Jennifer Pharr Davis - Becoming Odyssa: Epic Adventures on the Appalachian Trail

Epic Adventures on
the Appalachian Trail

JENNIFER PHARR DAVIS

Copyright 2010 by Jennifer Pharr Davis
Illustrations Copyright 2010 by James Pharr

First Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Davis, Jennifer Pharr.
Becoming odyssa : epic adventures on the Appalachian Trail / Jennifer Pharr Davis.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-8253-0649-5 (alk. paper)
1. HikingAppalachian Trail. 2. Appalachian TrailDescription and travel. 3. Davis, Jennifer
PharrTravelAppalachian Trail. I. Title.

GV199.42.A68D38 2010
796.510974dc22

2010028097

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Published in the United States by Beaufort Books
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Distributed by Midpoint Trade Books
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Interior design by Elyse Strongin, Neuwirth & Associates, Inc.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in the United States of America

1. LOVE
Abol Campground, ME, to the top of Mount Katahdin, ME3.87 miles

2. TRUTH
The Appalachian Trail Institute, Banner Elk, NC

3. INEPTITUDE
Unicoi Gap, GA, to Springer Mountain, GA50.9 miles

4. ADVENTURE
Unicoi Gap, GA, to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC84 miles

5. ADVERSITY
Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC, to Waterville School Road, NC103.4 miles

6. HOME
Waterville School Road, NC, to Hot Springs, NC33.4 miles

7. FRIENDS
Hot Springs, NC, to Cherry Gap Shelter, TN84.5 miles

8. CONFIDENCE
Cherry Gap Shelter, TN, to Damascus, VA104.9 miles

9. OPPRESSION
Damascus, VA, to a little past Pearisburg, VA165 miles

10. DISCOMFORT
Outside Pearisburg, VA, to Troutville, VA92 miles

11. INSPIRATION
Troutville, VA, to Rockfish Gap, VA132.3 miles

12. GENEROSITY
Rockfish Gap, VA, to US 522 (Front Royal), VA107 miles

13. DIVERSITY
US 522 (Front Royal), VA, to Pen Mar Park, MD/PA95 miles

14. ABNORMALITY
Pen Mar Park, MD/PA, to Delaware Water Gap, NJ260 miles

15. MORTALITY
Delaware Water Gap, PA, to Bear Mountain State Park, NY107.9 miles

16. PERSEVERANCE
Bear Mountain State Park, NY, to Mount Greylock, MA183.9 miles

17. OPTIMISM
Mount Greylock, MA, to Hanover, NH160 miles

18. REGROUPING
Hanover, NH, to Pinkham Notch, NH123 miles

19. TRIBULATION
Pinkham Notch, NH, to Monson, ME199 miles

20. TRIUMPH
Monson, ME, to Mount Katahdin, ME118 miles

21. HOMECOMING
Summer 2005 to Summer 20083 years

Dedicated to
The Glory of God,
My Love, my Husband, Brew Davis,
My Friend, my Father, Yorke Pharr.

Jennifer Pharr Davis is a modern day adventurer. Most folks in todays society do not seek out things that will test them. Most seek out things that will entertain them. As you read Jennifers story, you can feel her pain and vicariously enjoy and relate to all that she goes through on her trip that shapes her into the special person she has become.

Even though I knew most of the events that happened during her trip, I could not put this book down. You will feel the same. I could not wait to see what challenge the Appalachian Trail presented to her next, and how she would deal with it. I believe that this is a book that everyone can relate tonot just hikers and runners, but anyone who has ever dreamed about doing something adventurous.

There has never been anyone so young who has accomplished what Jennifer has. She is one of the toughest, nicest, and friendliest people that I have ever known. She motivates me to seek new challenges. Reading this book will motivate you to seek challenges in your life.

I feel honored to call Jennifer a friend, and look forward to seeing what she will do in the future. You will feel like she is your friend after you read this book. The story you are about to read is just the start for this young lady.

David Horton, Ph.D.
Endurance Runner, Former Appalachian Trail Speed Record Holder
Professor of Kinesiology, Liberty University

The Appalachian Trail is a simple, slender thread of individual freedom flowing between Springer Mountain in northern Georgia and Katahdin in central Maine. That such a footpath even exists in our modern cyber world is a testament to the visionary who conceived it in the early twentieth century and the thousands of volunteer trail builders working tirelessly over the last eight decades, along with the dedicated trail maintainers of today.

It is our nations premier long-distance hiking trail, emulated and modeled worldwide. It is as significant to our nations health as our interstate, national park, and Social Security systems, and at very little cost to the taxpayer. It provides the peaceful and beautiful green to offset the sometimes chaotic, dehumanizing gray of our daily existence. Those who tread this path for a morning, afternoon, dusk, dawn, weeks, or several months are more likely to feel better about themselves, and each other, after they have taken their respective trail sojourns.

The pilgrimage is an important part of many cultures. We need to get away from the familiar and explore not only what is around the next bend but also discover the strength and beauty that we have within us. A walk-about helps us to realize that we were just conditioned and trained in school, and with this realization we can take our first steps toward freedom and self-actualization. We develop our critical thinking abilities, rediscover being curious, and find ourselves asking questions again. We begin to more closely define what is real and what is trivial to us. We become more awake to beauty and truth, right and wrong. We rediscover a childlike sense of wonder at the essence of the natural environment.

The trail is a teacher like no other. It has no required reading, assignments, projects, or grades. It has no expectations. It has no prejudice or discrimination. It doesnt care about your socioeconomic class, age, gender, religious affiliation, race, ethnicity, education level, occupation, family name, the clothes you wear, or the car you drive. What a fantastic place for an individual to find out who she really is!

Over the past thirty-seven years, I have traversed the entire Appalachian Trail sixteen times. I have observed hundreds of people before and after their thru-hikes. In most cases, the trail has caused positive changes for these pilgrims. They are physically, mentally, and spiritually stronger and more confident about their abilities and capacities. They are more content, flexible, tolerant, patient, and adventurous.

However, it is troubling that not all those who set out on a thru-hike complete their journey. Estimates of the potential thru-hikers who drop out range from seventy-five to eighty percent. Why? Based on the eight groups of people I have led up the entire At, with phenomenal completion rates, I offer these thirteen snippets of accumulated wisdom: