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

Emma Gatewood, a 67-year-old grandmother, became the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Then she became the first person to thru-hike the AT multiple (three) times by herself. Ben Montgomery's book seeks to answer why Gatewood did it. Despite the author having access to her diaries and conversations with her surviving relatives, I don't believe the question is satisfactorily answered.
Montgomery quotes Gatewood as saying, "I just felt like taking a walk." That's believable enough as a motive for the first thru-hike. In my opinion after the first time, Gatewood enjoyed the attention and fame the feat brought her. She also went on to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from end-to-end. But after all that - including collecting free gifts, meals, and keys to cities - Gatewood became grumpy and short tempered with reporters and the general public who would want to take her picture or just touch her. One reporter suffered a blow from Gatewood's umbrella. It is key to remember that Gatewood was aging well past 67, her age when she began her first successful hike. As she aged her health also declined.
About two-thirds of the way through the book, the author slipped into first person and began an account of how how he and his wife attempted to replicate Gatewood's first thru-hike. This seemed like an intrusion on the story I was interested in, about Gatewood.

I was fascinated by this story although I'm not a hiker and had never heard about Grandma Gatewood before. Thought the author did a good job of telling her life story as well as current events during the time period.