This spring marks the fifth anniversary of the publication of A Woman’s Guide to the Wild. I’ve been honored, over the last five years, to talk to many readers and adventurers and solace seekers and to listen to your stories about the wild places in your lives. It’s clear to me that the notion that everyone’s outdoor experience is both unique and valid is more important than ever. It’s also clear that our outdoor spaces are and will continue to be places of safety and refuge in pandemic times. So all spring, I’m dedicating this space to content from the Woman’s and Girl’s Guides, sharing with you some of the content that laid the foundation for the work I do now. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading, go find your wild. Don’t give up.
“For the approval of men, I have gone on trips in places and climates for which I was terribly unsuited- chugging through canyon country, or scrambling the edges of ice fields dressed for an easy day hike. I- a fully competent river canoer and rafter- have nearly drowned on several occasions because I was too timid to assert myself and take the bow, instead letting little more than male bravado steer the boat. I have spent sleepless nights freezing because a male companion forgot the bedding or simply brought a light blanket for temperatures that I require a zero-degree bag to tolerate. I have sat and fretted for hours about stray sparks near a campfire being fed dangerous amounts of fuel and wood in the dry days of August. I have worried for days before a trip, hoping I would keep up, hoping the weather would hold out, and worried that expressing my doubts would cast me as unqualified for the adventure. I often wondered why there wasn’t a book about being a woman in the outdoors. If it had not been for a steady stream of female mentors and a willingness to learn things the hard way, I might have given up.” - A Woman’s Guide to the Wild
