What an wonderful, amazing weekend!!
Women in the Wilderness Backpacking 101!! You will not be disappointed. I had a life changing experience with the wonderful staff of "A Walk in the Woods" when I participated in their Women in the Wilderness weekend. Vesna and her colleagues are so professional, knowledgeable and qualified and not just lovers of the outdoor life, they are certified in all areas of leadership, the outdoors, first aid, safety, and emergency preparedness. They are experienced backpackers and naturalists who are also fantastic teachers. If you've never backpacked before this is the company for you and even if you've had some experience backpacking I guarantee you'll learn more than you can ever imagine in one weekend.
Vesna took care of everything! Gear, food, permits, times, trails, all I had to do was show up. Throughout the weekend I was exposed to the history as well as the diversity of the plants and animals of the Smokey Mountain as Vesna pointed out the rare flora and fauna that an inexperienced backpacker would never have known about. Throughout the three days she gently showed us all kinds of tricks about living in the wilderness including cooking, tenting, water purification, bears, walking, hiking, backpacks, handling rising water...it was an all inclusive weekend.
One of the best parts was the quiet time of just experiencing nature as we walked through the woods or sat next to a stream.
I highly recommend A Walk in the Woods and I can't wait to take another trip with them. It was a great experience!!