What skiing, forest bathing and a chairlift conversation have to do with Women’s Outdoor Connection. A few years ago, one of my ski friends told us about forest bathing. None of us had any idea what she was talking about. And no, apparently, you don't take a bath in the forest. I didn't run home and start researching it. But the idea stuck with me. Eventually, when I was looking for someone to bring forest bathing to Women’s Outdoor Connection, I started learning more about why spending time outside can make us feel so good. And that got me thinking about skiing. I grew up skiing at Alpental with my cousins, siblings and friends. My aunt and uncle had a cabin, and my brother and I spent most weekends there. Lessons, lunch at the cabin, then back out for more. It was pretty easy living as a kid. Fast forward a bit. I met my husband Tyler on a ski day when I was 19 and he was 20. He was a lift operator. We dated, went our separate ways for a while, and then reconnected after my stepdad died. This time we made it stick. We had our first son, Zack, in 1992 and then Jacob in 2000. We had a good life. Not every day was easy. We were self-employed, raising kids and dogs and doing all the things families do. Somewhere along the way, skiing got left behind. It was expensive with a family, and we just didn't do it. Then Tyler died from a stroke in 2010. For a long time, I had a hard time making plans. I never knew how I was going to feel from one hour to the next. About a year later, I decided to go skiing on Tyler’s birthday. I borrowed boots and bought some used skis. As it happens, I bought those skis at Sturtevant's. Remember that part. We'll come back to it. One person leads to another... On that ski day, I met two women, Patty and Ellen. They were ski instructors, and they put an idea in my head. Maybe I should teach skiing. So, the following year, 2012, my friend Alice went with me to instructor orientation. I'm not sure I would have gone alone. We signed up. I stuck with it. Andrea + Diane our Sunday Tykes leader + Alice Teaching got me out of my shell. I had to meet new people. Say hello. Ask their names. Put myself out there. And teaching kids is pretty simple in one important way. They just want to have fun. I needed some of that too. One person leads to another... And skiing wasn't done introducing me to people. A ski friend reintroduced me to a high school friend, Amund in 2015. We married in 2019. Andrea + Amund at Crystal A friend suggested I get a job in the ski industry. I found an opening at Sturtevant's—which, in my opinion, is THE BEST ski shop around here. It's where we all shopped growing up. For weeks, I kept telling my friends about this job. Finally, they started asking, “When do you start?” There was one small problem. I hadn't actually applied. Eventually I got that done. I even walked up to my future boss at an event and introduced myself. Way outside my comfort zone. I got the job that spring, right around the same time I was selling and moving out of our family home. That was an extremely hard transition. Suddenly I had a new job, new people and a whole new part of my life beginning. And skiing was right in the middle of it again. And another person... Pam + Andrea at the first event in 2023 I met Pam Miller in my role at Sturtevant's. Pam, founder of Sisters in Action Sports, invited me to an event at Patagonia in Seattle that SheJumps was hosting. There were 10 or so women's outdoor groups there. You could wander around, meet people, learn about the different groups, sip and shop. It was a really cool idea. We should do something like this at Sturtevant's. I talked to my manager. She said "Sure." Then I started thinking about everything involved. It sounded complicated. So, the idea went onto the shelf. Fast forward... Years later, I bought Powder Poobah from Larry Schick. Of course, I met Larry through my job at Sturtevant's. One person leads to another. Andrea + Larry showing off their XEVO Larry, the Powder Poobah is a longtime Seattle meteorologist. He started his snow forecast newsletter decades ago. He was ready to step back from running it but still wanted to do some forecasting. Suddenly I had this community of people who loved getting outside. And that old idea started rattling around again. One person leads to another... One day I was skiing with friends and my cousin, and I started talking about it on the chair. What if I actually did this? What if I brought a bunch of women's outdoor groups together? I'm sure there were women on the Powder Poobah list who would want to come. Some of the crew from that chair chat. My friends didn't think it would be too complicated. They got excited. They brainstormed with me and helped me start figuring it out. The idea finally came off the shelf and in October 2023, we held the first Women’s Outdoor Connection. We've now done it four times. And something pretty wonderful keeps happening. Women discover groups they never knew existed. They meet each other and go do things together. Our outdoor partners meet each other—and they start collaborating. I've met people I never would have met. I've tried things I might never have tried. And I've stepped out of my comfort zone many, many times. Now back to that forest bathing... Forest Bathing walk with our guide Mileva Huljev, founder Human Nature Immersion. It's a real thing! Over the years, I've started to understand something about why I love skiing so much. Yes, I really, really love to ski. But it's more than that. When I'm on the mountain, my stress starts to fade. My to-do list disappears. I'm moving. I'm outside. I'm laughing. I'm with people I enjoy. For a few hours, all the other stuff gets quieter. There are real reasons we feel better outside. Nature, movement and connection can affect our stress, mood and overall sense of well-being. This is something I've come to understand over the years. Being outside. Moving. Laughing. Being with people. Feeling connected. Having something to look forward to. Along the way, I realized those things are really the foundation of Women’s Outdoor Connection. It's not just about hiking, skiing, fishing, or paddling. Those are just the things that get us out there. It's what happens when we do—and who we meet along the way. My mom taught me something years ago when I worked in retail: You never know what kind of day someone is having. You don't know what might have happened to them that morning. So be kind. Be patient. I've never forgotten it. Because sometimes something that seems pretty small—an invitation, an introduction, a friend saying I'll go with you, a conversation on a chairlift—can matter more than we realize. I've certainly been on the receiving end of that. And now I get a lot of joy from creating ways for those connections to happen for someone else. And that brings me to this year's Women’s Outdoor Connection... Event #1, Oct 2023 at The Collective. This year, I wanted to bring together a panel to talk about something I've been thinking about for years: why being outside—and being with other people—can make us feel so good. Friday night has me SUPER excited! I'm bringing together three women who come at that question from very different directions. And bring the guys Friday night is open to everyone. Holly Brandenberger explores how nature and our senses can support our well-being. Charlotte Massey is working to build human connection and belonging in our communities. Saveria Tilden has spent years creating outdoor experiences and gatherings that bring women together. Why We Feel Better Outside Nature. Movement. Connection. Belonging. Friday night with Holly, Charlotte and Saveria. The body chemistry stuff? I can never remember all of it. That’s why I’m so excited about this combo! Learn more about Friday night here. Then on Saturday, we'll do what Women’s Outdoor Connection does best: bring a whole bunch of people together and see what happens. See the Partner list Because if I've learned anything from my story, it's this: One person really does lead to another. One invitation. One introduction. One person saying, “I'll go with you.” It makes a difference. Andrea + Tracy (Sturtevant's) former boss + Brittany (event volunteer and former Sturtevant's staffer) Maybe you'll meet a new hiking friend. Discover something you've never tried. Find someone who wants to ski, paddle, bike or get outside with you. Or maybe you'll be that person for someone else. Thank you for reading. See you outside, Andrea Hamilton Women's Outdoor Connection

Community Worth Knowing is our curated list of outdoor groups and accounts for outdoorsy women and women+ in the Seattle area and PNW. Find welcoming, inclusive communities to hike, ski, climb, paddle, and adventure together—across all seasons. ADAPTIVE SPORTS • Outdoors for All Foundation - (co-ed, youth, adult) • Adaptive Pathways Recreational Therapy: Inclusive recreational therapy for children and adults with disabilities, helping them achieve their goals and discover joy through movement, connection, and creativity.(co-ed) ALL SEASONS • Bronze Chapter (co-ed, all seasons) – https://thebronzechapter.org/ • Girls with Grit (all seasons) – https://linktr.ee/girlswithgritnw • Hiker Babes Seattle (hike and snowshoe) – https://www.instagram.com/hikerbabesseattle/ • Outdoor Asian WA (co-ed, all seasons) – https://www.instagram.com/outdoorasianwa/ • Outdoors for All Foundation (co-ed, Adaptive sports, all seasons) – https://outdoorsforall.org/ • SheJumps (all seasons) – https://www.shejumps.org/ • Shred-It Sisters - (mtn bike & snow) https://linktr.ee/shreditsisters • Vertical World (co-ed, indoor climbing) – https://verticalworld.com/ • Sisters in Action Sports (all seasons) – https://www.sistersinactionsports.org/ • Wild Women Escapes (all seasons) – https://www.wildwomenescapes.com/about/ BIKE • Crank Sisters - Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance – https://www.evergreenmtb.org/about/crank-sisters • Shred-It Sisters - https://linktr.ee/shreditsisters CAMPS, CLINICS & RETREATS • AdventurUs Women (all seasons) – The AdventurUs • Deep Rooted Retreats – https://www.deeprootedretreats.com/ • Girls with Grit (all seasons) – https://linktr.ee/girlswithgritnw • Bronze Chapter (co-ed, all seasons) – https://thebronzechapter.org/ • Rippin Chix (snow) – https://www.rippinchix.com/ • SheJumps (all seasons) – https://www.shejumps.org/ • Seattle Dive Tours - (co-ed) Seattle Dive Tours • Wild Women Escapes (all seasons) – https://www.wildwomenescapes.com/about/ CLIMB • Vertical World (co-ed, indoor climbing) – https://verticalworld.com/ • Sisters in Action Sports (all seasons) – https://www.sistersinactionsports.org/ EXPERIENCES • Good Day Sauna – West Seattle & events (co-ed) https://www.gooddaysauna.com/ • Center for Wooden Boats (co-ed & Women on the Water) – https://www.cwb.org/ • Mama and Me Adventure Club: Outdoor adventures, hikes, walks, camping trips, for moms and their children in the Maple Valley and Issaquah areas. • SheBirds: Guided birding walks and nature experiences welcoming birders of all ages, abilities, and experience FISHING • Girls with Grit (all seasons) – https://linktr.ee/girlswithgritnw • Puget Sound Women on the Fly (fishing) – https://www.pugetsoundwomenonthefly.org/ HIKE • Hiker Babes – https://www.hikerbabescommunity.com/ • Hiker Babes Seattle (hike and snowshoe) – https://www.instagram.com/hikerbabesseattle/ • HumanNature Forest Bathing – (co-ed) https://www.forestbathingfinder.com/guide-profile/humannature/ • Snoqualmie Ranger District (USFS) (co-ed, hike and snow) – https://www.fs.usda.gov/mbs SNOW & WINTER • BIPOC Mountain Collective (co-ed, snow) – https://www.bmcseattle.org/ • Edge Outdoors (snow) – https://edgeoutdoors.org/ • Girls with Grit (all seasons) – https://linktr.ee/girlswithgritnw • Hiker Babes Seattle (hike and snowshoe) – https://www.instagram.com/hikerbabesseattle/ • Lap and Yap Club (snow, touring) – https://www.strava.com/clubs/1913814 • Mt. Rainier Nordic Patrol (co-ed, snow) – https://www.mtrainiernordicpatrol.com/ • Outdoor Asian WA (co-ed, all seasons) – https://www.instagram.com/outdoorasianwa/ • Outdoors for All Foundation (co-ed, all seasons) – https://outdoorsforall.org/ • Rippin Chix (snow) – https://www.rippinchix.com/ • SheJumps (all seasons) – https://www.shejumps.org/ • Shred-It Sisters - https://linktr.ee/shreditsisters • Sisters in Action Sports (all seasons) – https://www.sistersinactionsports.org/ • Snoqualmie Ranger District (USFS) (co-ed, hike and snow) – https://www.fs.usda.gov/mbs • The Change Collective (co-ed, snow) – https://linktr.ee/the.change.collective • the Service Board - https://theserviceboard.org/ • Wild Women Escapes (all seasons) – https://www.wildwomenescapes.com/about/ • Women Who Love X-Country Skiing (snow) – https://www.facebook.com/groups/492056405530712/ WATER • Bronze Chapter (co-ed, all seasons) – https://thebronzechapter.org/ • Center for Wooden Boats (co-ed & Women on the Water) – https://www.cwb.org/ • Lake Union Crew - (co-ed) https://lakeunioncrew.com/adult/ • Montlake Rowing Club - http://www.montlakerowing.org/ • Seattle Dive Tours - (co-ed) Seattle Dive Tours • Seastr PNW - https://www.seastrpnw.com/ • Surf Vamps – https://www.instagram.com/surfvamps/ YOUTH PROGRAMS & EVENTS • Center for Wooden Boats (Women on the Water) – https://www.cwb.org/ • Crank Sisters - Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance – https://www.evergreenmtb.org/about/crank-sisters • Outdoors for All Foundation -https://outdoorsforall.org/ • SheJumps (all seasons) – https://www.shejumps.org/ • Sisters in Action Sports (all seasons) – https://www.sistersinactionsports.org/ • the Service Board - (co-ed) https://theserviceboard.org/ VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Center for Wooden Boats (Women on the Water) – https://www.cwb.org/ Mt. Rainier Nordic Patrol: A volunteer ski and snowshoe patrol on Mount Rainier’s winter trails.(co-ed) Outdoors for All Foundation - (co-ed, youth, adult) https://outdoorsforall.org/ Snoqualmie Ranger District (USFS) (co-ed, hike and snow) – https://www.fs.usda.gov/mbs ACCOUNTS we really like Andrea Kelly - Size inclusion consultant for the apparel industry - https://makeplusequal.com/ Books: Outdoorsy Women Book Club - https://www.instagram.com/ruggedoutdoorswoman/ Deb Armstrong (Ski tips Instagram) – https://www.instagram.com/armstrong.deb/ Deb Armstrong – Ski Strong (YouTube) – https://www.youtube.com/@DebArmstrongSkiStrong Grounding Wellness - wellness support to parents–to–be, new parents and perinatal care Stephanie LaDuke Heather Yancey Fitness - https://www.heatheryanceyfitness.com/ Mama Me Adventure Club – https://www.instagram.com/mamameadventure.club/ Outdoor Fun with Kids (WA) – https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.fun.for.kids.wa/ SaunterMama – https://www.instagram.com/sauntermama/ Weeden Wanders – (trips + Hyak touring get togethers: Lap N Yap) https://www.instagram.com/weeden_wanders/ PRODUCTS we like: women-owned business Alpine Fit - Technical outdoor apparel - https://alpinefit.com/ Emma Ouimette - Custom sunnies & parties https://www.emmaouimette.com/shop Kula Cloth- Reusable antimicrobial pee cloth - https://kulacloth.com/ Tara Shakti - Retro inspired ski/snowboard apparel - https://tarashakti.com/ Let us know: Are you looking for something we don't have listed? Are you part of a group that we should include? Contact us: hello@WomensOutdoorConnection.com

I didn’t think he’d die. On Monday, February 1, 2010, at 9:17 a.m., my husband Tyler died from a stroke. He went to the hospital on Sunday, January 17. A week later he had surgery and never woke up. Tyler was 49. Our sons were 9 and 17. We met when he was 20 and I was 19, at the top of Alpental on a spring ski day. Tyler and I dated on and off for years. I was young, and commitment took time. In 1990, when my stepdad died, we came back together. He and Tyler had a special bond, and losing him pulled us back together in a way nothing else had. We married in 1992. This week, it's been 16 years. It feels like yesterday. It also feels like a lifetime ago. Those early years after he died were heavy in a way I didn’t know existed. There was a cloud over everything. I stopped making plans because I didn’t know what kind of day it would be — for me or for my kids. I was always waiting for the next thing to go wrong. Another rug pulled out from under our feet. People around me still had problems. But my perspective shifted completely. A friend worried about her son vaping. I worried about how my sons would make it through. Not every day was sad. Most days were just… good enough. And a good enough day was a blessing. One day, during a normal conversation with my insurance agent, I admitted that when my sons called me, I usually answered the phone the same way. "Are you okay?" He paused and said something like, "That’s terrible." He meant well. But he didn’t understand. It wasn’t pessimism. It was worry. It was how I had learned to listen. When you’ve already lost the person you thought you couldn’t live without, your body stays on alert. You don’t wait for good news. You check for survival first. There were days I had nothing left. No energy. No focus. Just getting through the day felt like work. People meant well. They offered advice. But no one really knows what helps. There are no clean answers. Everything felt hard. Parenting was hard. I made mistakes. I recently listened to Eckhart Tolle talk about unhappiness. One thing stuck with me: the situation was painful enough. The constant fear and what-ifs made it harder. The situation was brutal. My husband was gone. I was raising two boys alone. That part was real and unchangeable. But the constant mental noise — the fear, the what-ifs, the waiting for the next disaster — that was exhausting in a different way. Most of the time I couldn’t think about the future at all. It was too much. And without realizing it, I learned to live closer to the present moment. Not because I was enlightened, but because I had no other choice. Some days I was just watching. Like a bird always looking around. Alert. Aware. Grounded. Drifting off into my thoughts felt dangerous. Eckhart talks about how life isn’t here to make us happy. I agree with that, even though I wish it weren’t true. Believing life should be fair or safe only made things harder. Letting go of that expectation didn’t fix the pain, but it changed my fight with reality. I don’t believe that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I hate that phrase. It’s bullshit. Some things don’t make you stronger. They just change you. They narrow your world for a while. They strip things away. They lower the bar from happy, to okay, to good enough. And sometimes, good enough is exactly enough. My sons and I did come out of it. Each in our own way. There are still hard days — thinking about Tyler, or about how they remember, or try to remember, their dad. Hard days never go away. I don’t think they’re supposed to. But there is also life. Real life. Quieter. More careful. Less careless with what matters. Over time, my family, friends, and the ski community helped rebuild something I didn’t know could be rebuilt. Not all at once. Not perfectly. Just enough. That’s part of why connection matters so much to me now — why helping other women find their people, their place, their way back to themselves feels important. Sometimes, showing up is enough.

Surf VampsWomen. Surfing, paddleboarding, skateboarding Surf Vamps < Back Surf Vamps

Lake Union CrewCo-Ed, all ages, year-round. Rowing in Seattle. Lake Union Crew < Back Lake Union Crew

Montlake Rowing ClubWomen. A team of masters women rowers. Montlake Rowing Club < Back Montlake Rowing Club