Do you know many teenagers who would willingly wake up and go to school on their day off? Well, you have not met the Parry McCluer Middle School Girls Trailblazers Hiking Club. For seven Fridays this fall, ten Buena Vista girls woke up early to meet at school for their day’s adventure. Hikes became more challenging as the weeks went on, culminating in a day long trek on the Appalachian Trail.
A brainchild of Boxerwood with support from PMMS administrators, the Hiking Club was designed to encourage and inspire young women to develop self-confidence and fitness while reaching for the mountaintops. Early weeks included section-hiking the BV Floodwall, Woods Creek Trail, and the entire Chessie Trail. Next up were challenging Brushy Hills workouts with switchbacks. On a perfect November day, the newly confident group at last took on Bluff Mountain, enjoying an amazing view of Rockbridge County from the summit. What a great feeling to achieve your hard-won goals. By the end of the season, each girl had hiked almost thirty miles.
Before joining the club, one club member reported she had never walked more than a mile at one time. Boxerwood club leader Hannah West reported this teen was so proud of herself after each accomplishment. Girls loved getting to know everyone and bonded. They reported that it was “really cool” to have a club just for girls and hope we can continue in the spring.
Participation in the TrailBlazers Club was provided at no cost to the school, thanks to support from CARES Funding BV, the Carilion Foundation, and other Boxerwood grants. Club leaders were Boxerwood’s Hannah West and Parry McCluer MS educators Mrs. Laurie Armstrong and Mrs. Leigh Cartolaro. “During a time of great change this club gave a bit of normalcy to all of us,” reflected Hannah, “and for that we are truly grateful.”
