Welcome!  Please CONTACT US with any questions about events.

Tusi and Nira

Nira at niraharper@gmail.com   &    Tusi at ritachild@hotmail.com

October, November, December 2021

Covid-19 procedures for Women Outdoors members: Until further notice, we ask unvaccinated members to wear masks at indoor activities and keep 6 foot distance at outdoor activities.

 When you participate in an event, you assume the risk as stated here:

Please note that all Women Outdoors trips are cooperative trips led by volunteers.  While members are concerned for safety, our experience levels differ and mistakes may be made.  There may also be equipment failure, unexpected dangers, or conditions beyond our control (such as weather).  There is also an inherent level of risk in many of the activities that cannot be eliminated.  Women Outdoors and its coordinators don’t train, screen or certify any of the leaders or supervise the trips.  All trips are offered in the common adventurer spirit – where each participant is responsible for her own skills level and safety.  Please be sure to verify all of the information above as well as the organizer’s experience and trip plans to your own satisfaction so you can make an informed decision about whether the trip is right and safe for you.  Remember that in choosing to participate you are agreeing to assume responsibility for all risks associated with the activity.  Women Outdoors trips have an excellent safety record.  We ask that you take care to keep it this way!

Sun. Oct. 3. Monument Mountain Hike in Great Barrington, lunch picnic, and then stroll through Chesterwood Sculpture Garden in Stockbridge.  These are juried large sculpture installations throughout the wooded path on the grounds of Daniel Chester French, the designer of the Lincoln memorial. We need to reserve tickets for Chesterwood, at $10 each. I suggest leave Northampton at 10:30, arrive at the trailhead around 11:30, hike for about an hour and a half, moderate difficulty. Schedule Chesterwood for 2:30. That gives us plenty of time for lunch and maybe even a stop in town. Requires a commitment of $10 ahead for tickets. 

Sun. Oct. 3.  Kayak at Leverett Pond. 

Sun. Oct. 10.  Bike Ride TBD.  We'll do a 15-20 mile moderate, scenic local ride. Details to follow over the listserve.  

Mon. Oct. 11.  Indigenous People’s Day Potluck at Look Park. We'll repeat last year's in-person get-together in Look Park, but this year we’ll make it a potluck at 3:00 pm until whenever, and a talent show at about 4:30. Site #32 is reserved and available to us all day. (The site has 4 picnic tables but bring a chair also, if you can.)  

Sat. Oct. 16. Hikes at Lenox Audubon.  Nira & Beth will lead two different hikes at Pleasant Valley Audubon in Lenox. Trail of the Ledges/Overbrook Loop: Beth will lead a longer, more strenuous hike at slower pace, speed at 3 hours. Rain will change to less steep and less strenuous hike. An 850 vertical foot strenuous hike (usually 2 hours and 3 miles round-trip) to the top of Lenox Mountain (2,126 ft. elev.) Enjoy the vista of Mount Greylock to the north, the TaconicRange to the west, and the Catskill Mountains of New York to the southwest. Caution—due to steep slopes and possible slippery conditions, Trail of the Ledges should only be hiked up, not down.

Nira will lead a shorter, easier hike on the flat trails.  Admission to Pleasant Valley is $5, seniors $3. Beth has a library pass to admit free, 2 adults on Oct 16.

Sun. Oct. 17. Charlemont Deerfield River Bike Ride. Please join us for a scenic ride along the Deerfield River. We'll bike 11 miles from Charlemont to Whitingham, Vermont where we'll stop for lunch on the river before our return trip on the same road. Total mileage 22. This is a hilly but magnificent ride, especially with the Fall colors. Please let us know if you'd like to join us. 

Directions: Take route 2 West thru Charlemont. Go right on to Zoar road before the Mohawk Bridge. Sign says Monroe Rowe. Follow the river and bear left at the first intersection. In 3.5 miles go past Zoar picnic area on the left, to a parking area on the right. We'll meet at Zoar bridge at 11 a.m. Hope to see you. Bring food for lunch and plenty of water.  

Sun. Oct. 17. Book Group. We’ll be discussing The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield. It’s a great read, especially on audio.  Meet on Zoom at 6:45pm.  

Sat. Oct. 23. Leaf Peep at High Ledges.  Meet at 12:30 to drive the Mohawk Trail to Shelburne Falls and do an easy hike at High Ledges. 

Sun. Oct. 24. Hike at Bullitt Reservation. (Trustees property in Ashfield) in the afternoon. It’s a short but hilly 1 mile hike.

Sun. Oct. 24. Bike Sunderland –Turners –Mongague.Meet at 12:00 noon for this 20 mile moderate, hilly, scenic ride with leaf peeping and a wooden bridge over the CT River.

Sat. Oct. 30. Pumpkin Carving & Potluck.  11:00 – 3:00 in Easthampton, outdoors.  Bring your pumpkin, carving tools and a potluck dish to share.  

Fri. Nov. 5.  Crafts Night via Zoom.  We’ll gather over Zoom to socialize while we each work on an art or craft project of our own choosing.  Hosted by Marilyn and Mary.  

Sat. Nov. 6. Meditation Hike. Meet at 1:00 at the Marian St. entrance to Fitzgerald Lake for a meditative walk.  

Sun. Nov. 7. Hike with Free Admission to Clark Museum. First Sunday from Oct- May is free admission.

You must call for reservation to the museum due to Covid19.

Meet promptly at 11:00 am at Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, MA at the reflective pool after the front entrance. This will be a moderate hike from the museum on well maintained trails. We shall hike on gentle incline from the museum on Pasture Trail with several outdoor sculptures and a vista.  Options may include muddy decline on the last half of the hike And Views of Mt. Greylock. Distance will be 4.6-6 miles. 

Sat. Nov. 13. Ashley Reservoir Walk. Meet at 1:00 at the Elks Lodge Parking lot for a leisurely three mile walk at Ashley Reservoir in Holyoke. Let by Marilyn and Mary.  

Sat. Nov. 20.  Hike Keystone Arches. Meet at 10:45 am to carpool to Chester, MA for an easy to moderate 3 hour hike including stops to see the river and beautiful stone arches.  Contact Deb at jwanddf@juno.com

Sat. Nov. 20. Buffam Falls Hike. Meet at 12:30 to hike the trails and see the beautiful falls in Pelham.  

Sun. Nov. 21.  Book Group via Zoom. We’ll be discussing Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann.  Details to follow over the listserve.

Fri. Nov. 26.  Zoom Viewing of Princess Bride.  At 6:00 pm, we’ll watch this fun and hilarious classic movie with friends near and far.  Watch the movie on one device and text or joke/chat comments with others watching with you.  

Sat. Nov. 27.  Lithia Springs Hike.  Gather at 10:30 am for a hike to the reservoir.  Then we’ll climb up Black Rock trail to the overlook, which is steep in places.  A moderate hike about 4-5 miles total.  

Fri. Dec. 3. Crafts Night.  We’ll gather over Zoom to socialize while we each work on an art or craft project of our own choosing.  Hosted by Marilyn and Mary.  

Sat. Dec. 4. Walk in Ward 3.  We’ll meet a 3:00 pm to walk the dyke and the trails of Ward 3, Northampton.  

Sun. Dec. 5. Mohawk Trail State Forest Hike. Meet at 1:00 pm for a scenic hike. 

Sat. Dec. 11.  Zoom Games Night.  7:00 – 8:30 pm, hosted by Karin & Sharon.  Eight players and unlimited audience of people who are still engaged, voting on funniest answers, socializing and adding to the fun.  Participants will need both a computer/iPad/tablet AND a smartphone that is used as the ‘game controller’.  Folks can look up Jackbox games to see what they are like.  We’ll probably play Quiplash and Fibbage - both are creative open-ended games that are super fun for a bigger group.