On this episode of Our American Stories, long before ultralight backpacks and trail apps, 67-year-old Emma Gatewood became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone. With nothing but a pair of Keds, a homemade denim sack, and an iron will, she walked over 2,000 miles through some of the roughest terrain in America. But what pushed her onto the trail wasn’t just adventure — it was the aftermath of years in an abusive marriage and a quiet belief that she deserved more.

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