Ladies! This post is for you. We live in Prince George, and we love the outdoors. But sometimes venturing to the woods by ourselves can be a bit daunting, right? What you need is a group of like-minded, adventurous lady souls to rally you up and be your outdoor buddies… or your bevy of “backcountry babes”, as the case may be.
I recently came across a group on Facebook that I thought needed to be shared wider with the women of Prince George. It may be based on social media but its aim is to bring people together “in real life” and it truly embodies community spirit, one of my favourite characteristics of this city of ours.
The PG Backcountry Babes group was started just over a year ago with the intention of creating a space where women could meet other women who wanted to do outdoor activities and try new outdoor sports. The group, which now has over 700 members, is very self-driven, in that the group’s admin just help to create the forum for people to meet, but it’s the members who suggest activities and organize the outings. This is a place where all women, regardless of skill level, can put out ideas for hikes or other activities and meet up with fabulous new ladies for fun and adventure. It is a closed group for the protection of the members and to maintain the general purpose of women supporting women. Aspiring members need just send in a request and one of the admins will respond.
I spoke with Kimberley Kenyon, one of the current admins of Backcountry Babes, who got involved last summer and thought the group was a really good idea. Kenyon, who is very active in Prince George’s whitewater paddling community, which she says is growing in popularity with women in our city, shared with me why she’s involved in the Backcountry Babes group: “I want to support women in getting outside and challenging themselves, and being active outdoors and being supportive of each other. I want to see women outdoors promoting one another because that’s one of the most empowering things.”
The predominant activity in the Backcountry Babes group is definitely hiking. When someone wants to hit a trail, they can just write a quick post about the idea, then the admin will create an event and people can join in. It’s a great way to expose people to new trails around Prince George, while making some new friends. Kenyon says she sees a lot of camaraderie developed among the women who get together.
In addition to outings, the group regularly posts info about different lessons and clinics, such as rock climbing and whitewater safety, in order to expose members to new sports and activities. As the group prefers to stay casual, there is no bank of funds for booking events, but the admin graciously puts funds up front for certain events and promotions, and says the members always come through to make special events successful and fun.
So, ladies of Prince George, if you’re looking for something fun and different to do outdoors, or to meet new people who like to hit up a trail or two (or the whitewater, or the local rock wall, or….), you now know where to go! Put your request in to join this amazing group and become a local Backcountry Babe!
