Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2019 - 41

"IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE
THESE SMALL TOWNS AND FOR THESE SMALL
TOWNS TO HAVE THE WEALTH OF DIVERSITY THAT'S
WALKING RIGHT THROUGH THEM."
-JENNIFER PHARR-DAVIS, THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL-ER

THE APPALACHIAN
TRAIL-ER

HOT SPRINGS, NORTH CAROLINA

Mile 271.8
When Appalachian Trail record holder
Jennifer Pharr Davis first hiked through Hot
Springs, North Carolina, in 2005, she was instantly love-struck. Perfectly perched along the
French Broad River, with a population of about
570, Hot Springs was, and remains to her, the
"quintessential trail town." The Appalachian
Trail literally takes hikers right through town,
making the trail an integral part of Hot Springs'
identity, culture, and economy.
Just 14 years later, Pharr Davis is now looking
forward to being a part of that Hot Springs culture and economy with her latest business venture, the Appalachian Trail-er. Located literally
within feet from where the Appalachian Trail
turns to asphalt, the Trail-er is, true to its name,
a double-wide-turned-hiker-bunkhouse out of
which Pharr Davis also rents gear, runs shuttles,
and operates guided backpacking trips through
Blue Ridge Hiking Company.
At $65 per bunk per night, Pharr Davis isn't

exactly looking to tap into the thru hiker market. (A longtime supporter of Hot Springs' hiker-friendly establishments like Bluff Mountain
Outfitters, the Sunnybank Inn, or "Elmer's," and
the Laughing Heart Lodge, Pharr Davis' mission first and foremost is to continue to share
the love.) Instead, she plans to cater to the growing subsets of trail users such as section hikers,
slack packers, and trail runners in the hopes of
bolstering Hot Springs' economy, yes, but also
helping out-of-towners make authentic connections to and relationships in the region.
"I know there are some stigmas that the local
residents have about hikers, thinking they're dirty
hippies or liberals or people without jobs for six
months-and there's some resentment there. I
think some hikers also walk through with incorrect stereotypes about people who live around
here," she says. "[Supporting the trail] is not only
economically beneficial. It's this real opportunity for cross-cultural experiences within America,
which is so important, especially in a divided political climate. It's so important for people to experience these small towns and for these small
towns to have the wealth of diversity that's walking right through them. It's economically and culturally crucial to sustain this kind of relationship."

HARPERS FERRY OUTFITTERS
HARPERS FERRY, WEST VIRGINIA

Mile 1,013.4
When Laura Clark first opened up Harpers
Ferry Outfitters in 1996, Appalachian Trail
thru hikers were rare sightings in downtown
Harpers Ferry. Back then, only 300-odd hikers
would finish the trail each year, a mere fraction
of the 1,100-plus that complete thru hikes today. Without a grocery store or lodging options,
Harpers Ferry provided little incentive for thru
hikers to spend their dollars in town.
Clark was surprised at the lack of interest and
support surrounding the Appalachian Trail.
After all, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
headquarters were, and continue to be,
based right in the heart of Harpers Ferry. The
Appalachian Trail itself runs smack dab
through Harpers Ferry Historic National Park.
But it was the presence of the Historic
National Park on which Harpers Ferry residents prided themselves, so Clark did what
every respectable community member and
business owner does: She got involved. For
20 years, she and her husband supported and
spearheaded historical preservation efforts in

FEELS LIKE HOME
Legendary hiker and
author Jennifer Pharr
Davis opened The
Appalachian Trail-er to
support the community.

Summer 2019 / OUTDOOR RETAILER 41

Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2019

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