Enjoy Happy Trails, the free monthly newsletter from Hiking For Her
By Diane Spicer
The Over Forty Hiker community is a private safe space for female hikers with lots of encouragement, humor, questions, and hard won trail wisdom to share with each other.
Comments, images and chats are kept within the community's walled garden.
Even better:
And you won't be bombarded with social media noise - or have your information sold, mined or manipulated.
Here's how to request an invitation:
An invitation is unavailable at this time.
If your idea of happiness is a circle of hikers, all wanting what's best for you on the trail, this Over Forty Hiker community will appeal to you.
Here, you can collaborate with others on getting your hiking plans fleshed out.
You can celebrate victories and accomplishments with other hikers who really know what it means to conquer a goal.
You have other hikers who really "get it" and love to talk about all things hiking.
You can ask for suggestions and guidance when you're stuck on something.
And your motivation to get outside and get moving will soar when you see the photos and tips from other female hikers!
NOTE: We do not hike together on any regular scheduled basis, in any one location. We're all over the map! This is your chance to hike vicariously with us.
Because it's hosted by Hiking For Her, you can expect things to be well run and easy to use.
You can use a phone app, your tablet, a computer, or switch back and forth between all three.
The conversations we have inside the community are richer, deeper than you'll find in a Facebook group.
There isn't any competition to be the best or the smartest, so everyone's voice is heard and honored. What would that feel like for you?
You'll also be the first to know about gear deals, discount coupon codes for reputable hiking brands, hiking resources and articles that are "must reads", and more.
This community is no longer accepting members.
Instead, use this website filled with over 700 pages of free detailed hiking advice to get your questions answered!
Or sign up for the free monthly newsletter.
Once inside the community, you have access to friendly hikers of all ability levels and backgrounds.
That should feel pretty exciting!
It's
also exciting to think about helping us build an extensive storehouse of
hiking knowledge for all to enjoy.
When you connect with this community of women who really "get it" when it comes to your hiking interests, it's amazing and magical.
Being over forty can mean a lot of things to a woman.
Here's another thing:
Have you noticed how the media ignores or demonizes aging?
Hiking For Her believes strongly in smart, strong, safe female hikers as a reality (read more here).
In our community, being 40+ years of age is welcomed as a fact of life, not a limitation on the enjoyment of outdoor adventures.
And why not celebrate it?
Absolutely!
No one is going to ask your age - and you can share it within the community, or not.
But let's be honest here.
That's why we're being up front to own the fact that we are women of a certain age - and gloriously beyond.
Is there hiking life beyond forty?
Let's go find out - together!
We're not male bashers. We know the value of male hiking buddies!
We just want to create an intentionally woman focused space to explore what hiking means to us as we move along our personal trails.
Every female understands how the dynamics of a conversation can change when a male point of view is introduced.
And there are specific female concerns which every woman faces on the trail.
So for now, we're a trail sister community.
As we grow and change, the topic might come up for discussion.
This community is no longer accepting members.
Instead, use this website filled with over 700 pages of free detailed hiking advice to get your questions answered!
Or sign up for the free monthly newsletter.
I want to emphasize this:
You can choose to respond to the email, or to ignore it. No worries!
And if for some reason you fill out this form and don't receive an invitation, check your spam folder, or try again within a few days.
We're not ignoring you! There was a typo or glitch somewhere along the way ;)
Because the contributions of our members are at the core of our community, there is no free trial to come in and meet everyone before you join.
The monthly fee (about the price of a couple of trail bars) is kept low on purpose, so you can try things out and see if it's a good fit for you.
But you can read what members say about themselves and their experience in this community right here! (click the graphic)
Your membership in the Over Forty Hiker community is very affordable:
As a valued member, you can leave at any time.
Three reasons, all of which are chalked up to the "no such thing as free lunch" costs of living on our planet:
A few words about each...
This community relies upon state of the art technology to enable our private interactions.
As members, we can:
lots of technical features, which require both time and money to keep running smoothly.
Over Forty Hiker is hosted and curated, meaning there is a firm commitment to enforcing a zero tolerance policy for anyone who posts offensive or demeaning content, trying to stir up trouble or pit one hiker against another.
The host also troubleshoots your technical glitches and responds to your messages.
You realize how this kind of hosting and support requires dedicated staff hours, which are paid for by the membership fees.
The daily news is filled with examples of bad actors in social media spaces.
Women join our community because we are all looking for a quality experience without worrying about who is selling our data or tracking what we do.
The private "walled garden" experience eliminates the worries and the headaches you may have experienced in many current social media groups.
Selling ads or seeking corporate sponsors for our community is something we have decided to avoid.
This community gives a lot, and asks each member to support the delivery of a quality, unique experience with a modest fee.
Technology, hosting, support, privacy, a community of women gathered together to support each other as hikers ...what is all of that goodness worth to you?
Just a few hiking comparisons to add some perspective:
Before you join, it's important to highlight what you won't find here, allowing you to make an informed decision about joining us.
This community has some distinct differences, beyond its privacy and intentional focus on a high quality, interactive user experience.
Because we're spread all over the map, we don't schedule hikes in one particular location.
In fact, there are no regularly scheduled events in this group.
If you're looking for a local hiking group for organized hikes, read my tips here.
The Over Forty Hiker community is not built around a social media platform.
So if you like big, fast paced, noisy groups on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other public platforms, you might find this community way out of the norm.
That's not to say you can't get a fast answer to a question.
But if that's all you're after, you won't find value here.
Yes, you will meet other hikers from around the United States.
But there is no guarantee that someone is in your neighborhood.
So if you're looking for a specific type of hiking partner for a specific location, consider my suggestions for finding one here.
There's no central figure or particular point of view inside our community.
So if you would prefer to focus on one hiker's perspective, or you desire to locate specific hiking information quickly, this is not going to meet your needs.
Aging hikers are a reality! If you're sensitive about the number of candles on your birthday cake, the candor of the name and our topics might turn you off.
Lurkers won't get much value from joining us, because the secret sauce is in the chats, conversations, group events and friendships being developed within the Over Forty hiker community.
If you're seeking a spot to market your own products, services or branding, please contact me and we can discuss how to do that here on the Hiking For Her website.
And trolls?
Not to worry.
You should join us when:
No one can predict what you'll learn - or who you'll meet.
Very similar to every single hike you take, if you stop to think about it.
Community members have free access to courses written in the Hiking For Her manner, full of tips and knowledge for you to put to good use.
Past courses include:
Great value for your money. And you never know what you'll see inside the community as it grows!
This unique Over Forty Hiker community welcomes female hikers of all ability levels.
We're ready to share insights, humor and hard won hiking tips with you in a private, ad free space built for making connections and sharing experiences.
This is what you can look forward to as a member:
Meet hikers located near you, & those at a distance.
Chat with those who have hiked trails you'd love to explore.
Find out about hiking in other areas, and be inspired and motivated to try something new.
Ask and answer questions about all things hiking from the best sports bras to how to hang a bear bag.
Pay it forward by sharing your hiking knowledge.
Share stories and photos in a lively exchange of trail wisdom.
Enjoy the unique content, free courses and honest conversations not found elsewhere.
We're creating something really wonderful together,
won't you join us?
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