THE
Betty Blog
Get Out of Your Box and Get Into a Boat!
Featured Leader of March: Lin Wilder
Each month, we’re featuring one of our amazing leaders! Bold Betties leaders’ volunteer their time and energy to plan and host amazing adventures that are guaranteed to help you #discoveryourbold!
This month we’re featuring Lin Wilder, an Alpha Betty from our Ft. Collins, CO chapter!
What made you want to be a leader for Bold Betties?
I love making things happen. I’m a very organized person, and I have a lot of experience informally organizing and leading outdoor adventures…
Bold Betties Code of Conduct
January Featured Leader of the Month – Jen Hoge, Salt Lake City
Chapter Leaders and Alpha Betties volunteer a ton of their time to plan and host unique and extraordinary adventures all over the United States. With 39 chapters and over 50,000 members, our leaders host over 200 adventures a month!
Here at Bold Betties HQ, we decided it was time to celebrate the leaders that work so hard to empower and inspire their members. Each month of 2019, we’ll feature a different leader here on the blog!
Explore the Amazon; Discover Yourself
A look back on our 2018 trip to the Amazon and a look forward to the upcoming trip in May of 2019!
Our Leaders’ Favorite Adventures of 2018!
Backpacking Havasupai: The Power of Sisterhood
By Laura Feeney, Bold Betties Community Manager
Havasupai is high up on a lot of bucket lists and for excellent reasons: waterfalls, canyon walls, golden light, long hikes, swimming holes, fascinating history, and amazing people. There are a lot of ways to experience such a beautiful place, some more intense than others. When Bold Betties started considering hosting trips to Havasupai, we knew there was only one way to do it: no mules, no helicopters, just our Boldest members carrying everything they needed on their own backs with well-informed guides leading the way.
With our two female guides…
The Great Outdoors are Inclusive Yet Diverse: You Should Be Too!
By Whitney Chandler
Exploring the outdoors shouldn’t be limited to a certain demographic, a specific type of person. Bold Betties is against the notion that only upper class gorgeous women in puffy coats should be able to summit mountains, explore the backcountry and have all the wilderness access available to them. However, this is not to say we don’t want to join them.
Although the realm of outdoor recreation is making a positive change, until recently many advertisements portrayed a certain type of woman as the representation of the outdoorsy woman. We are all familiar with…
Trip of a Lifetime
Westcliffe Horse Ranch Retreat Adventure Review from Susie Halsey
I had the amazing opportunity, thanks to Bold Betties, to spend 4 incredible days at Music Meadows Ranch, a beautiful 3,800 acre cattle ranch in the Wet Mountain Valley at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It truly is God’s country.
The ranch is owned and operated by Elin Parker, an incredible rancher, horsewoman, business woman, and human. I am so appreciative of all the wisdom and stories she shared with us. I am amazed at how she, with her ranch manager (another tough as nails…
Gear Review: Stand-to-Pee with Tinkle Belle
By Laura Feeney, Bold Betties Community Manager
Peeing outdoors can be tricky. There are multiple techniques you can try with varying results. Do you look for a bush, tree, or rock? Do you lean back, squat, or a combo? Do you use a leaf to wipe, carry toilet paper (while packing it back out of course), or do you air dry?
This past weekend I took a trip with 10 other Bold Betties to clear and open up Arling Trail in Cascade, Idaho. We used only hand tools and carried everything ourselves for two days of truly challenging work.
…
Meet A Betty!
Introducing Christa Jo from Bold Betties Boise:
Hi Betties!
I’m Christa Jo. I have been a single mom since the ripe old age of 18. I have raised my two boys all by myself for the past 25 years! My youngest left for college last summer and I told myself when he left that this would be the year that I would find myself. Create myself. Discover who I am. What I like. What I want to do. For the past 25 years it has been about surviving the day to day. No more! I want to feel alive!
Last…
Bold Environmental Work By Betties In Madison
By Kim Heagle, Chapter Leader, Madison
The Madison Bold Betties chapter is planning stream restoration events this summer and fall, partnering with the Harry and Laura Nohr chapter of Southwest Trout Unlimited.
Don’t Shut Up. Keep Speaking Your Truth.
By Jennifer Davis-Flynn
Like many Gen X women, I was raised by Oprah.
During my tender middle-school years in the late 80s’, I would settle into the kitchen table after school, with a peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk, and tune into The Oprah Winfrey Show at 4 p.m. With Oprah as my guide, I learned about our society’s most painful problems for the first time: depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, domestic violence, and racism. I watched Oprah banter with female performers I worshipped like Diana Ross, Bette Midler, and Whitney Houston and converse seriously with thought-provoking writers and…
Setting Resolutions: Let Your Seven-Year-Old Self Be Your Guide
By Jennifer Davis Flynn
We heard your…silence. When we asked you a couple of weeks ago to share your New Year’s resolutions with the community, we got zero responses. So, we thought we’d take a different approach and talk about positive intentions for 2018: some small things you can do to feel better all year long.
In her wildly popular book The Desire Map, Danielle LaPorte recounts a New Year’s Eve at home with her husband a few years prior. She sat down with big sheets of poster board and starting mapping out her resolutions in a new way –…
What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?
Studies have shown that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals, simply by writing them down; what’s more, your success rate further increases if you share them with a friend or partner.
Bold Betties wants to help you achieve your deepest desires in 2018! We’re inviting you to visualize and share your boldest resolutions for the upcoming year with our community.
Need more inspiration? Our CMO, Arezou Zarafshan, discusses her resolutions for the New Year:
My New Year’s resolution is unlike all of my past ones. In the past, I would go for SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable,…
WHY NEPAL SHOULD BE ON TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST (If it isn’t already!)
By Eman Zabi
If you don’t already have plans to jet off to the ‘Roof of the World’ any time soon, here are a few reasons why you should take ten days off that job you hate, and head to Nepal instead.
THE PEAKS
Even if you aren’t quite Everest ready yet, Nepal is home to some of the most stunning trekking circuits in the world: The Nepalese Himalayas, and The Annapurnas. If you’re not quite ready to climb into oxygen-starved death zones, Nepal has several easier treks, so you can feel like you’re on top…
5 Reasons to Fall in Love with Winter Camping
Imagine snowshoeing across a frozen lake with a wide expanse of deciduous forest unfolding in front of you. Thanks to the leafless trees, you can see deep inside the woods, where well-traveled animal tracks crisscross fluffy, white snowdrifts. The only sound is the snow crunching beneath your feet and the cheerful whistle of the Black-Capped Chickadee overhead. The pristine landscape belongs to the wildlife and the few brave souls who venture out to experience the everyday world in a whole new light.
This is winter camping. And here are some more reasons your outdoor adventures don’t need to end as…
More on Winter Camping: Layering and Sleeping Hacks!
By Sylvia Armitstead
Greetings Fellow Bold Betties!
By knowing the proper layers and how to dress for warmth. Additionally, looking into different options for shelter for where you are going to be is totally important. Will it be super windy? Is there going to be snow to dig down into? Will you be using a Four Season Tent, or a Snow Tunnel?
Link to Four Season Tents on REI
Always have a base layer of either silk or wool (preferably Marino wool just cause its waaaaay softer on the skin,…
Hacks for a Comfy Night’s Sleep in a Tent
Sleeping in a tent doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable experience. With a little creative know-how, these tips ensure you’ll have a great night’s sleep while camping.
Make Plenty of Pillows
When you sleep outside, sometimes you need a little extra cushion in certain spots, such as your neck, hips, or shoulders. Keep a stash of improvised pillows to boost your comfort. An easy way to make a pillow is to use a jacket and a Buff, neck gaiter or headband. First fold your jacket lengthwise, then roll it up. Next, stuff jacket into the Buff, neck gaiter or…
#MeToo, Diana Nyad, and Sexual Assault in the Outdoor Industry
Prompted by the Harvey Weinstein scandal, thousands of women have begun to tell their stories of sexual harassment and assault across social media using the hashtag #MeToo, and the list of powerful men across all industries accused of sexual misconduct is growing every day.
To many, it feels like a watershed moment in the national conversation about consent and sexual coercion in the workplace – an issue that has long remained hidden, allowing perpetrators to keep their jobs and status, while survivors carry the deep shame of their wounds. Alone.
Thankfully, women, like record-breaking, long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad, are…
Adventure in Paradise: Discover the Big Island of Hawaii in February
Imagine a postcard-perfect vacation where you can explore lush, mountainous landscapes, experience a live volcano, snorkel with sea turtles, and camp on the beach – all while taking plenty of time to relax, reset, and soak in the tropical sun.
Sound too good to be true?
It’s not a dream. You’re invited to join the Bold Betties for a six-day adventure on the Big Island of Hawaii, from January 31 – February 5, 2018. Led by expert guide and Navy veteran Kevin Rosenberg , this trip blends comfort and adventure, featuring two nights of rustic beach camping and three…
Make Your New Year’s Resolution About Adventure Travel
2018 is right around the corner and if your new-year resolution does not contain going on adventure travel (a weekend camping trip or a multi-week expedition to Antarctica), you should most definitely make it as such!
Let’s face it, losing 10 pounds and calling aunt Emma more often as new-year resolutions haven’t worked out all that well and they never will as they have fleeting affects and they are often triggered by societal pressures.
Adventure travel, on the other hand, transforms you for life! Research and facts are clear! Adventure is good for your body, your soul and…
Unplug and Unwind during our New Year’s Mexican Escape
Release pent-up holiday stress and residual anxiety from the past year while you pamper your body and soul on our Healthy Reset Retreat, January 10-14, 2018.
Imagine sinking into the peaceful, mountainous landscape of Mexico’s Central Pacific Coast as you recharge and set your intentions for a prosperous and joyful 2018. Perched on the shore of the Santa Maria del Oro crater lagoon, The Volcan Laguna eco-resort is a world away from the daily grind. Encircled by the forested Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains, this private retreat sets the stage for deep…
New to Backpacking? Ease into Adventure with Two Fully-Supported Arizona Trips
Make the leap from hiking to backpacking with the Bold Betties. We’ve got two weekend trips that will build your confidence in the outdoors while you enjoy a mood-boosting, sunny desert getaway during the deep freeze of Winter.
Whether you’re an absolute novice or a seasoned outdoors woman, you’ll find something to love about our short but sweet Grand Canyon and Superstition Wilderness guided trips, led by our partners in Arizona.
Experience the Grand Canyon from the Bottom Up
If you’re just gazing at the Grand Canyon from the rim like everyone else, you’re missing out.
Our Grand…
