Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail

by Ben Montgomery

fact, the trail through Maine almost ended before it was started. By 1933, construction and linkage of the trail was under way in most areas, but not northern New England. Some thought the trail should end at New Hampshire’s Mount Washington because blazing the A.T. through Maine’s rugged wilderness would make it difficult to access and maintain. After a two-year study, a proposed route for the trail appeared in a 1933 issue of In the Maine Woods, and Myron Avery began convincing volunteers and the Civilian Conservation Corps to help. They measured the trail, built campsites, and drew maps. However, much of their work was done hastily in an effort to extend the trail through to Katahdin. In August 1937, the final section was completed on the north slope of Spaulding Mountain, but the problem of maintenance would persist. Through the 1940s, hurricane blowdowns and new logging operations caused the trail to fall into disrepair. Many of the trail volunteers were sent off to war, so it stayed in bad shape until the 1950s, when efforts to restore the path began anew.