*The AMC is the Appalachian Mountain Club, they maintain a large section of the trail running through the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

On our first night of the trip, Caroline and I stumbled into Nauman Campsites absolutely exhausted. We walked in about 6 o'clock, and speaking for myself, it took a lot of energy — like an embarrassing amount— to even stay standing long enough to make camp. My reward however was meeting the lovely ladies taking the AMC Mountain Leadership Course. We met, as most people do in the woods, at the cooking section of a group campsite. (For those of you who don't know, many big campsites have a designated cooking area in order to keep animals such as squirrels, bears, etc. away from the actual tent sites.)

The group consisted of five 'leaders in training:' Heidi, age 45, affectionately known by her counterparts as Blue Moon, Ann, age 58, Becky, age 42, Beth, age 56, aka Coffee and Diane, age 61. They were led by Lindsay, age 32, known on the trail as lollipop, and Martha, age 58, aka Doc.

When asked how they first 'got into' hiking Heidi responded that it was just something she had always done. "I grew up in Western North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and as a kid my family would spend every Saturday on Blue Ridge Parkway or exploring the Smokies. I've moved around a lot as an adult, lived in places that didn't have access to hiking," she made a visible cringe and added, "I lived in Ohio! I mean...doesn't get flatter than that. But really it helped me realize that being in the mountains — it's the closest I ever feel to home."

Ann added that it was her kids who got her involved. When they were younger the whole family hiked together; after they moved out of the house, she began looking for a new group to hike with, that was why she was taking the leadership course. Whether to hike in groups is actually a very controversial decision. On one hand, many people come to the woods to be alone and in terms of environmental impact, one person leaves much less trace than seven. On the other, accidents happen in the woods. You could fall and injure yourself, have a run-in with bad weather, a stranger, or an animal, in any of these cases you would want to have another person around. When asked if they felt comfortable hiking alone, the group overwhelmingly responded no, that going out alone, especially as a woman, was just unsafe.

Our final interview question is rather heavy. When I asked the women if they had ever felt like they were treated/viewed or just experienced hiking and camping differently because of their gender the campfire went silent for a moment. Heidi began by saying, "I've been mansplained. Less when I'm backpacking, there is a certain level of respect that comes with that, but definitely when I am day hiking. There is the paternalist thing that can happen. "

Lindsay added that she gets a lot of information she doesn't ask for. "People are always telling me, you'll be there in no time, you're doing great, or the classic 'you go girl.' I know I am doing great, and I really don't need people to tell me that."

Becky responded by saying, "My daughter is eleven and she has just started hiking bigger mountains with us as a family. When we get to the top, I really just want to see a big group of women, like this one, at the peak. And, I don't. I don't see that. Instead, when we get up there, people say to my daughter 'wow your so brave' and 'look at you little girl all the way up here' and I just think yes! Look at her up here! She just did that, this 'little girl' just climbed the same mountain you did. There is no need to make her feel like a 'little girl' because she is just as brave and strong as the rest of us.

"I first starting hiking when I was in college. So a little over ten years ago now. I went to school in Maine and my boyfriend junior year loved to hike up there. Originally, I just did day hikes with him, but after we broke up I kept doing them and started backpacking to. I knew absolutely nothing about hiking or camping at the beginning, I'm afraid I asked a lot of dumb questions. People were generally friendly but I have also found that a lot of people, especially older men, don't know when to stop. It's almost like they can't see the line between being helpful and being, what's a good way to put this, borderline misogynistic? For example, years ago I was hiking up Mount Washington, a mountain that gets a lot of day hikers, and I wasn't making very good time. I had decided to bring a full backpack, even though I wasn't spending the night, just to practice hiking with a bit of weight. Anyways, there I was hiking up and a middle-aged man come up behind me. The trail was steep and narrow so he couldn't get around me easily. I saw a little clearing about 100 yds up ahead where he could pass me, so I picked up the pace a little bit. As he passed me he turns to me and says, 'You know there are smaller mountains around here that would be better for you.' Honestly, I was offended by his remark. I was wearing a full pack and he wasn't and he was commenting on my speed. I replied that I was perfectly happy there and he mumbled under his breath, 'women' and walked away from me. To this day it still makes me angry."

"I don't really think about it, actually I try not to, because when I do I see that it's really terrible. The group I'm out here with, we all wear whistles. Not for fear of getting lost or wild animals but as an added caution for other people. I would absolutely never hike alone not with the people you meet in the woods. Another thing now that I'm thinking about it. Whenever I have a conversation with other women out here I feel so empowered, but some of the men I meet out here purposefully make me feel inferior. I'm out here doing exactly what they are, sometimes more, and they go out of their way to make me feel out of place. That's something that no one should have to deal with.

"My trail name is roadrunner, like the old cartoon. I'm 52 years old and I live right outside of DC in Virginia. I've been on the trail for just over five months now and I'll be completely finished in about a week. Being out here, it's changed my life. The women I've met out here, we've formed a real sisterhood. They've seen me through my highest and my lowest, the support is just unconditional. I've been walking with a woman I met in New York for about two months now, she has become one of my closest friends. My first grandchild was just born and we are going to go meet him together once we get off the trail. She is someone I'll never forget and I'm so grateful to the trail for putting us together."