Water, check. Bug spray, check. Sun block, check. Camera, check. Out the door I headed for a hike early on a Saturday morning. It was warm already but not too bad. The heat of the summer slowly creeping in even in these early morning hours. I swung by and picked up my sister and off we went to Picayune to meet up with our local Hiking Ambassador from the Hiker Babes, Southern Mississippi Chapter, Tina Mclemore. Today we were joining her on a hike at the Crosby Arboretum. She had prepared us for a three mile or so walk through the wooded area.
During our hike we took photos, discussed plants and animals we sited and compared notes on different trails we had each traversed. We discussed the difficulty level of each and what you should expect to see. Most importantly we made recommendations. One we discussed at length has been featured on Our Mississippi Home before, Clark Creek. This trail is on my top ten.
As our regions Hiking Ambassador Tina is looking to promote the mission of the Hiker Babes Community which is to create a community of like-minded women with a passion for the outdoors. According to the groups facebook page every day in nature is a gift. They believe that hiking is good for body, mind and soul. They also want to provide a strong, positive support system for all women.
If you are looking to find some like-minded hiking ladies in our area, I recommend joining the Hiking Babes: Southern Mississippi Chapter. This local facebook group posts regular group hikes (normally twice a month). They also post, encouragement, and even provide information to make your hikes safer. For instance the site recently posted information on rating your hiking ability to assist in choosing trails at your physical ability.
So, what does it mean exactly to be a Hiker Babe? See if any of these questions would apply to you and you will know… Do you throw on a backpack and walk countless hours to beautiful locations and have the pictures to prove it? Is pain your friend and fresh air your medicine? Do you believe there is nothing you can’t accomplish? Most importantly are you looking to build relationships with like-minded trail sisters!
If you answered yes to even one of these, jump in the group! Join a hike and start building muscles and sisters. We look forward to having you join us for our next adventure.
Be sure to share your adventures with us! #hikerbabesorg100 #hikerbabesmississippi
Cover photo courtesy of Tina Mclemore.
