Hikers hang with Jennifer Pharr Davis
The Portland long distance hiking community showed up for Jennifer Pharr Davis’s talk at Next Adventure last week
The highlight of my week (if not month) was meeting Jennifer Pharr Davis aka “Odyssa”, Fastest Known Time (FKT) record holder for a supported Appalachian Trail hike. Over the past three years, meeting up with Jen has been a cross-country game of missed connections and phone tag. I was so stoked to finally meet her, her husband, Brew, and their new daughter, Charlie, this week in Portland, and to have the opportunity to spend time with her and the Portland thru-hiking community.
Jen and I both hiked the AT in 2011, but I missed seeing her by minutes. I was taking a shower at Pinkham Notch in New Hampshire and met Brew there. Her support system was so fast that she was ready to get back on trail in the time it took me to bathe! Brew and I exchanged numbers hoping to catch up later. Much to my surprise, after I finished the AT, Brew asked me to pace Jen towards the end of her hike: “Her pacers right now are men and she really wants to hike with a woman!” Unfortunately, I was already back in Colorado by then so missed out on the chance of a lifetime! That summer, Jen, Brew, and I were hoping to meet at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City. I came to the show later in the week, but it was too late! Jen and Brew were already headed to the airport on their way out of town.
Meeting with Brew and Jen’s support crew during my AT 2011 hike.
Two weeks ago, I heard JPD was speaking in Portland, OR, where I was headed after finishing the Wonderland Trail. On the day of the event, American Long Distance Hiking Association-West President, Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa, and Board Members at large Scotland “SoFar” Forbes and Christopher “Freefall” Sanderson and I gathered beforehand at Basecamp Brewery—which has quickly become the default spot for hikers to grab a drink and hit up the food trucks before outdoor presentations in Portland. At Basecamp, we met Jeff “Siddhartha” Kish and “Roni from Israel.” As a troop, we walked the few blocks over to Next Adventure, Portland’s independent gear store and generous employer of thru-hikers in the off-season.
I finally get to meet Jen!
The entire Portland thru-hiking community—known fondly as the “Portland Mafia”—showed up for JPD’s talk. Next Adventure offered attendees two kegs, a whole spread of food, and a free raffle—not bad for a free event! Almost as soon as I walked into the room, Jen and Brew came up to me. What??!!! I was fully expecting to awkwardly come up to her after the talk and gawkily introduce myself, but there was no pretention or hierarchy of speed or fame going on at this presentation. It was clear that in JPD’s mind, everyone in that room was of the same cloth—we were all at that event because we love hiking.
Just like JPD’s hike of the AT was very different than the usual thru-hiker’s journey, her talk was not just another AT talk, either. Allgood put it best then he explained that many people in that audience had hiked the AT, but none could explain the experience as eloquently or beautifully as JPD. She was able to verbalize so many of emotions of love and respect that hikers have for the AT, but that most of us haven’t yet been able to find the right words to describe. While many in the long distance hiking community are suspicious of supported hikes, after listening to JPD’s talk, her speech heartened these skeptics to see beauty in a supported hiking experience. The long distance hiking community is lucky to have such an eloquent and non-controversial face to be the “mainstream” voice for our activity.
Allgood, Purple Rain, JPD and I show off our Purple Rain Skirts
Jen told us after the talk that she enjoyed the Next Adventure event particularly because so many experienced long distance hikers had shown up. “You all get it,” she told us later, and the energy and excitement of people in the room was palpable. JPD and the Portland hiking community hung around the gear store until the employees insisted they needed to go home. We invited JPD and Brew to a barbeque at Allgood’s house the next day and thru-hikers Mandy “Purple Rain” Bland of Purple Rain Skirts, my Oregon PCT hiking partner Tiffany “Miss Info” Searsdodd, and Naomi, a Triple Crowner and ALDHA-W member, were able to attend. For those in the hiking community, and those just getting into hiking, I highly recommend attending Jen’s talk. You’ll find her earnest and approachable and the way she describes the trail will cause you to love hiking even more.
