Finding a Women's Hiking Community

Hiking has always been an quiet, and  private activity for me. Recently I have wanted to be a part of a community. I found a group called Girls Who Hike, and decided to join to see if anyone would want to hike with me. I picked a group that you had to join instead of posting on Craigslist because I figured that I would be safer joining a group that requires a membership as opposed to being open to the general public.

To coordinate this hike I posted an invite on the Girls Who hike Facebook page and invited people to join me on the trail at Sabino Canyon called Seven Falls. I was afraid that no one would join me, or that this was a terrible idea to wander off with strangers into the desert. I was able to get two people who had never hiked to Seven Falls to agree to join me on the hike. This was my fourth time completing this trail, and their first. I picked Seven Falls because this trail is popular in Tucson, and there would be plenty of other people on the trail. 

Several unexpected things happened during this hike for me. I felt a strong sense of pride in my hometown, and I got to see the trail through the perspective of other hikers, which made it feel new and exciting again. I also got to experience a sense of community with these women. We cheered each other on and made jokes along the way. It was great to connect to other women on the trail and to share a bond that we are strong and can hold our own. I would do another hike with other women I don’t know in a heartbeat. Being a part of a community and encouraging other women to be on the trail felt great, and I was so proud to accomplish this trail with them.