On Tuesday, July 26th, the Washington SheJumps group hosted our first “SheHikes: Backpacking Tips and Tricks for Females” event at Second Ascent in Ballard, Washington. Two Beers Brewing and Seattle Cider Company generously donated beer and cider for the ladies to enjoy throughout the night. We were thrilled to have Caity Rock, Community & Social Media Coordinator for TBB / SCC, at the event too.
SheJumpers Yulia Dubinina and Krystin Norman provided excellent event support. Andrew Magnussen, Event / Marketing Coordinator at Second Ascent, was our main contact for planning the event and getting everything set up. We were thrilled that Second Ascent offered a one night only 20% off backpacking gear sale for all participants. Many women took advantage of this great deal!
Overall, the night was a huge success. Online presale tickets sold out the day before the event and a total of 75 women attended. Discussion topics included trip planning, the ten essentials, female hygiene, managing fear, and traveling safely and responsibly. The night ended with a Q&A session, followed by a stacked raffle with donated items from Outdoor Research, SheJumps, and Second Ascent. Many women stayed after to chat with one another, buy gear, and check out the backpacking essentials I had laid out. I received kind, positive feedback from many attendees, who said they found the night to be both insightful and empowering. I hope to host another event like this in the future.
I am so thankful for all the people who helped make the SheHikes event happen. I have dreamed of gathering women together so that we can encourage one another to be confident, knowledgeable leaders in the backcountry. Thank you to all the beautiful women that came to the event and helped me chase my daydream.
Sarah McCroy
SheJumper
August 2, 2016
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