Four trails to self-discovery near Charlotte
Jennifer Pharr Davis turned down a job offer and went hiking instead. She wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail. It was 2005, she had just graduated college and she craved a journey.
In her 2015 TEDx Talk, she said, “It seems to me that our culture, our society, has forgotten the value of a journey. Historically, youths were encouraged to take journeys or walkabouts or a pilgrimage. It was seen as a transition into adulthood.”
Davis’ transition involved breaking the women’s record for the fastest hike on the Appalachian Trail in 2011. What that looked like: trekking from Georgia to Maine, more than 2,175 miles, in 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes.
Her transition also involved becoming a business owner — she owns The Blue Ridge Hiking Company in Asheville.
And it sounds like her series of Appalachian Trail journeys have been worth it. Davis said that what she loves about hiking is that “it meets you at every phase of life.”
Then, she wanted a challenge, she wanted to go hard. Now, she likes to take short and slow hikes with her 3-year-old daughter just for fun — and stress relief.
Adventure is crucial for self-discovery, she said. Out on a trail, a hiker is not exposed to commercials or billboards or magazines telling you what success is or what beauty looks like, she said. Out on a trail, you can ask yourself those questions.
“I realized I was a lot tougher than I thought I was, and I accepted that I need a lot more help than I want to admit,” she said.
You can set out on the path to self-discovery with a nearby trail, no matter your skill or interest level.
Her suggestions:
(1) For a gentle, mixed-activity trek: Jetton State Park, Cornelius
Trail features: A playground, tennis courts, a beach, 1.3 miles of bike trail and 1.5 miles of walking/roller-blading trail.
Travel time: About 40 minutes from uptown.
(2) For mountain biking: Lake James State Park, Nebo
Trail features: A 6,812-acre reservoir complete with boating, swimming, fishing, kayaking and camping options — plus 15 miles of mountain-bike trails.
Travel time: About 90 minutes from uptown.
Kayaking Lake James State Park #ncstateparks #nature #outdoors #water #lake #landscape #kayak #park
A post shared by NC State Parks (@ncstateparks) on Jun 4, 2015 at 7:10am PDT
(3) For horseback riding: Latta Equestrian Center, Huntersville
Trail features: 45-50 minute trail rides.
Travel time: About 20 minutes from uptown.
https://instagram.com/p/2O86rxDq7W/
(4) For a real challenge on foot: Start at Crowders Mountain.
Follow the Ridgeline Trail for 12 miles into South Carolina by hiking — or trail running. The trail connects Kings Mountain State Park with Crowders Mountain State Park and features a lot of elevation change relative to Charlotte, Davis said.
https://instagram.com/p/81l9kOnPN6/?tagged=crowdersmountain
Now, get into the wild.
Photos: T. Ortega Gaines/Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Four trails to self-discovery near Charlotte."