Writer and Poet
Earl Shaffer's Writing
During his groundbreaking first thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 1948, Earl Shaffer documented his adventures in vivid detail. Along with his photographs, Earl's trail diary was used to confirm that he was the first-ever person to complete the more than 2,000-mile long trail in one continuous journey.
Filled with stories of interactions with locals and other hikers, stories of adventure, poetry, and peaceful reflections on the stillness he found in nature, this compilation was later published as his best-known book, called Walking with Spring.
Renowned as a seminal work of writing in Appalachian Trail hiking lore, Walking with Spring is available for purchase through the Appalachian Trail Museum here.
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The original "Little Black Book" is part of the Smithsonian Institute's permanent collection at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. along with many of Earl's belongings. Earl's 1948 trail journal has been both scanned and transcribed by volunteers, and is available to read in its entirety as an online exhibit here.
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Earl Shaffer's Poetry
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Along his hike, Earl also wrote many poems inspired by not only the people and nature he found along the way, but by memories of his service during World War II. These poems have been compiled by topic, and published as both hardcover and softcover books for all to enjoy.
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Through his poetry, Earl expressed his deep appreciation for nature, his understanding of the tragedy of war, and the complexity of the human experience.
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Earl's poems have been published in the form of many books available for purchase, including his latest in 2019 Not Too Distant Trails, A Grip on the Mane of Life in 2014, his WWII collections Before I Walked With Spring in 2008 and South of the Sunset, Ode to the Appalachian Trail, and Calling Me Back to the Hills.
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