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backpack, climb on a mountain bike or grab
a paddle to spend time with the hundreds of
members of the Wilderness Network of
Georgia or the Women’s Outdoor Network.
The two groups — aimed at gay men
(WNOG) and lesbians (WON) — take full
advantage of the rich outdoor offerings of
metro Atlanta and North Georgia, whether
it’s a moonlight hike up Stone Mountain or a
bike ride around the city. They even head
indoors for potluck dinners and an IMAX
movie with drinks.
“The reason I continue to become more
and more involved is that I like going out on
these trips and meeting new people,” said
Alison Hall, WON’s president. “It keeps me
outside and active and doing things.”
The two groups are among the largest
gay sports groups in the city, with their
members spread throughout the region.
WON counts some 450 members in 39 counties,
including the expected — nearly half of
their members live in DeKalb and Fulton
counties — and the surprising, such as
Cherokee County about 45 miles north of
Atlanta. The Wilderness Network has about
250 members with a handful living in farflung
locales including South Georgia and
Charlotte, N.C.
“It’s about being around other gay guys
in a very stress-free and fun environment,”
said Tim Blackmore, WNOG’s president.
“It’s a good, healthy way to spend time outdoors
with a good bunch of guys.”
ideas for trips and the planning to pull them
off come from volunteers within their
ranks. That’s how Blackmore got involved.
About four years ago, he attended a potluck
dinner centered on a backpack clinic and a
hike on Stone Mountain. He was hooked and
then quickly started leading trips.
“I just dov
e in and said I want to do some
horseback riding and it wasn’t on the calendar,”
he said. “That’s part of the beauty of
our group. If you want to do something and
you are a member, you just get it on the
schedule and guys will always want to do it.”
WON hosts a quarterly planning meeting
for members to offer ideas for future events.
Hall visited the group’s booth at Atlanta
Pride four years ago, flipped through a photo
album of snapshots from previous outings
and later registered for a hike. Soon after,
she was leading trips.
“I just like to get outside. I was looking
for some kind of group that offered the types
of activities that I like,” Hall said. “A lot of
people appreciate that someone is setting it
up and they can just go. But it is totally volunteer
driven.”
followings, their leaders are working to
diversify the age of the memberships to
include more participants in their 20s and
early 30s. Blackmore also said WNOG finds
it more difficult to recruit younger members
who live in or near Midtown.
“Some guys just won’t go Outside the
Perimeter. If it is outside, they won’t come. It
is tough to encourage them. So many guys
in that age group don’t want to go outside
their comfort zone,” he said.
The groups also hope to expand on their
joint ventures. Already each February, the
two organizations host a weekend trip for
about three-dozen members to Len Foote
Hike Inn at Amicalola Falls State Park in
Dawsonville. The inn is only accessible on
foot over a five-mile hike and features
bunkrooms, family-style dining and a woodburning
stove.
“The activities are geared for a wide
range of fitness levels. We say go on one trip
and see what it’s like. If you like it, join us,”
Blackmore said.
