Jennifer Pharr Davis - Advance Praise for Rugged Access for All

 

Sandals and Water Shoes and Low Top Hiking Boots, Oh My!

REI

Roseville, CA

March 25, 2018

My dividend from purchases at REI during 2017 arrived in the mail recently and I was more than ready to use it towards new footwear for Kellisa. I've been assembling our wall art with pictures from our hikes in each of the 50 United States and I noticed that Kellisa has worn the same few shoes on our hikes for many, many years. This makes sense since she can't walk and her feet rarely touch the ground or get sweaty, so her shoes look barely used even though she's worn them for so long. 

We didn't have anything specific in mind when we arrived, but she gets her love of shoes honestly from her mother, so it wasn't a surprise that she loved all three of the shoes she tried on. Her outdoor adventure footwear should be covered for the next decade with the purchase of these high quality shoes.

We walked around the entire store and saved the books and maps area for last so we could linger until closing time. That's when we saw families on foot staring back at us from a prominent spot on an eye level shelf. Kellisa is featured in a few places in this book, including a 2 page spread (bottom right picture). I couldn't help but show Kellisa the pictures of her out on the trails in the book. The gentleman who helped us from the shoe department came over to see if we were still OK and I could tell he looked a little puzzled as he watched me take a few pictures of the book. I explained that Kellisa has spent a lot of time out on the trails and was in this book after meeting the authors several times. He was blown away and acted like Kellisa was a celebrity...and she enjoyed every second of the accolades.

Lisa and I have been members of REI for decades and they offered Kellisa her own membership at checkout because members could save 20% on any one item. This way, we could check out twice, once under my membership and once under Kellisa's so we could save the 20% on both transactions. It made sense to me to spend the extra few minutes to help sign up my...adult...daughter for her very own membership card (top right picture). I was proud of her and left with a deep feeling of contentment from our shoe shopping adventure. It's rare that I get to do "normal" activities with Kellisa and this experience somehow felt very normal and I look forward to helping her spend her own dividend next year!

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families on foot

families on foot

Urban Hikes to Backyard Treks and National Park Adventures

Jennifer Pharr Davis and Brew Davis

It didn't seem right to sit back in a chair to read this book, so I found a comfortable rock to read my new favorite book, "families on foot" by Jennifer Pharr Davis and Brew Davis. Kellisa and I have met Jennifer a couple of times over the years from Trail Days in Damascus, VA to a presentation at REI in Jacksonville, FL. Someday we hope to share a trail together.

I didn't hesitate to submit a story with a few pictures when the call went out for submissions. I decided to share the story of Kellisa's first hike on wheels. We were thrilled that Kellisa's story was chosen for the book and honored to discuss some of Kellisa's challenges and medical history to be included in Chapter 9: Health Conditions and Special Concerns. Both Lisa and Cousin Matt (hiking partner on several trails with Kellisa spanning several states) received photo credits as an added bonus.

Jennifer and Brew definitely succeed in providing the blueprint and motivation to get families up and more importantly, out. I especially appreciate that they recognize the need for all children to experience life on the trail. Too often society overlooks the disabled population and I'm beyond proud that Kellisa can represent her "peeps" in this book.

Since I'm probably slightly biased, I will just say, go ahead and buy the book here. 

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Families on Foot - and Wheels

 

The new book, Families on Foot by leading long distance hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis and her husband, Brew will be released on March 1, 2017. 

The book will guide families to the trails from urban hikes to national park adventures and everywhere in between. 

Despite the name of the book, it will include information for families with special needs children and will include at least one family that hikes with wheels!

You can be pre-order Families on Foot here.

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Virginia Creeper Trail

Virginia Creeper Trail
Virginia

May 2013

I've been wanting to hike a long section of the Virginia Creeper Trail with Kellisa since we visited the area back in June 2006. We finally had the chance while attending Trail Days 2013 and we hiked 6.81 miles from Taylor's Valley down to Damascus. We had hoped for 17 miles, but a late start and scattered thunderstorms altered our plans.

We need to thank Adventure Damascus for being our shuttle to Taylor's Valley and not being scared to take Kellisa's Freedom Push Chair along for the ride:

Kellisa enjoying the shuttle van ride on our way to the trailhead:

Taylor's Valley Trailhead:

Starting down the Virginia Creeper Trail:

Shortly after starting, we entered the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area:

Views along the trail:

We crossed several of the 34 bridges along the entire trail:

The greenery came alive with the fresh rain:

Happy to have the rain cover removed:

Trip stats:

Our hike along the Virginia Creeper Trail:

Sadly, Trail Days 2013 will be remembered for the car accident that hurt over 50 hikers. I wanted to get Kellisa back to the hotel for a good night of sleep and we left 5 minutes before the accident. If we didn't leave, we would have been just across the street from the accident. 

On a more positive note, we attended a presentation by Jennifer Pharr Davis, one of the world's most accomplished hikers, about her first thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Kellisa especially enjoyed meeting Jennifer after the presentation.

Trails

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