Welcome!  Please CONTACT US with any questions about events.

Tusi ritachild@hotmail.com and Nira niraharper@gmail.com

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!

Wednesday Walks. Nira and Noor will lead some Wednesday hikes or walks, not every week, usually at 1:00 or 1:30 pm. Details will be posted over the listserv.

Sat. Oct. 14. Hike Bear Swamp.  Mid-morning hike to the scenic overlook for a picnic lunch, then back. Roughly three miles, easy to moderate, roughly 3 miles.  

Sun. Oct. 15. Hike at Mt. Greylock. We’ll do a 2-3 hour hike tbd.  Details will be posted over the listserv.  

Sun. Oct. 15. Book Group.  We’ll be discussing The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes at 7:00 pm over Zoom. 

Sat. Oct. 21. Flocktober & Bike Ride.  From Old South St. Parking lot, bike ride on Manhan Rail Trail to Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton for the first annual Flocktober Fest (2-5pm).  Live music, food truck, crafts, beer.  Then we’ll ride back.  Easy ride, just under 4 miles each way.  

Sun. Oct. 22. Mt. Holyoke Hike.  Meet at 10:00 am at Mountainside Parking on Route 47 in Hadley.  We’ll hike from Mountainside Parking on 47 up to Halfway House, down Mountain Rd to trailhead, up to M&M trail, then walk to the ridge to Mt. Holyoke.  We’ll take Taylor Notch trail back to the parking.  This is a moderate to strenuous 4.6 mile hike.  

Sun. Oct. 22. Bike Ride.  We’ll bike 15 – 18 miles, location tbd.  

Wed. Oct. 25. Games Night. We'll gather at 7:00 for snacks and chats and then move into gaming by 7:30. I have Rummikub, Codenames, Chess, Ticket to Ride NYC, and a few other options. Please bring what you'd like to share. There is always instruction and/or an open round, so don't worry if what we play is new to you. That's part of the fun!  Address is 1 Deer Haven Drive in Haydenville. Park on the street or my driveway. There's plenty of room.  

Fri. Oct. 27. Hike at MacLeish in West Whately.  Meet at 4:30 pm at 78 Poplar Hill Rd, South Deerfield (or West Whately) parking lot.  This is an easy to moderate walk on the outer loop that takes just over one hour.  If you want to bring your dinner, we’ll stop and eat at a beautiful view!  

Sun. Oct. 29. Explore Quabbin by Bicycle.  Join us for a moderate, slightly challenging 14 mile ride mostly on gravel/dirt roads to explore the lost towns that were flooded to make the Quabbin reservoir: Dana, Prescott, Enfield and Greenwich. Option to drive to Petersham country store (about 4 miles) after for lunch. EASIER OPTION: BIKE IN A FEW MILES TO THE LOST TOWN OF DANA AND EXPLORE, BIKE BACK TO START.

Meet at Gate 40 about 4 miles South of the Petersham town green on Rt 32A/Hardwick Rd. 

*** NOTE THIS RIDE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ROAD BIKES, REQUIRES HYBRID OR MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRES. Please let me know if you would like to join us. 

Sun. Oct. 29. Full Moon & Poetry Hike.  Mt. Sugarloaf in Sunderland. 5:30 pm – hike, 6:15 pm – poetry (optional) in the moonlight.  

Sun. Nov. 5. Hike at the Clark Art Institute. Meet at 11:00 am at Clark Art Institute in Willamstown, MA. The museum offers free admissions on the 1st Sunday from Oct-May. Museum opens at 10 AM. Meet at the benches of the Reflecting Pool before the admission desk at 11:00.  Distance is 4 miles with some incline (.5 mile) in the beginning. Back in time for (more) museum explorations. We’ll see Mt Greylock  and vistas of Vt’s Green Mts and Williamstown.Trail map: https://clarkartkentico.blob.core.windows.net/clarkart-kentico-media-prod/clarkart/media/clarkmedia/images/clark-trails_6-6.jpg.

Mon. Nov. 6. Hike at Horse Mountain.  Meet at 3:00 pm at the parking area on the street called “The Lope” in Williamsburg.  About 1.5 hr gentle walk around Horse Mountain to a beautiful overlook.  

Sat. Nov. 11. Hike Big View.  Meet at 1:00 pm to hike the Octopus Trail to Big View in Williamsburg.  Meeting place is the second parking turnout on Unquomonk Rd, which is off of South St. in Williamsburg.  The hike is moderately uphill to a lovely view.  

Sat. Nov. 18. Walk at Greenberg Family Conservation.  Meet at 1:00 pm at Greenberg in Westhampton for an easy to moderate walk. 

Sun. Nov. 19. Book Group via Zoom.  At 10:45 am, we’ll discuss the short story “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison. 

Sun. Nov. 19. Hike Keystone Arch Bridges Trail . Meet at 11:00 am to hike the Keystone Arch Bridges in Chester, MA. The trail goes to three different stone bridges over the Westfield River, two of which are over 60 feet tall. The hike is easy-to-moderate and the now abandoned bridges have great historical value (they carried the first railway built through mountains) and are spectacular to look at.

The total time is 2-3 hours depending on how long we stop at the tall bridges, including having lunch at the first one. (Anyone who wants can return after the first bridge and skip the second bridge if you want a slightly shorter hike.)  

Meet at the trailhead at 11 (or at the Northampton carpool site tbd at 10:15). To drive to the trailhead take Route 20 to Chester. In the center of town, turn onto Middlefield St. and drive about 2.5 miles headed out of town. The information sign for the arches is on your left at the entrance to Hebert Cross Rd.

For more information about the Keystone Arch Bridges Trail, go to https://keystonearches.com.

Sun. Nov. 26. Poker Night.  From 4:00 -7:00 pm in Amherst. We’ll play poker from 4-6 pm, then have a potluck meal after we play. There are both indoor and outdoor (screened porch has a woodstove now) spaces and hopefully we won't be in the midst of lots of Covid cases. Details about the poker specifics will be posted ahead of the date. 

Thurs. Nov. 30. Games Night. We'll gather at 7:00 for snacks and chats and then move into gaming by 7:30. I have Rummikub, Codenames, Chess, Ticket to Ride NYC, and a few other options. Please bring what you'd like to share. There is always instruction and/or an open round, so don't worry if what we play is new to you. That's part of the fun!  Address is 1 Deer Haven Drive in Haydenville. Park on the street or my driveway. There's plenty of room.  

Sat. Dec. 2. Online Wilderness First Aid Training.   Watch the video together from 1:00-4:00 pm at Johanna’s on Grove St. in Northampton. If you’re interested in learning more about first aid in outdoor/backcountry settings but don’t want to take a two day course, join me in viewing an online 3+ hour wilderness first aid class. More info on the class and the topics covered can be found on this website: https://survivalmedonline.org/courses/wilderness-first-aid-outdoor-safety-basics/ Bring a camp chair and your favorite travel mug, I’ll provide popcorn and hot cocoa. My place is on the small side so the group limit is 4-5 people.  

Sat. Dec. 9. Buffam Falls Hike.  Meet at 1:30 pm to hike the trails at Buffam Falls in Pelham and enjoy two waterfalls along the way.  

Wed. Dec. 13. Games Night. We'll gather at 7:00 for snacks and chats and then move into gaming by 7:30. I have Rummikub, Codenames, Chess, Ticket to Ride NYC, and a few other options. Please bring what you'd like to share. There is always instruction and/or an open round, so don't worry if what we play is new to you. That's part of the fun!  Address is 1 Deer Haven Drive in Haydenville. Park on the street or my driveway. There's plenty of room.  

Sun. Dec. 17. Buffam Falls Hike.  1:00 pm. Snowy (or icy) hike on the 1.7 mile trail through Buffam Falls (different from Nira's usual). Rendez-vous on Meeting House Road in Pelham (detailed information on parking will be sent out ahead of the date). Easy to moderate, just over an hour. Optional warm-up afterwards at my home with hot cider depending on the group's preference.