Gear Up, Girls!

There’s a handful of us out there. We do not often cross paths. Though we usually don’t run into anyone where we play. We will go to great lengths for first tracks and fresh, fluffy turns. We are more at home in the middle of the wilderness than in a shopping mall. Most of our friends are guys because they, too, prefer mountains to makeup and, well…let’s face it, most of the other women just don’t keep up.

That’s right, sistas, you know who you are. We’re typically small in stature, but mighty in spirit. We come from a variety of backgrounds and all have a different story. Some of us grew up in the mountains skiing, hiking, or climbing. Others never slid on waxed boards until adulthood. Some of us are native Vermonters. Others hail from far away, of maybe just a couple of hours. Some of us have kids and a family. Others fly solo. Whatever your deal is, we all have two things in common. We’ll gladly earn our turns. We’d also all like to see better representation of the female athletes in our sports of choice.

So here is a call to all you hardcore women out there. If you prefer to see the sunrise on the weekend than to sleep until it warms up a little outside…If you think an hour in the pow is worth donning a headlamp for a 6 am start time on a two hour hike…If you are more comfortable humping a pack around than a purse…Let’s get together. Women of Wilderness (WOW!) let’s get it on up in the hills. It’s time we made ourselves known (if only to each other) as a formidable force rather than the exception to the rule. Ready for adventure?