In January 2008, Michelle started a girl's-only weekly hiking group to encourage her female friends to put their best intentions into practice. So many people she met said they were amazed at our adventure racing stories, and she wanted to share her love of the outdoors with them.
The first hike brought out six ladies for a classic hike at South Mountain through Fat Man's Pass. The 4-mile hike was a success and all were hooked! The weekly hikes continued, varying between South Mountain trails and the Circumference Trail around Squaw Peak. Several of the girls mentioned that their male counterparts were jealous of our nighttime, headlamp-lit hikes, so we opened the group up to the boys too.
Our little hiking group has quickly grown with as many as 14 out on a given night. As the group is getting in better shape from coming weekly, we're tackling longer trails with more elevation gain and pushing the pace.
Along the way, all three of us educate the group on nutrition, hydration, trail etiquette and gear recommendations. It's turning out to be quite a fun group and we're continuing to grow. Next up, is adding a weekend hike once a month to our weekly Tuesday plan.
We'll start posting our weekly hiking plans here, so be sure to check the site every week! We'll also start adding photos to the Gallery page.
Meeting time: 6:00 pm at Mormon Trailhead - 24th Street south of Baseline - map
Details: plan on about 2 - 2.5 hours and bring plenty of water to stay hydrated!
Meeting time: 6:00 pm at SW corner of 32nd St & Lincoln by the Russ Lyon - map
Details: 5+ miles, about 2 hours
Meeting time: 6:00 pm at Kiwanis Trailhead - take Central south of Baseline into the park
Details: plan on about 1.5-2 hours