Where are the female hikers?

[Earl Grey]

Where are you all? I know you must be out there somewhere.

This isnt a post about pinkblazing, just in general why is it so hard to find a girl that likes the outdoors? Seems like most of them are watching TV most of the time or screwing off on myspace. I say the hell with that nonsense go outside but no. And if you convince one to go out they complain the whole time. Maybe im just being cynical though.

[tiamalle]

Where are you all? I know you must be out there somewhere.

This isnt a post about pinkblazing, just in general why is it so hard to find a girl that likes the outdoors? Seems like most of them are watching TV most of the time or screwing off on myspace. I say the hell with that nonsense go outside but no. And if you convince one to go out they complain the whole time. Maybe im just being cynical though.

O Blackmath,their out there.you just got to be quite and patient.Right when you are not expecting it here they come.and then

[bfitz]

I wonder what the male/female ratio is on Whiteblaze?

[SalParadise]

maybe you just don't recognize hiker-chicks as well because of their hairy legs. I know plenty of 'em. they're out there...somewhere.

[RAT]

Like one of my Konnarock Crew shirts says: "Build it and they will come"



RAT

[mambo_tango]

....and notice how it is all guys that have replied so far. I am a hiker chick so they are out there. Wow.. it sounds kind of like 'biker chick' only it's 'hiker chick' but cooler. My mum said I couldn't get a motorcycle unless it was over her dead body so I guess I will have to stick to walking.

[hammock engineer]

From another guy but,

After reading the happenings on another thread today, I understand why a lot of women keep their gender to themselves in a cyber community.

[mambo_tango]

Well... you can pretty much tell that I am a female from my avatar anyway...

[minnesotasmith]

From another guy but,

After reading the happenings on another thread today, I understand why a lot of women keep their gender to themselves in a cyber community.

What thread is that, HE? I missed that one.

[Pokey2006]

Us hiker chicks are lurking around, however, there could certainly be more of us out there on the trail. I was actually surprised by how macho, male-dominated the trail could be sometimes. I boil it down to this: How many Boy Scout troops have you bumped into on the AT? Now, how many Girl Scout troops have you seen on the AT?

We give boys opportunities to get out into the woods to see if they like it (hence sparking a life-long love of nature and outdoors activities). Now we need to start giving girls the same opportunities. I remember as a Girl Scout all we did was sit around the scout leader's living room, being very careful not to put our feet on the table and to keep from dropping crumbs from our snacks onto the floor. No wonder why there are more guys on the trail then gals.

[Earl Grey]

Hmmm well I meant out on the trail originally not on here.

[ed bell]

O Blackmath,their out there.you just got to be quite and patient.Right when you are not expecting it here they come.and then

I married one, and I've gotta agree tiamalle. I remember feeling the same way as you do Blackmath. Time, patience and outreach are all gonna help. Good luck!

[ed bell]

I was actually surprised by how macho, male-dominated the trail could be sometimes.

I often wonder how this perception by many about the "AT thru-hiker culture" can seem so at odds with the reality I experience with my backpacking/outdoor adventure type friends. That is not to say that I doubt it, just seems strange to me. Then again, I'm not a thru-hiker.

[hammock engineer]

What thread is that, HE? I missed that one.

The posts got deleted, and rightfully so. I would rather not post it here and move the argument here.

[highway]

My wife hates going, so I go alone.

[gsingjane]

Pokey, and anyone else who is interested in helping girls/women get outside and enjoy backpacking and hiking, I have a great idea for you! Why NOT share your expertise and enthusiasm by volunteering with Girl Scouts?

You don't have to be a full-on troop leader. You don't have to have a daughter in the program. You don't have to give them 10-20 hours a week, or sign on for life. You can volunteer on a limited basis, whether with an individual troop, through a town level group (a/k/a service unit) or on a council-wide basis. It could be as simple as coming to talk to a troop about your backpacking experiences, bringing your slides and gear for some show & tell. You could offer to help a troop move up through dayhiking into an overnight. You could be a council resource person, ready to advise or assist when needed. You could even, at some point, help out at a camp or GS wilderness program.

From my years of experience as a volunteer, I'll tell you that the biggest reason the girls don't "get out there" is because of a lack of qualified or confident leaders ready to take them. Virtually every leader gets involved because she has a daughter in the troop - and it's totally "luck of the draw" whether or not that woman will have any outdoors expertise. It is true that many women do not want to leave their nice hot showers or their blowdryers, to spend time in the woods with their girls. As a town manager, I am constantly cheerleading our leaders into even taking that first step to try.

I am happy to answer any PM's from anyone who needs technical help finding a council or more specific ideas on how to help. Remember that, as with any organization working with kids, Girl Scouts is going to background you and make sure you're suitable for this kind of work before they turn you loose on the girls. Don't be offended, everybody goes through it, and you would want the same for your own daughter. They may require you to take their own outdoor training, and do it with a smile even though you may know more than the instructors (they have to do this for insurance purposes).

I guarantee you, if you give this a try, you will get 1000% more out of it than you put in. And then you can give a girl a GREAT outdoors experience to look back on, rather than the mediocre one that you had.

Jane in CT

[generoll]

I'm guessing the female hikers are hiking on the trails instead of hiking on the internet.

[Blissful]

I set up a first backpacking trip for some women in my church. Only had three go on the first outing but hope to have more when I do it again. And my hubby and I lead a teen group in our church of mostly teen girls, and we hope to get them backpacking - they will get a taste for it when they have to hike 4 miles to this cabin in SNP at the end of March. So I'm trying! ha ha

[Blissful]

Also you need to find women who don't mind being grungy, using the great outdoors for the restroom, sleeping with bugs on the ground, and no salads for dinner. It can be hard. I don't like the sounds of night myself - I think an animal is attacking outside my tent (and one did too - this raccoon this past fall). Glad I wear earplugs. But women are bombarded with Hollywood sterotyping - looking young, gorgeous, with Oil of Olay - I even plan to carry some Oil of Olay cloths We need to get out the word that hiking makes you gorgeous too - by using your heart, lungs, and muscles the way God intended and enjoying the peace of the outdoors.

[hammock engineer]

....I don't like the sounds of night myself - I think an animal is attacking outside my tent (and one did too - this raccoon this past fall....

You are not the only one on this one. My first night in a hammock with no tarp, but netting, or other physical barrier from all the nasty things that live in the dark was a little freaky. After a couple nights, but becomes kind of cool.

Still there are some strange nosies out there I have never heard before.