Hey ladies! We’d love to welcome you to our winter camping trip at Fort Custer Recreation Area! For this trip, members will reserve their own site through the state park system linked here: https://midnrreservations.com/. RWMI has reserved sites 115 and 117 to be used as the group hang out and dining area. We ask for an optional $5-10 donation to the group to contribute toward the group area site reservation and group supplies. Donations can be sent to Marah’s venmo (@marah-seaver).

Participation Requirements: To participate, you simply must be a woman over the age of 18. New members are welcome! Feel free to bring your mom, sister, adult daughter, friend, etc. Just let an admin know! We are looking for a group size of 25-40 women to attend this trip.

Event Registration:

Please fill out the registration form at the bottom of this page. While we are each reserving our own sites (or sharing if you choose to coordinate with other members), this form helps RWMI admin get an idea of the needs of everyone participating in our event, helps you reserve rental gear if needed, allows you to sign up for group tasks, and helps you sign up for the buddy system (see below) if you choose to do so.

Location Specific Information:

Fort Custer has amenities that will be new for our veteran RWMI winter campers. We will have access to modern heated bathrooms!!

Buddy System:

We will be introducing the buddy system for the first time on this trip. If you are a new member coming overnight with us for the first time and would like to be buddied up with a veteran member who will be your go-to person for questions and will introduce you to others and show you the ropes, please indicate your preference in the registration form. If you are a veteran member and are interested in being buddied up with a newbie, same goes to you.

Weekend Itinerary:

Thursday:

Check in to your site at 3pm or later. Meet at sites 115 and 117 at 4:30pm for first day intros and group hang out time. We’ll eat together, but dinner will be every woman for themselves. Plan to eat around 5-6pm if you’d like to eat with the group. Following dinner, women will be welcome to gather around the fire and socialize on the group sites until quiet hours.

After dinner duties: Prior to the trip, admin will arrange sign-up for after-dinner duties. This includes washing shared dishes such as food prep utensils for shared meals, ensuring all food is put away in cars (although each member is responsible for putting their food away, we will do a final sweep), tying up garbage bags and putting them in vehicles, putting away group snacks, and filling all water containers (black betty, water pot for morning coffee, etc.) in preparation for the morning.

Friday:

Breakfast:

The bonfire will be lit at 7:30 AM and coffee preparations will begin. Admin will arrange sign-up for coffee prep assistance prior to the trip. This includes being up and by the fire by 7:30am, lighting stoves to heat water, lighting the fire, getting coffee-related items out and available on a group table (creamer, sugar, etc.), operating french presses and refilling the coffee carafe throughout the morning, and refilling water heating receptacles as needed.
Breakfast will be every woman for themselves. Plan for 8am-9am to eat with the group.
After breakfast duties: Admin will arrange sign up for after breakfast duties prior to the trip. This includes cleaning coffee-related items such as french presses, and refilling water receptacles.

Afternoon:

This is kind of our chill day. Do whatever you want. Socialize with other women, go on little offshoot hikes, check out the park, etc.
Eat lunch whenever you want. Lunch is each woman for themselves. Please clean up after yourself.

Friday Arrivals:

Check in to your campsite at 3pm. Meet at the group area at 4:00pm for intros and meeting your buddy (if you chose to be assigned a buddy).
4:30pm: Whole-group intros and announcements
5:00pm: Potluck begins and women hang out and socialize until quiet hours.
After dinner duties: Prior to the trip, admin will arrange sign-up for after-dinner duties. This includes washing shared dishes such as food prep utensils for shared meals, ensuring all food is put away in cars (although each member is responsible for putting their food away, we will do a final sweep), tying up garbage bags and putting them in vehicles, putting away group snacks, and filling all water containers (black betty, water pot for morning coffee, etc.) in preparation for the morning.

Saturday:

Breakfast:

The bonfire will be lit at 7:30 AM and coffee preparations will begin. Admin will arrange sign-up for coffee prep assistance prior to the trip. This includes being up and by the fire by 7:30am, lighting stoves to heat water, lighting the fire, getting coffee-related items out and available on a group table (creamer, sugar, etc.), operating french presses and refilling the coffee carafe throughout the morning, and refilling water heating receptacles as needed.
Breakfast will be every woman for themselves. Plan for 8am-9am to eat with the group.

Lunch:

Lunch is every woman for themselves. Please clean up after yourself.

Slow-paced signs of wildlife hike (1-2 miles, 10:00 AM):

Search for animal prints in the snow, burrows/dens, etc. This hike is admin-led and includes access to wildlife and track identification books. Meet at the group area at 10:00 AM to arrange for carpooling and to make sure everyone has what they need and knows where the trailhead is.

Fast-Paced 5-10 mile hike (1:00 PM):

This is an admin-led hike. Meet at the group area at 1:00 PM to arrange for carpooling and to make sure everyone has what they need and knows where the trailhead is.
Members are required to bring sufficient water for themselves (and their dog if they have one), a snack for the trail, and should be wearing shoes/boots that are comfortable to hike in. Bring layers and a backpack to put them in as you warm up throughout the hike..

Dinner:

5:00pm: Potluck begins and women hang out and socialize until quiet hours.
After dinner duties: Prior to the trip, admin will arrange sign-up for after-dinner duties. This includes washing shared dishes such as food prep utensils for shared meals, ensuring all food is put away in cars (although each member is responsible for putting their food away, we will do a final sweep), tying up garbage bags and putting them in vehicles, putting away group snacks, and filling all water containers (black betty, water pot for morning coffee, etc.) in preparation for the morning.

Sunday:

Breakfast:

The bonfire will be lit at 7:30 AM and coffee preparations will begin. Admin will arrange sign-up for coffee prep assistance prior to the trip. This includes being up and by the fire by 7:30am, lighting stoves to heat water, lighting the fire, getting coffee-related items out and available on a group table (creamer, sugar, etc.), operating french presses and refilling the coffee carafe throughout the morning, and refilling water heating receptacles as needed.
Breakfast will be every woman for themselves. Plan for 8am-9am to eat with the group.

Possible Final Hike: