The great outdoors
A group of nature-loving women is proving that the outdoors is not just for men.
The Adventure Ladies meet twice a month at various county trails to hike and enjoy some girl time, regardless of the temperature.
Kathy Rojas of Adams Township started the group about five years ago at Victory Family Church in Cranberry Township after leaders of the huge congregation suggested members form small groups based on their interests as a way to get to know their fellow church members.
“I like planning and I like hiking, so I started Adventure Ladies,” Rojas said.
Initially, the group was comprised of Victory Family Church members, but Rojas began posting the group and its upcoming hiking excursions on Facebook.That drew women from all over Butler County and surrounding counties to participate in the group's events, which are usually hikes at Moraine State Park, Jennings Nature Preserve, McConnell's Mill, North Park in Allegheny County and other woodsy venues.“We just meet other ladies who like the outdoors, and we have a good time,” Rojas said.She said the youngest to participate in a hike was 14 years old and the oldest 72.On Saturday, about 15 of the hardiest group members met at Preston Park in Butler Township and enjoyed a frosty 2.5-mile hike on the paths there.Although the mercury spiked at about 19 degrees at 10 a.m., the bundled-up group had a good hike.“That's part of the adventure, right?” Rojas said. “You have to get yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit.”Rojas' playful nature tempted her to attempt a stroll atop the lake, but cooler heads prevailed.“Two of the ladies did ice hockey, so we turned to them for advice,” Rojas said. “We were like 'Is this thick enough?' and they said 'Absolutely not.'”She said the chilly hike wasn't too bad.“Once you started moving, it was fine,” Rojas said. “Standing in the parking lot waiting for everybody to get there, that was the torture.”She said the ladies greatly enjoyed the renovated Preston Park, where they had not hiked before.“We saw some birds and enjoyed looking at the lake,” Rojas said. “It is a really nice park.”She posts the location and distance of each hike ahead of time on Facebook so potential participants can decide whether the hike is right for them.“Today's hike was 2.5 miles and relatively flat, so anybody of any fitness level could come do that today,” Rojas said.The hikes are normally scheduled on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. Rojas hopes to lead 21 hikes in 2021.She said about 75 percent of the Adventure Ladies are from Butler County.
While hiking is the premier activity pursued by the group, they also take road trips and even go on overnighters to enjoy nature.“Last week we did snow tubing at Boyce Park (in the Monroeville, Allegheny County, area) and we've done horseback riding in Bridgeville,” Rojas said.Overnight trips have included Cook Forest in Clarion County, Ohiopyle in Fayette County, Deep Creek Lake in Northern Maryland and other locations.One particular part of each hike, an introduction circle that includes a short prayer, is especially enjoyed by many of the ladies, Rojas said.“I can't tell you how many people have told me that the minute-long prayer really touched them,” she said.Sheila Neely of Washington Township has been with the Adventure Ladies since the group's inception.She layered up on Saturday and attended the Preston Park hike.“I love the opportunity to meet other women and to just get to converse with them,” Neely said. “I like to be able to show God's love to everybody.”She also said Preston Park was an awesome place to stroll the woods with like-minded women.The group stopped to read the amusing compass points along the trail that list the mileage to Bermuda or the North Pole, Neely said.“We go for the hiking and the camaraderie, but we are happy to enjoy the other things that are out there,” she said.Even though the icy hand of winter has a grip on the Preston Park trail, the group also experienced some wildlife.“We saw five or six deer today, and we heard some birds,” Neely said.Like Rojas, Neely has made friends with the women she meets in Adventure Ladies.“Every person who has come who is new has been an opportunity for us to get to talk to them and know them and get more women out in nature,” Neely said.Martha Walton of McCandless Township, Allegheny County, also has been enjoying hikes and trips with Adventure Ladies during its entire five-year existence.“I joined to have some outings with friends,” she said. “They were doing things that I like to do.”Walton enjoys all the hikes planned by Rojas and could not select a favorite venue.“I love the hikes where we just find some good trails deep into the woods,” she said. “Everybody should get out and start hiking and get off the couch.”Walton hopes Adventure Ladies continues far into the future and continues to spawn friendships among outdoorsy women.“It's getting into nature, getting exercise and being with wonderful people,” Walton said. “You can't beat that.”More information on the group, including upcoming hikes and excursions, is available by searching Adventure Ladies Cranberry on Facebook.
