Welcome!  Please CONTACT US with any questions about events.

Tusi ritachild@hotmail.com and Nira niraharper@gmail.com

Wednesday Walks. Nira and Noor will lead Wednesday hikes or walks, usually at 1:00 or 1:30 pm. Details will be posted over the listserv.

Thursday Bike Rides. Bike rides on the first and third Thursday mornings, 8:30 am. Each will be loops near and around Northampton/Florence. Each has a moderate but short hill. If you ride regularly these hills wont' be hard. Rides are anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes. You can also meet us along the bike path to Florence if you would like. Optional after each ride: breakfast at a local restaurant. 

Tues. July 4. Potluck, Swim & Social.  At Paula’s in Leeds from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. Bring: something yummy to eat, salad, casserole, bread, dip, dessert. Bring a plate or bowl and utensils for yourself, though I will have some compostables available if needed. Don't bring: single use water bottles or anything equally evil. Plan to bring any over food home with you! Consider bringing a container for leftovers. A small grill will be available. Fresh water for drinking and washing hands is available in the back yard. 

Bring a chair, a hat, a swim suit and towel. Swim shoes are advised. The deepest water in the river is about shoulders deep. The bottom is gravel and sand. access is down stone steps which might be slippery. 

Games: Bocce and horseshoes are available. Bring games if you have them! Bring musical instrument(s) and your voice! Consider a story to tell. Friendly dog Milo will be tied in the yard. 

Fri. July 7.  Kayak Swift River.  Meet at the boat ramp at the Swift River on Cold Spring Rd in Belchertown at 10:30 am. Bring water, lunch or snack.  This is an easy paddle with bird sightings.  

Sat. July 8. Hike at Buffam Falls. Meet for an easy hike at these beautiful falls in Pelham. 

Sun. July 9. CT River Kayak. 1:30 - 4:00 pm. Kayak CT River from Sunderland put in (Park at Sunderland Library) and paddle up to at least the 2^nd island.  Stop and swim at the island.Great birdwatching including herons and bald eagles, so bring your binoculars.Life jackets required.  There is a strong current alone the upstream sides of the 2^nd island, and not everyone may be able to paddle through that depending on your boat. Some may paddle past the island, but another option is to turn back downstream after reaching the downstream tip of the island and swimming.  Details can be worked out depending on who comes.  

Tues. July 11.  Bike to Maple Farms. Meet at Damon Rd. bike path at 11:00 to ride to Maple Farms for lunch (and further for those who want) and back.  Led by Abriete and Vivian.

Wed. July 12. Game Night. Meet at 7:00 at 1 Deer Haven Drive in Haydenville.

Fri. July 21. She Said Band at Deja Brew.  The all women local band She Said will be playing at 7:00 pm at Deja Brew in Wendell.  And it’s Jayne’s birthday!  Come join in the fun. 

Sat. July 22. Peace Pagoda Walk & Chant. The New England Peace Pagoda’s website says “we must completely abolish armaments, not only nuclear weapons, but all tools of killing and destruction and all means of war.” We’ll visit the Pagoda, stroll around their beautiful gardens, and then chant for world peace with some very friendly monks. The temple is gorgeous. Arrive at 4:30 for a relaxing stroll, followed by chanting at 5:30pm. 100 Cave Hill Road, Leverett, MA 01054. 

Fri. July 28. Bike & Dinner.  Please join us at the Damon street bridge at 6:00 pm for an easy flat ride to Maple Valley for some food and good company. They have a variety of prepared foods: salad, pizza, yummy burritos and much more. Total mileage about 9. Hoping for another good sunset this week and maybe a little less wind.

Tues. Aug. 1. Full Moon/Sunset Hike with Poetry.  Evening time and location TBA. Details will come by email In August.

Wed. Aug. 2. Game Night. Meet at 7:00 at 1 Deer Haven Drive in Haydenville. 

Thurs. Aug. 3. Hammonasset Beach Day. We’ll have a carpool schedule for a day at the beach with swimming, picnic, walks and biking. Led by Celia and Noor.  

Fri. Aug. 4. Bike & Dinner. Please join us at the Damon street bridge at 6:00 for an easy flat ride to Maple Valley for some food and good company. They have a variety of prepared foods: salad, pizza, yummy burritos and much more. Total mileage about 9. Hoping for another good sunset this week and maybe a little less wind. Please let me know if you'd like to join us. 

Sat. Aug. 5. CT River Loop Ride. 9:30 – noon.  This is a 19 mile ride. CT River loop ride.  Start at the Sunderland public library (porta-potties available) and ride north on 47 to Falls Rd, and go through the farmlands to Montague.  Cross the CT River on the Canal Trail (more porta-potties) and head south on River Rd. to South Deerfield.  Cross the river again and end back at the library.  869 ft. elevation gain from mostly small hills along the river.  Count on 2 ½ hours with stops for water and scenery.  Short section on Rt. 47 has a moderate car traffic, otherwise most of this is bikeways and quiet roads.  Must wear helmets.  Please follow the rules of the road, and use hand signals to help the other riders know your intention and stay safe. Single file on roads where there is traffic. 

Sun. Aug. 20.  Bike Ride.  We’ll do a 15-18 mile moderate ride, location tbd. Contact 

Sun. Aug 27. Swift River Kayak and Lunch. 11 am – 3 pm. Spend the afternoon on the cold, refreshing Swift River in Belchertown. Kayak or canoe, swim, birdwatch and picnic. Parking is tight, so carpool if you can. Meet at the Swift River boat launch on Cold Spring Rd. at 11 am.  We can eat lunch in our boats, or sometimes stop at an island or "beach" if there is room to land.  Life jackets required.  R

Fri. Sept. 1. Bike & Dinner. Please join us at the Damon street bridge at 5:30pm for an easy flat ride to Maple Valley for some food and good company. They have a variety of prepared foods: salad, pizza, yummy burritos and much more. Total mileage about 9. Hoping for another good sunset this week and maybe a little less wind. Please let me know if you'd like to join us.

Sun. Sept. 3. Bike Ride. Meet at 10:30 AM *behind* Florence Paint off of Maple and the bike path (4 Depot Ave., Florence, MA). Lots of parking in that lot. This trip has 2 reservoirs, multiple streams, the Mill River and 2 big downhills, as well as lots of uphills, with almost 1000 ft. of elevation gain. This is a training ride/moderate ride of 16.5 miles. (We will not be stopping to sightsee. We will stop sometimes for brief water breaks.) We expect to be done by 12:30ish, but allow for 1 PM in case there are delays, etc.

Thur. Sept. 7. Dog Walk. Meet at 10:00 am at Station Rd Car Park, Amherst. The Norwottuck Rail Trail-Station Rd Car Park to Amherst Dog Park is 1.4 miles. Play time in the Large Dog or Small Dog area while tea and biscuits for us under the sail shades. Dogs must be on leads or under verbal control. RSVP as limited numbers.

Fri. Sept. 8. Potluck Picnic (with grilling, games, walk, art) at Nonotuck Park in Easthampton, from 3:00-6:30. We're continuing our wonderful pot luck gatherings with a late-afternoon/early-evening picnic (including "activities"). We've reserved 4 picnic tables at two adjacent sites (2 tables at each site)...

The schedule is roughly as follows.  3:00-4:30- games (corn hole or similar), walking in woods/along the pond, painting, etc (other choices welcome);  4:30-6:00 - grilling and potluck;  6:00pm - start cleanup and finish by 6:30.

We'll bring hot dogs and rolls (veggie, beef, turkey and/or chicken), folks can bring other things to grill as well, and everyone bring a dish to share... bring your own preferred non-alcoholic  beverage. Let's enjoy another good time together!!

Sat. Sept. 9.  Hike Bullitt Reservation to Chapel Falls. Starting at 8:30 and ending around 12:30. The hike would start at Bullitt Reservation and go to Chapel Brook Falls and back, total 7 miles (3.5 miles one way). Moderate forest hike, poles, hat and bug spray may help. Bring water and a snack. 

Sun. Sept. 10. Monument Mtn Hike & Sculpture Garden.  9:00 am carpool in Northampton or meet at Monument Mtn. Moderate hike at Monument Mt in Great Barrington with gorgeous rock formations and views.  We’ll eat lunch at the top.  Approx. 2 hours round trip. Then we’ll drive to W. Stockbridge to Chesterwood Sculpture Garden.  There’s an entrance fee. Home by 3:30 or 4:00 pm. 

Sun. Sept. 17.  Bike Ride. We’ll do a 15-18 mile moderate ride, location tbd. 

Fri. Sept. 22. Bike & Dinner. Please join us at the Damon street bridge at 5:30 pm for an easy flat ride to Maple Valley for some food and good company. They have a variety of prepared foods: salad, pizza, yummy burritos and much more. Total mileage about 9. Hoping for another good sunset this week and maybe a little less wind. Please let me know if you'd like to join us. 

Sun. Sept. 24. Bryant Homestead Hike & Dinner. Join me, for an easy 1.2 mile hike along the Rivulet trail at the Bryant Homestead, 207 Bryant Rd., Cummington, MA, starting at 3:30pm. This is an old growth hardwood forest with sugar maples, yellow birch and white ash trees, some 300 to 400 years old. A section of pines 120-170 years old is one of the 10 tallest pine stands in the eastern United States.I love to cook, so please come for dinner after the hike. Will it be pizza, pasta, or Indian curry? You’ll have to join us to find out. I live around the corner from the homestead. 

Sun. Sept. 24. Bike4Food. Our WO chapter will be riding for the 9^th year! If you’d like to support the Food Bank of Western MA and our team of 12, feel free to donate at http://engage.foodbankwma.org/site/TR/Events/General?team_id=2050&pg=team&fr_id=1070. We still have a lot more to raise to support our neighbors in need.  Thank you.