Our first Women's Intro to Hiking Workshop is in the books!

Each Tuesday night for the last four weeks, 13 women circled around a fire in my backyard for a Women’s Intro to Mountain Hiking workshop. Our five instructors, Traczie, Jaime, Lauren, Sarah, and me, took turns teaching about safety, gear, nutrition, navigation, and all the skills needed to feel confident in the wilderness.

We ended with a group hike on the Long Mountain Trail in Bethel on a gorgeous fall day. Gathering each week outdoors, warm tea in hand, in real-time with real people, sharing laughs (and sometimes tears) - this is the good stuff. I want more of this.

It’s been a very full fall, and I didn’t really have the time to host a weekly training, along with all of the other things: new job, nightly soccer games for our boys, college applications for our senior, and all of the endless household chores that come with having a family. Everyone’s lives are busy, I know you get it!

And yet, there was no part of me that wanted to cancel this training. And as it turns out, it was a highlight during a very busy season, because it provided an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the company of good people. I also gained endless amounts of hiking tips from the other instructors. There is always more to learn.

We plan to offer some version of this training again. Maybe this winter, or maybe spring. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, If you'd like to listen to an MPR story about the workshop, focused on one of our instructors, Sarah Holman, here it is.

I hope you’re out there enjoying the trails during this warm fall. I’ll share details on the Long Mountain Trail next week, but if you need a hike for this long weekend ahead - look it up on All Trails. It’s a great family and dog-friendly hike!