Earl Schaffer

“I found this on another board (trailforums.com) this morning, and I thought this would be an appropriate place to put this:

"Hey everyone,
This morning, I received from Rusty ( Marty Fors ) an email about Earl Shaffer, the man who first thru-hiked the AT in 1948 and recoutned this exploit by doing it again in 1998.

He is in a hospice in PA and could use you wishes and cards. The prospect is terminal.

Cards & letters can be sent to Veterans Medical Center 1700 S. Lincoln Street Building # 1 5th floor Hospice Lebanon, PA 17042. You may also read more about him at

He has blessed so many of us. I had the pleasure of hearing him in '99 at the Gathering in Hanover, NH, and then met and talked with him in '00 at the end of the trail feast in Milliknocket, Maine.

So much of what we enjoy about the trail today was blazed by this man of courage who believed he could do what they said he couldn't do. He is a true pioneer who saved the AT. We owe him so much.

Mr. Boo"”

“Thanks for the update. We do owe the man a large debt of gratitude.


"People ask me what it is to make me go off and do something like this. It's the beauty..."

Earl Shaffer

(from an interview he gave during the anniversary hike, 1998)”

“I will hand out the address on the trail as we speek. Thanks for letting us know.”

“Thanks MOM.”

“I just read on backpacking.net that Earl Schaffer passed today at 2:45 PM”

“to bad I heard alot about him in the past!”

“So sorry to hear that. From all accounts he was definitely a character.”