Jennifer Pharr Davis speaks to a large crowd of young and old Hatters Thursday during an event to spread awareness and information about hiking and spending time outdoors.--NEWS PHOTO MO CRANKER
mcranker@medicinehatnews.com@MHNmocranker
Medicine Hatters had two chances Thursday to head to the public library to learn more about hiking and spending extended time in the great outdoors.
Author Jennifer Pharr Davis held afternoon and evening talking events at the library’s theatre and invited people of all ages to learn about her areas of expertise.
“We’ve been on a book tour for about eight weeks and we’ve been making our way around the United States and Canada,” she said. “The book is called ‘The Pursuit of Endurance’ and chronicles different athletes and trail records on these long distance trails of North America and more than anything else it really looks at the psychology of endurance and how that applies to everyday life.
“In the afternoon talk we’re going to look at a lot of the equipment you would use in the woods for five to six months.”
Pharr Davis says she has been hiking for about 15 years – in that time she has hiked more than 14,000 miles in six continents. She has hiked in all 50 states with her six-year-old daughter Charley.
“It’s important to expose everyone, especially the kids, to what it’s like to spend time outdoors and time in nature,” she said. “I hope people get inspired to get out and spend a bit more time outdoors – whatever that may mean for them.
“I also hope people at these events take home the messages about perseverance and making your way through challenges – the idea is that we are all more capable than we think we are.”
Pharr Davis is from North Carolina and still lives there today. She says her favourite hike is the Appalachian Trail – one that spans 3,500 kilometres between Georgia and Maine.
“I’ve hiked that three times and we also set the record for the fastest man and woman to hike it back in 2011,” she said. “That was 46 days, which was an average for 47 miles per day, and then I had my babies which changes adventures a bit.”
Pharr Davis’ book can be found at the public library.
