Seattle gay hiking club

Hiking is more popular than ever especially after living through a global pandemic, which forced us to deal with self-isolation, causing us to crave nature even more. Dani Heinrich explores. Nature helps us deal with anxiety and stress, it helps us to relax and to slow down, according to Harvard Medical School research. Gay Parks have been more crowded than everand so many people opted for a vacation in nature that it caused a campervan and RV shortage across the U.

Outdoor tour companies felt the effects of the surge, club. Outdoor Activities for Queer Travelers on the Seattle At The Venture Out Project TVOPan hiking that arranges backpacking and wilderness trips for queer and transgender outdoor enthusiasts, most of their trips sold out before the summer even started.

Even people who have never hiked before are opting for outdoorsy getaways this year, ranging from day hikes to glamping weekends to longer backcountry backpacking trips. In fact, it can be quite daunting. Several stories of lesbian and gay hikers who were murdered because of their visible sexual orientation have made headlines in the past, but also the fact that in 27 states there are still no laws protecting people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity can turn a seemingly simple activity like a backpacking trip into a nerve-wrecking undertaking.

Social media has been a great tool for typically underrepresented groups to connect and to find each other, reaching millions of people all over the U. Regardless of your skill level — experienced hiker or a newbie nature lover — joining a hiking organization can be rewarding for a lot of reasons: you get to enjoy the outdoors with like-minded people, and you connect with other queers who share your love for nature and hiking.

Along the way, you also learn fundamental outdoors skills, the right gear for long hikes and camping trips, and how to make your first overnight camping trip a success. Out There Adventures offers kayaking, climbing and multi-day hiking trips. They offer day hikes, campouts, river rafting trips, youth- and women-centered camping trips as well as hike for people of color.

The ultimate guide to LGBTQ+ hiking and outdoor groups

It recently launched a US-wide volunteer program in every U. Keep an eye on their Instagram account to find out how to sign up for TVOP road trip events in your area. Everyone is welcome! Unlikely Hikers has chapters across the U. Local groups will be shown first, and most post group hike events.

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