hills
Earl V. Shaffer
From the Amazon.com Web site: In 1948, young war veteran Earl Shaffer did what many people said couldn’t be done: He trekked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine in one stretch — walking into the history books as the trail’s first solo thru-hiker. And in 1998, on the 50th anniversary of that hike, the 79-year-old Shaffer did it again.
In the book, Shaffer recalls his anniversary trip and pays homage to the Appalachian Trail through his own prose and poetry, enhanced by Bart Smith’s stunning photographs. From its southern terminus near the sparkling Amicalola Falls in Georgia to the magnificent Mount Katahdin in Maine more than 2,000 miles to the north, join Shaffer and Smith on their amazing journeys along the Appalachian Trail.
Shaffer died in May 2002 at the age of 83.
The book is now available from the Earl Shaffer Foundation, the Appalachian Trail Conference, and online retailers like Amazon.com.
Walking With Spring
Earl V. Shaffer
In 1948, the Appalachian Trail had been a continuous, 2,000-mile footpath for 11 years, but no one had walked its length alone in a continuous journey from south to north — until Earl Shaffer, a quiet Pennsylvanian, became a hiking legend and the first of what is now more than 3,875 A.T. thru-hikers, walking from Georgia to Maine as spring arrived to each area.
In 1998, he hiked again as a 50th anniversary celebration, to far greater publicity. This is the lyrical account of his fabled 1948 walk, with his own photographs. This book is available through the ATC Ultimate Trail Store.
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