Interview With Author
Jennifer Pharr Davis
1. Jennifer,
what is your new book about? The book tells the story of hiking the 2,181 mile Appalachian
Trail in 46 Days - an average of 47 miles per day. That said, readers will be
surprised at how relational and relatable the story comes across. At its core,
this is a book about overcoming obstacles and going through hard times with the
ones that you love. And hopefully it will make people want to get outdoors and
hike! Maybe not 47 miles a day, but perhaps 4.7 miles in a day?
2. That
is amazing? What inspired you to hike the Appalachian Trail? I love the Appalachian Trail! I fell in love
with this long-distance footpath when I hiked the trail as a solo 21-year old
backpacker. It absolutely changed my life - and for the better. I want to have
a lifelong relationship with the trail and trying to set the overall record was
a way for me to experience the trail in a new and unique way. I love being in
nature and pushing my boundaries physically, mentally and emotionally. The
record attempt certainly allowed for that. Now, I am a mom and working on experiencing
the trail piece by piece as a section hiker, which I love!
3. In
what is believed to be a record, you did 2180 miles in just 46 days. How did
you maintain a daily pace of 47 miles by foot? Well, I tried really hard not to think about
being out there for 46 days or having to hike 47 miles a day! Instead I just
focused on putting one foot in front of the other. I constantly told myself,
"You can hike one more mile. Just go one more mile." And that is
really all the record was: it was hiking 2,181 miles, one mile at a time.
4. What
were the conditions like and how did you deal with taking a month and a half
off from your day to day life? The conditions were HOT. I started in mid-June, so I had to
contend with the summer heat throughout the trip. The Pennsylvania rocks are
not a fun place to be in 100 degree heat. I experienced an average amount of
rain that summer, mostly in the form of afternoon thundershowers. Perhaps the
toughest conditions came when hiking through the Presidentials. I hiked through
a day and a half of rain capped off by a sleet storm on Franconia Ridge. I
have spent every summer since I was twenty-one on a long distance trail. And
before that I was a camper and counselor at a summer camp. My body, my
mind, my entire being yearns to be outdoors for a significant amount of time
each year. In fact, I start to go stir crazy starting in April. Beyond becoming
a better backpacker, I have also gotten pretty efficient at taking care of
business and bills, renting out our house, and packing up our belongings!
5. What
insights or life lessons did you learn from this experience? The journey enhanced my faith, strengthened my
relationship with my husband and allowed me to fall even more in love with the
trail. People think that I must not have appreciated or taken in my
surroundings because of my daily mileage. But that is not true. In a way, I
relied more heavy on my natural surroundings. I depended on the wilderness for
inspiration and strength. I may have taken in waterfalls and sunsets in motion,
but I drank in every view like it was Gatorade for my soul.
6. What
does your company, Blue Ridge Hiking Co, do? We get people outdoors! We encourage people to hit the trails
through writing, speaking, and guiding. I now have five books, including three
North Carolina Guidebooks. Our company offers guided day and overnight trips
near Asheville, NC. And I hit the road often to give talks and workshops. It is
a great feeling to give a presentation at a school or business and have people
rush up to me afterwards and say that now that want to go hiking too!
7. Which
was more challenging-- the physical toll of the hike or the mental payload of
writing a book? They both require
many of the same attributes: persistence, patience, and self-confidence. Putting
yourself out there, on the trail or in a memoir, are both very vulnerable
positions. You are opening yourself up to failure and criticism. But in both
pursuits I know that I am following my heart and doing what I love. So I
consider myself to be pretty fortunate. I guess to answer your question, both
objectives are challenging, but writing a book is probably better for my
health.
8. When
people tell you to "go take a hike", are those the best words you can
hear? Ha! Yes. I definitely
wouldn't be offended. But that said, I am pretty sassy and my goal is to get
other people outdoors, so I would probably respond, "No! YOU need to go
take a hike!"
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Brian
Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and
not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow
him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when
discussed in the third-person. This blog is copyrighted material by
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