Thru-hikers and section hikers always have a story about what brought them to the trail. The Appalachian Trail in particular is swarming with folklore, so nearly everyone remembers the first story they heard about the 2,000+ mile footpath that weaves uninterrupted from Georgia to Maine. Sometimes the magic is captivated in a single moment; for others several instances over time bound them closer and closer to the trail.

You may find magic in the words and stories of others. Reading A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson you may be intrigued. You might think perhaps one day I’d hike it. But then Jennifer Pharr Davis gives you a story you could really attach too—one that you could see yourself in—and then you’ll know. You have to make the trek. For many of life’s greatest endeavors, that’s all it takes: someone’s story to inspire us, blaze a path, and serve as a beacon to guide us.

Because stories are so powerful, listed here are some of the powerful stories that set the stage for those considering an Appalachian Trail thru hike. It’s not all-inclusive, but it contains the books that may have the most powerful effects on you and your dreams.

See the list…

After three months and nearly 1,200 miles of hiking Jennifer Pharr Davis of Asheville has completed her modern day version of Johnny Appleseed, by planting seeds of support across the state for North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST).

Pharr Davis is a nationally known adventurer and long distance hiker who lives in Asheville. She timed her hike to coincide with the 40th anniversary of a speech that became the catalyst for creation of the MST, which goes from Clingmans Dome in western North Carolina to Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks.

“I’ve hiked 13,000 miles on six continents, but the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is the most diverse path I have ever experienced. Along the way, I have observed the changing topography, flora, and fauna, but most of all I have been struck by the distinct communities off trail and the variety of user groups on the trail,” said Pharr Davis, who is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and once held the record for fastest hike of the Appalachian Trail.

At various stops, she invited hundreds to hike with her to help spread the word about the importance of the MST and environmental conservation. Hikers joining her included Howard Lee, now in his eighties, who in 1977 first proposed the idea of trail from the mountains to the coast that would go through communities as well as unique natural areas. He was then NC Secretary of Natural Resources and Community Development.

Others joining Pharr Davis along the trail included Kristin Cooper, North Carolina’s First Lady; students at NC A&T; Girl Scouts; Middle Schoolers in the Neighborhood Ecology Corps of Raleigh; people in a YMCA Diabetes Prevention Group in Pender County; members of the Green Team at White Oak High School in Onslow County; and Special Olympians of Dare County.

At times Pharr Davis was joined on the trail by her husband Brew and two young children Charley and Gus. She just made it to Jockey’s Ridge in time for a promised birthday party for Charley.

Almost 700 miles of the trail have been built and people like Jennifer can hike across the state using connecting backroads. Hundreds of volunteers of the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail help to build and maintain the trail. The trail runs through 37 counties. Each year thousands of people use stretches of the trail for day hikes or overnight excursions. More than 80 people have hiked the entire route.

For additional information about MST: mountainstoseatrail.org.

Jennifer Pharr Davis and her whole crew – husband Brew, daughter Charley, and son Gus – are starting the first steps down Clingmans Dome to begin an epic three-month journey across NC on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail today. The whole family will hike 4 miles, likely with a few M&Ms dispensed to nudge the children along (well, and maybe the grown-ups, too).

Tomorrow, Jen will begin the work of logging the serious daily miles that will bring her to Jockey’s Ridge State Park, some 1,175-miles distant, sometime in mid-November.

Jen is no stranger to long hikes. She thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail right out of college in 2005. She returned in 2008, and with the support of new husband Brew, she set the women’s record for fastest hike (57 days, 8 hours), and was back in 2011 to set what at the time was the new overall record (46 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes).

On the MST, however, Jen plans to take time to savor the view of leaves coloring the landscape as she moves West to East.

She’ll be keeping us posted on the journey, and Brew will be adding in with notes on cultural and family-friendly venues along the trail. She’ll also be taking time out to meet and talk with you at several special events – in Asheville, Winston-Salem, Raleigh and Wilmington. To register for the events, go to the Jennifer Pharr Davis Hikes the MST page.

Follow the adventures of Jennifer Pharr Davis on her three-month, 1,175-mile hike of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Although Jennifer is most famous for setting hiking speed records, her goal this time is different. She is undertaking this journey on the MST’s 40th anniversary to “encourage a love of the outdoors and help people experience this amazing trail that’s right outside our back doors.”

Jennifer’s hike will be a family affair. Her husband Brew will handle logistics, and he and their two children – 4-year-old Charley and 10-month-old Gus – will join her frequently on the trail.

Jennifer is a vibrant writer and a warm and inspiring speaker. She’ll be blogging and posting regularly about her adventures on the MST, and she will also be speaking and answering questions at four special events across North Carolina.

You can follow Jennifer’s trek in two ways:

First – sign up to receive a weekly e-mail with links to her blog, photos and Facebook posts.

Second – come hear Jennifer at one of her four public events. Use the links below to register. All events are from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Admission is free with a donation to help Friends of the MST build, protect and promote the trail.

Tuesday, August 29th in Asheville at Highland Brewing (sponsored by Mast General Store)
Thursday, September 21 in Winston-Salem at SECCA (sponsored by Great Outdoor Provision Co.)
Tuesday, October 10 in Raleigh at the NC Museum of Natural Science (sponsored by REI)
Thursday, October 26 in Wilmington at Brooklyn Arts Center (sponsored by Duke Energy Foundation)

Then, quietly and relatively unnoticed, a woman named Heather Anderson hiked the trail by herself, averaging more than 40 miles a day. In doing so, she set the trail’s self-supported speed record.

There are two types of Appalachian Trail speed records: supported and self-supported. A supported record allows an athlete to travel with companions and resupply at road crossings using a crew. The self-supported endeavor demands that the individual walk unassisted, without emotional support on the trail or physical support at blacktop intersections and towns.

Records on long-distance trails are akin to cougar sightings on the East Coast: rare, controversial and hard to verify. Although these endurance records, recently titled Fastest Known Times, or F.K.T.s, have been recorded on paths like the Appalachian Trail since the 1970s, there is no governing body to officiate or authenticate them. They are based on an honor system in which one’s word is generally accepted even if the feat itself is criticized. There seem to be just as many people who will belittle and berate an F.K.T. for being too fast as who will be in awe of such a raw display of endurance.

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If you’re looking for a place to start, Jennifer Pharr Davis has some practical tips. She’s an avid hiker and has completed the Appalachian Trail three times. On her last trek in 2011, she clocked what was then the fastest thru-hike on the AT, finishing in 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes.

But she says that’s old news. She’s most proud of her continuing efforts to keep her 2 1/2-year-old daughter engaged with the natural world. “For the first two years of her life, we hiked in all 50 states,” said Davis. “We combined it with a book tour. For us, it was a statement that adventure doesn’t have to stop because you became a parent.”

Jen has some great tips for getting your kids interested, and keeping them interested…

Record-setting speed hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis, of Asheville, has been elected to the board of directors of The Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The board is responsible for communicating the mission of the ATC, and enhancing the public standing of the ATC by ensuring legal and ethical integrity and practicing fiscal responsibility.

Davis is an avid hiker and Appalachian Trail enthusiast, having thru-hiked the entirety of the 2,190-mile Trail three times. On one of those hikes, in 2011, she set the fastest known time on the AT – 46 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes – earning her a spot on National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year in 2012. Davis is the author of two guidebooks and two memoirs and runs the Blue Ridge Hiking Co.

“Spending time on the Appalachian Trail will certainly have a positive impact on your life, but as hikers we also need to constantly ask ourselves how our lives can positively impact the trail,” Davis said.

“The board of directors’ passion, expertise and guidance is critical to the mission of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the well-being of the Appalachian Trail,” said Ron Tipton, executive director/CEO of the ATC.

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Scott Jurek, renowned champion long distance runner, today broke the Appalachian Trail (AT) speed record previously set by Jennifer Pharr Davis of Asheville, NC in 2011 by just three hours. The difference, over the 2,189-mile AT, was akin to a photo finish.

Jurek climbed Mt. Katahdin in Maine on Sunday, July 12, 2015, the 47th day after he started at Springer Mountain, Georgia. To accomplish the feat, Jurek had to average more than 46 miles per day for six and a half weeks. Jurek’s, and Davis’, accomplishments will always be considered among the greatest feats in all of endurance sport.

This is not the only record on the trail however. And purists will have their quibbles. The gold standard for many hardcore hikers is Matt Kirk, who set the unsupported record (meaning he arranged all resupply logistics beforehand in true thru-hiker style) at 58 days, nine hours and 40 minutes from Maine to Georgia in 2013.

And it’s an odd thing to set out for a record on this trail, where community is such an important part of thru-hikers’ identities—much like spiritual practitioners, they find their unique trail name while on route and often share miles on the pilgrimage with strangers—and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy refuses to recognize any records on the trail.

But it is a sense of a higher purpose, something beyond simply hiking and record-setting that has rallied so many around Jurek as he approached his goal.

Read more about Jurek and his effort…

More information will be posted here as it becomes available.

Update: Jurek breaks Asheville runner’s 4-year AT speed record

Update: Jennifer Pharr Davis reaction:

“The effects of such an endeavor cannot be ranked or expressed in numbers. My greatest reward that summer was not the record. The lasting results I cherish the most are a deeper love for my husband, an increased appreciation for my support network, and a better understanding of the sacrifice it takes to accomplish something very difficult. And, like every hike, I finished the journey with a deeper sense of awe for the spirit and significance of the wilderness, and a stronger desire to give back to the trail community.”

“I want a lifelong relationship with the trail. I want to get as many people out on the trail as possible – especially women and children. And I want to be able to give back through service, financial donations, and trail maintenance projects. I am starting to realize that a true legacy is not so much about performing when the whole world is watching, as it is a dedication to your cause when no one is watching.”

My words to Scott are, “Congratulations. Cherish the experience and hold the record lightly.”

by Jennifer Pharr Davis

Recently, I have been getting a lot of e-mails and questions about how to make a living or start a business in the Outdoor Industry. So I thought I’d write a post about my experience and nine lessons I’ve learned as the founder and owner of Blue Ridge Hiking Company.

There are risks and hardships that are involved in backcountry camping and starting your own company.

I started my company as a naïve 24 year-old who wasn’t thinking entrepreneurially, but rather as an idealist who wanted to help other people get outdoors. It sounded fun. What could be better than encouraging folks to get out on the trail, right?

Much like my attitude towards hiking the Appalachian Trail at age 21. I am glad that I started my company before “I knew any better.” If I had been aware of all the 24-7 complexities of self-employment, plus the liability, plus the pressure and lack of security – not to mention horrible health insurance options, then I would probably be working for someone else right now. Which might be more secure, but probably not as fulfilling.

If you don’t know how to backpack or run a business, then you’d better be able to adapt pretty quickly.

I learned pretty quickly that it doesn’t matter what industry you work in, there will still be administrative, accounting, marketing, and management needs. And when you start your own business as a sole-proprietor you will be fulfilling all of those demands. You have to be able to stay on your toes and adapt to your environment or else you will most likely get off the trail and do something different. It’s a fact that most small businesses fail in the first three years and most thru-hikers quit on the first half of the trail.

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After finishing the fastest thru-hike ever of the Appalachian Trail in 2011 Jennifer Pharr Davis was ready to slow down.

Having completed the then-2,180-mile trail from Maine to Georgia in 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes, Davis looked forward to settling down at home in Asheville with her husband, Brew, and starting a family. Their daughter, Charley, was born about 15 months later.

“After the AT record, I wanted to evolve into more sustainable hiking, day hikes and shorter overnights we could do with Charley,” she said. Davis also had a business, Blue Ridge Hiking Company, to run and a book about her AT accomplishment to promote, titled “Called Again.”

So Davis’ next adventure — hiking all 50 states with Brew and Charley — grew out of a desire to balance family, business and time spent outdoors on the trail.

“We had planned, every summer, to do a book tour,” Davis said. “We’d set it up ourselves. The original plan was eight weeks of events and we were just going to hike up in New England. And one day, we just had the idea: look, we’re running ragged working at home. Why don’t we work together and have an adventure?”

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