Lead On Adventures for Women
by Jen Shenk
Summer Kayaking, Freeport, Maine (Aug. 2008)
In 1998, Nan and a Christian friend began doing some local hiking together. As they began to explore the hills of Worcester County they talked about getting other friends together to join them for this fun time of exercise and exploration. After much research and planning Lead On Christian Outdoor Adventures for Women came into being in the spring of 1999.
The first "Lead On" adventure included ten ladies on a three mile hike around Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary in Princeton, MA. The next month twelve ladies came together for some biking on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The adventures have grown to include trips to all of the New England States.
"Lead On" gives women the opportunity to explore the woods, waterways, and mountains of New England. Each of the activities allows for exercise and, at times, the chance to learn a new skill like sailing and kaykaing. The activities range from simple "walks in the woods" to the more challenging overnight hikes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Lead On started out with one outdoor activity per month, from April through October and now have activities twice a month, year round. As a group, they picked up snowshoeing and winter hiking last year.
With all of the activities, Nan's husband Barry joins her to "scout things out" before taking the ladies on a particular adventure. (He loves all the hikes & activities and is happy to do them with her first!)
In 2003 Nan began to introduce "Out of New England" activities which included kayaking off the FL coast. Since then, they have been hiking in the Colorado Rockies, Southern AZ, and in May of this year, thirteen of us are headed to the mountains of VA for a week of hiking and rafting. The website has photos and highlights of some of our activities going back to 2000.
In 2005 the group completed their goal of hiking the entire Midstate Trail (92 miles!) in 6 to 7 mile stretches until reaching the Massachusetts/Rhode Island border, from beginning in New Hampshire. View photos here.
Kayaking is still Nan's favorite activity with the group, but often has challenges being on the ocean off Maine's coast. Wind and weather can be big safety factors.
Ladies range in age from 30's to their "hiking matriarch" who is 70. (She hikes with more stamina than most 30 year olds!) The group is made up of all women; a school principal, teachers, social workers, nurses, and moms at home who love a "getaway" now and then. There are 7 ladies from Westminster & Ashburham with others joining them from as far away as Cape Cod and the North Shore.
Windblown atop Mt. Kearsarge, N.H. (Nov. 2008)
There are about 35 ladies on their mailing list and newsletters are sent out every 2 months. Some ladies prefer one particular activity over another, so you might only see some ladies on a bike excursion, or others on a challenging White Mountain hike. Others prefer gentle walks in local woods.
One of the most common questions is whether there is a membership fee. The answer is no, and the only thing that interested women need to do is check the website which is updated often, or sign up for the newsletter, then pick an activity, pay a small fee, register, and join them!
The Lead On website has lots of information on our mission, who we are, what types of activities we do. Check it out and contact them for more information.
Mt. Pemi, White Mountains (June 2008)