All Women's Hike
This fall I gave an all-women’s backpacking workshop at a small liberal college outside of Asheville. Several of the flyers promoting the event were graffitied before my arrival with indelicate comments suggesting the sexist nature of an all women’s event. Thankfully, the workshop went off without riot, I loved my time spent with the young women on campus, and I collected the profanely decorated posters as souvenirs.
I have always believed that all women’s backpacking outings and workshops are often beneficial in a way that coed gatherings are not. The fact is that women’s time in the woods is often very different than that of men. Women have to deal with the fact that we are outnumbered by men in the outdoors, which comes with specific social challenges. We also have different body shapes, separate gear needs, and we have gender specific issues that men frankly don’t empathize with, let alone want to talk about in co-ed clinics.
Triple Falls
This past weekend I led an all-women’s day-hike at Dupont State Forest. Together, a small group of girls spent four hours skidding over snow and ice, spending time at the base of four breathtaking waterfalls, and eating lunch while overlooking a frozen lake. It was on that hike that I was reminded why, above our physiological similarities, it is important for women to spend time together in the woods.
Walking is rarely a competition or a chore for a group of women. On the whole, women are more willing than men to hold hands with each other down icy slopes, and laugh at themselves when they end up sliding on their bottoms downhill. On all-women hikes there are usually more potty breaks and they last longer as we have to take our packs off and then stand guard in the trail to protect our friends. With girls, there is a greater likelihood that dark chocolate will be consumed as a snack… or a main course. And most notably, with a group of females, there is bound to be a good deal of conversation dedicated to the topic of men.
But boys (if you made it this far), I don’t want you to feel bad or stereotyped, because I don’t see you as macho, insensitive beasts blazing down the trail.
I know a lot of men who are lovers of nature, stewards of the trail and TERRIFIC hiking partners. It’s just that it’s different with all women, and our time together is good for everyone, because often amid all that girl talk you guys end up looking pretty good! And next time we head into the woods, there’s a good chance we’ll ask you to go with us ; )
