By Donna Glenen-Cruickshank, a founding member of WOW
What do you get when you cross a beautiful starry night in Fundy National Park with twelve fun and creative women? You get so much more than you could have ever imagined! Women of the Wilderness (WOW!) was born out of fun, friendship, laughter, and the need for connection with nature and each other. And it was born right here in Albert County just two years ago.
What do you get when you cross a beautiful starry night in Fundy National Park with twelve fun and creative women? You get so much more than you could have ever imagined! Women of the Wilderness (WOW!) was born out of fun, friendship, laughter, and the need for connection with nature and each other. And it was born right here in Albert County just two years ago.
WOW's "fearless leader" Sarah Lord Since that evening, our group has grown to hundreds of members and explored many beautiful and challenging places in and around Albert County. One recent favourite was a Remembrance Day hike at Crooked Creek in Riverside-Albert. The sixteen women who took part didn't only enjoy the lookoff, a picnic lunch and the beautiful falls, they also shared stories about family who served in wartime. They found that honouring the 11th hour with two minutes of silence in the forest was a very powerful way to connect the past and future.
As if we needed any more challenge than a hike to Third Vault Falls or kayaking at Cape Enrage, in the fall of 2019 we brought 36 ladies together at Pointe Wolfe for a weekend of oTENTik camping. Those who had never camped in their lives sure were thankful for the ladies who are skilled at all things camping and, thankfully, willing to share their knowledge. Throw in community meals, special dietary needs, several hikes each day, along with talk of camping equipment, knee pain and bladder control, and a ukulele to serenade us, and you'll see why we had so much to talk and laugh about around the campfire. And speaking of campfires, how much more exciting could it be than for a newbie camper to start her very first fire to light up the night and bring us all some physical warmth!
Camping and hiking are regular activities within our group, but what's so great is that we love to try new activities together, such as axe throwing, paddle boarding, glamping and dragon boating. I recently had a true thrill when I arranged a small group trail ride at Broadleaf Ranch. What a gem right here at home! I hadn't ridden a horse in more than 30 years and felt a lot of fear at the thought of doing it again. As my horse was prepared for me, I could feel the fear, excitement and tears welling up. Thankfully my WOW pals encouraged me. The memory of that one-hour marshland trail ride still brings me great excitement, and I'm so thankful for such a wonderful group of women who helped me "get back on the horse"!
As if we needed any more challenge than a hike to Third Vault Falls or kayaking at Cape Enrage, in the fall of 2019 we brought 36 ladies together at Pointe Wolfe for a weekend of oTENTik camping. Those who had never camped in their lives sure were thankful for the ladies who are skilled at all things camping and, thankfully, willing to share their knowledge. Throw in community meals, special dietary needs, several hikes each day, along with talk of camping equipment, knee pain and bladder control, and a ukulele to serenade us, and you'll see why we had so much to talk and laugh about around the campfire. And speaking of campfires, how much more exciting could it be than for a newbie camper to start her very first fire to light up the night and bring us all some physical warmth!
Camping and hiking are regular activities within our group, but what's so great is that we love to try new activities together, such as axe throwing, paddle boarding, glamping and dragon boating. I recently had a true thrill when I arranged a small group trail ride at Broadleaf Ranch. What a gem right here at home! I hadn't ridden a horse in more than 30 years and felt a lot of fear at the thought of doing it again. As my horse was prepared for me, I could feel the fear, excitement and tears welling up. Thankfully my WOW pals encouraged me. The memory of that one-hour marshland trail ride still brings me great excitement, and I'm so thankful for such a wonderful group of women who helped me "get back on the horse"!
Many of the founding members Women of the Wilderness has grown into a group of women who love nature and have found so much pleasure on the roads of New Brunswick. We love to stop at local businesses to enjoy their fare. Homemade ice cream at the Elgin Country Kitchen after hiking the Mapleton Acadian Forest anyone? How about a hot bowl of delicious soup at Cinnamon Soul Café in Hillsborough after a trip to Hopewell Rocks or any of the beautiful hiking trails in the area? Yes, please! How much better can life in Albert County get? We'll let you know as we continue our wilderness escapades!
Looking to connect with the Women of the Wilderness?
We welcome women of Southeastern NB who love to hike, camp, and spend time in nature. Look up Women of the Wilderness (WOW) on Facebook, answer a few simple questions, and we hope to see you soon.
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