Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 74

JAMES HARRISON:
Merging the Epic and the Personal
He's the architect of " Semester-A-Trail " and outdoor director
at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia-the only
college in the nation offering academic credit for a semester
on the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail.
INTERVIEW BY MARY LEIDIG | PHOTO BY CHRIS GALLAWAY
You've been teaching at Emory &
Henry College 25 years. How did you
get there by way of Memphis, and
what do you love about the region?
My wife Aliese and I completed a thruhike
of the A.T. from Maine to Georgia
in 1997. This amazing journey introduced
us to Appalachia. We decided
to leave Memphis, travel the country
and see where we might settle.
We really enjoyed Damascus, Virginia,
as we hiked through the town,
and we returned for Trail Days celebration.
Our love for the people grew,
and our three-month visit became permanent.
We raised our family here.
Damascus is nestled in the breathtaking
Blue Ridge with a rich history, trails
and creeks right out your front door.
It's easy to know your neighbors and
enjoy the sweet community here.
You designed Semester-A-Trail. Tell us
about it.
I joined the faculty in 1998 and was
surprised to find no outdoor program.
I couldn't contain my enthusiasm as I
was in a love affair with the mountains.
I wanted students to experience the
same joy and connectedness I found in
the mountains of Southwest Virginia.
I started a hiking club, adding rock
74 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
climbing and paddling. Student interest
skyrocketed.
As I shared stories of my thru-hike,
students expressed interest in longdistance
hikes. Emory & Henry offers
a hand-crafted, dynamic education,
so many faculty and administrators
helped me create an opportunity for
enrolled students to attempt long sections
or thru-hikes of the A.T.
Who can enroll, and what are the
academic components?
Semester-A-Trail
is
Why do you believe these students
are discovering the best part of
humanity?
My A.T. journey renewed my faith
in humanity. Strangers went out of
their way to help my wife and me.
We were invited into homes for meals
and offered rides so we could resupply.
We were shown love because we
were vulnerable-traveling
far
from
for matriculating
college students and students from other
institutions. They transfer in for the
program and return with earned credits
and an amazing journey under their
belts. Students stay on track to graduate
with courses in history, environmental
science, writing and civic engagement.
Courses are completed before or
after the hike, so students experience
the trail without carrying text books.
Students arrive for spring semester
for an intensive workshop that prepares
them for life on the A.T. They
pick from two options: Attempt the
30-day, 470-mile hike, or the 5-month
thru-hike of the entire trail. Tuition
includes hiking kit, shoes, trail budget
and on-trail staff support.
home. That story persists. People travel
worldwide to hike and participate in
this beautiful community that stretches
from Maine to Georgia.
What is your overriding message to
students?
Long-distance
backpacking is hard.
I tell students this will be harder than
they thought possible and more beautiful
than imagined. In the beginning,
the hike is a physical struggle-sometimes
grueling. As they continue, the
mind and body adjust to the rigors
of the trail. Hikers become attentive
listeners, problem-solvers, endurance
athletes, storytellers and members of
a supportive and powerful community.
In the mix of it all, they might come
to understand that all anyone needs to
be happy and healthy is what fits inside
a backpack.
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Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023

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