A retirement
first: I have agreed to organize and
lead tomorrow’s hike for the ladies in my Canadian Federation of University
Women's hiking group.
Up until now I have
been reluctant to do this because there is a lot to keep in mind. First you must choose a hiking spot, and there
are many things to consider:
- The hike shouldn’t be too long.
- Or too difficult.
- It should be interesting.
- And easy to get to.
The leader also has responsibilities
before, during and after the hike. She should:
- Provide a map so that no-one gets lost en route.
- Account for everyone in the group. (I wouldn’t want to lose someone on the track.)
- Take a first aid kit.
- Be knowledgeable about the location.
- Be able to recognize and point out native flowers. (I am somewhat botany challenged, but I can recognize trillium.)
- Recommend a place for tea afterwards.
I have made two
reconnoitering trips to check the lay of the land at Scotsdale Farms so I
think I have everything covered. Now I will just cross
my fingers for decent weather.
But I can’t help
thinking about Jane Christmas' travel memoir, What the Psychic Told the
Pilgrim, and the ladies who accompanied her on the Camino de Santiago de
Compostello. She encountered a host of
problems all because she went hiking with a group of women.
Fortunately, there are
no one legged hikers in my group, no chatty Cathys and no cliquey back-
stabbers. There will likely be no sexual
shenanigans.
Past experience leads
me to believe that our group will be very well-behaved. All those guidelines will keep us on The
Path.
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