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National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Jennifer Pharr Davis, to Visit Grandfather Mountain on June 22

Twelve-thousand miles, six different continents, one evening.

Grandfather Mountain and Mast General Store present Jennifer Pharr Davis.

On June 22, as part of the Grandfather Presents lecture series, the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation will host a presentation by the celebrated athlete, author, speaker and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year.

The program will be held at the Grandfather Mountain Nature Museum from 6 to 8 p.m. and costs $20 to attend (free for Bridge Club members). Space is limited, and registration is required. 

Davis has logged more than 12,000 miles on six different continents, including thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail, the Colorado Trail, Vermont’s Long Trail, numerous trails in Europe and the Appalachian Trail three times.

In 2011, Davis wanted to test her physical limits. With the help of her husband, Brew, and a dedicated group of friends, she set the fastest known time (male or female) on the Appalachian Trail by hiking 47 miles a day for 46 days straight.

During her presentation, Davis will be sharing slides and stories, answering questions and reading excerpts from her books that focus on the inspiration she finds in nature.

“She will talk about how the trail has challenged, changed and deepened her understanding of herself,” said Amy Renfranz, director of education and natural resources for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Linville, N.C.-based nature preserve and attraction. “You will leave feeling encouraged to revel in nature and embrace the wonder-filled opportunities that await you.”

She will also be selling and signing books after the program. For her adventures, Davis has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” ESPN and the “CBS Early Show.” She is founder and owner of Blue Ridge Hiking Company (www.blueridgehikingco.com), an Asheville, N.C.-based guiding service whose mission is “to make the wilderness accessible and enjoyable through the written and spoken word, instruction and guiding.”

In addition to Davis’s program, Mast General Store is bringing mountains of activities and door prizes to celebrate the occasion, including a “Leave No Trace” information table; the Mast Fit Clinic, in which guests are measured for the right-size shoes, boots or backpacks; and a wide variety of door prizes, including hiking socks, apple butter, biscuit mix and more.

“I think this is a great opportunity for the Mast Store and Grandfather Mountain to collaborate in getting more people interested in seeing the world via foot,” said Sheri Moretz, spokesperson for Mast General Store.

To register, and for more information about the program, call or email Judi Sawyer at (828) 733-2013 or judi@grandfather.com. For more information on Mast General Store, visit www.mastgeneralstore.com.

 

Grandfather Presents

Grandfather Presents is a lecture series focused on nature, conservation and exploration.

“This series provides an excellent avenue for people who love nature to meet those who have excelled at researching, representing or exploring it,” Renfranz said. “It’s a fun way to learn more and be inspired.”

Other presentations include wildlife artist Ryan Kirby on July 27, public television personality Tom Earnhardt on Aug. 24 and best-selling author Leigh Ann Henion on Sept. 25.

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2pZtpjc.

The not-for-profit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, call (800) 468-7325, or visit www.grandfather.com to plan a trip.