Shen & Jen. Doyle & Deer

Shenandoah National Park put the seed of the idea into my head. Jennifer Pharr Davis let me know I could do it on my own. Warren Doyle gave me the confidence to actually make it happen. The deer confirmed that it is meant to be. 

Shenandoah

The AT & the Park

Thru hiking the Appalachain Trail became a fully formed concept in my mind while I interned at Shenandoah National Park right after I graduated App Sate. The trail goes through the length of the park so during my time there, I learned all about it!

Interning

I graduated college in December of 2017. I became an Educational intern for Shenandoah through a post grad, App Sate program from February – May of 2018. I lived in park housing and learned the educational programing for elementary school kids. I started out in February and March going to elementary schools and giving presentations to classrooms about the park and certain science curriculum. For 2nd grade, animal habits was the focus, for 4th grade it was geology. When it got warmer in April and May, schools would come to the park for field trips and we would take 2nd graders to Big Medows and 4th graders to Stony Man for interactive science pased programing. 

Information & Inspiration

I occasionally got to help out at the visitor center and HQ, answering questions of the general public. Because of that, I learned all about the park and subsequently about the AT since it was a big part of it. Towards the end of my time at the park, I began to see my first thru hikers. I reveard them, regarding them as something of celebrities. I can’t wait to be back at the park as a thru hiker myself! 

Jennifer Pharr Davis

Setting the stage

In March of 2023 there was some kind of outdoor event at the CoMMA theater in Morganton, the town I was living in. Inside the lobby of the building there were booths set up with vendors from all kinds of outdoor recreation and conservation organizations to promote their businesses. In the theater, on stage, throughout the day were speakers giving presentations. One of those said presentations was by Jennifer Pharr Davis. I didn’t known anything about her at the time but I saw that the talk had to do with hiking and the AT so I made sure I was there for it.

Learning about & meeting Jenn

Jennifer was tall and thin in a blue dress and sandles. She had a kind voice and calming presence as she told her story. She had a presentation to accompany her talk and I was immediately fascinated to find out that she hru hiked the AT as a solo female. Then I was blown away to hear that she went back to the AT completing a Fastest Known Time (FKT) for female hikers in 2008 and then she went and set an overall FKT in 2011. After her presentation I went up to her booth in the lobby. There I officially met Jenn! I probably said something like “Wow, it was so cool to hear your story. I’d love to hike the AT one day.” Then I looked at her table, she was selling books she authored, I bought 2 of them: 

1. Asheville: 35 Spectacular Hikes in the Land of the Sky  

2. Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachain Trail 

She then signed my copy of Becoming Odyssa! She signed: Paige – keep going! Jennifer Pharr Davis 

That’s just what I intend to do! 

Life changing event

Just over 2 months later, my dad suddenly passed away. I realized my “hike the AT one day” better be sooner rather than later because we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. 

I read Jennifer’s book and it made me feel that I could thru hike on my own. But first, I’d need a little help to get started. 

Warren Doyle

The Man & Legend 

In Becoming Odyssa, Jennifer talks about going to the Appalachain Trail Institute (ATI). I decided to signed up for an ATI course! Warren Doyle is the instructor. He is a prominent hiker and savant of all things Appalachain Trail. He’s done the AT something like 18 times with 9 thru hikes and 9 section hikes. Warren is passionate about the trial and commited to helping people succeed in their thru hike. He is a counter culture icon.

Fun Fact

Warren Doyle LOVES contra dancing. His Folk School where the ATI now takes places comes complete with a large barn converted for contra dancing. I wish dancing was offered during our ATI course. 

The ATI

I took the ATI course offered June 24-28, 2024. Warren gave us all a 2022 AT data books. He went mile by mile through the trail with us describing terrain, giving advice on where to stop and where not to and telling stories of the trail. He told us to “Internalize the inherent difficulty of the trail.” Warren focused a lot on our mindset for the trail. He made me understand what I was getting myself into with a thru hike. 

Warren had us do 3 shake down hikes on the AT near Damascus. 

The Deer

I was hiking on my own for a time during the first shake down hike, when, I heard a strange noise in the brush along the trail. I looked and was surprised to find a baby deer. The little spotted fawn looked at me with it’s large eyes, got up and walked right up to me like I was it’s mother. It’s actually mom came up along the other side of the trail a few moments later and they ran off together. It was a magical experience, I felt blessed by the trail, like that was confirmation from the forest that I was meant to be here. 

Confidence & Motive

As the start date of my AT hike drew closer, I met up with Warren at his “office” for the day. I was concerned about trail conditions after Hurricane Helene but he reassured me and gave me confidence to continue with my original NOBO Thru Hike plan. Warren has also been a great resource to connect me with past and present AT thru hikers. He has become a huge influence on my thru hike. I want to be a credit to him. I can’t drag his ATI grad stats down, 95% completion rate! Extra motivation to get to Main. 

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