#OptOutside Black Friday Hike

#OptOutside - Hike at Rachel Carson Conservation Trail

In 2015, REI took the unprecedented step of closing all of their stores on Black Friday and encouraging everyone to #OptOutside and enjoy nature instead.

Women Outdoors Mid-Atlantic is going to do just that with an #OptOutside hike at Rachel Carson Conservation Park in Brookeville, MD on Friday morning, Nov. 25. (Full disclosure - Kathleen, one of your friendly RCs, works part-time at REI.)

The Rachel Carson Conservation Park honors Montgomery County's own Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring author and considered by many to be the mother of the modern environmental movement.

We'll meander about 4 miles on the trails through the park. Bring your binoculars for some good winter birding. From the park's website: "The park is densely populated by numerous species of wildlife, high-quality forest, and features spectacular rock outcroppings." The Hawlings River runs through the southern edge of the park.

Doggies are welcome on this hike but must be kept on leash at all times.

To honor Rachel Carson, please bring a trash bag to pick up litter as we hike and a favorite Carson quote if you'd like to share during a rest stop on our hike. From Silent Spring: "The history of life on earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their surroundings."

This activity is open to members and non-members of Women Outdoors. Non-members are welcome to attend two WO events as guests. On your third event, we'll ask you to join the Mid-Atlantic Region of Women Outdoors. You can also join right now by clicking on this Join Us link.

The automatic confirmation email is the only email you will receive about this event. Be sure and save it or print it out.

COVID-19 Message 

Are you vaccinated? Please let us know when you register. Based on that response, we can tailor appropriate CDC safety protocols for this get-together.

• Read WO's COVID guidelines.

• WO members and guests must agree to our COVID-19 Safety Agreement & Assumption of Risk Statement during the registration process.

RSVP and Cancellation – IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ

Be sure to copy down the address and trip leader contact information from the confirmation email to bring with you as there might not be good cell service at the event location.

If you register but then are unable to attend, please cancel your registration. Events may be cancelled due to lack of attendance, as well as changes in weather or other circumstances. 

If you must cancel at the last minute, call or text the event host/trip leader (see your confirmation email for contact details) and let her know who it is who is calling/texting.

To Cancel: Go to your Registration List

• Click on this event in your list.
• Click on the Already registered link under the REGISTER button.
• At the next page that opens with your registration form, click on the CANCEL REGISTRATION button, and then again click on Cancel Registration on the pop-up form.