Cabernet and Camaraderie: Women’s Wine Hiking Society

Pick your wine pairing: pinot and petroglyphs along the Gila Trail or sangria at Sardine Peak? Mulled wine up Millcreek Canyon or sauvignon blanc at Silver Lake Flat? While there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy Utah’s hiking trails, Angelique Fish and Cindy Vance believe bringing a friend and cracking open a cold one makes the climb even more enjoyable. Through the Women’s Wine Hiking Society (WWHS), these two co-founders are empowering women to experience the outdoors one happy hour at a time.

“We have a lot of transplants [in Utah] and it is very hard to make friends as an adult, especially friends who have the same interests as you,” says Vance, who is originally from Montana. “Utah is becoming much more diverse, and belonging to a community is really important.”

“We make sure that everyone is included and no one is left to hike by themselves.”

Other nature-minded Utahns agree. What started as a small Facebook group has now grown into an inclusive hiking society with over 2,400 members and an event calendar that’s full to the brim with group activities. With six to eight day-hikes per month, a monthly community service project, backpacking trips, wine tastings, camp-outs, “Thirsty Thursday” bar meetups, virtual wilderness trainings and more, the WWHS offers many different types of activities spanning from Cache County to Washington County. These events are open to everyone, regardless of skill level or desire to imbibe.

“One of the things that people always worry about is being the slowest person or not being able to keep up, but the cool thing about hiking with our group is that there’s always someone who is going your pace,” Fish says. “We make sure that everyone is included and no one is left to hike by themselves.”

“There’s a whole world out there, and if you have to wait for a man to take you, you’re going to miss so much of it.”

Outdoor education is an integral part of the WWHS, says Fish, who believes women often lack the skills they need to take care of themselves in the outdoors because they’ve been socialized to believe it’s a dangerous space. To help remedy this, local experts lead trainings on topics ranging from winter hiking to trail nutrition, wilderness first aid for both humans and canines, backpacking basics and more.

“I think we’ve gotten hooked on the feeling of being empowered and knowing that the outdoors are safe for women who are prepared,” Fish continues. “There’s a whole world out there, and if you have to wait for a man to take you, you’re going to miss so much of it.”

In 2021, Fish and Vance created an official website for the WWHS and began capping the number of hikers at each event, which allows smaller groups of hikers to get to know each other better and mitigates impact to hiking trails. 20% of each $5 reservation goes to a different women-centered or outdoor-related nonprofit each year, with this year’s selection being Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW+) of Utah.

“Last year, we chose the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation. The year before that, we chose Women of the World,” Fish says. “Being from Oklahoma and part Choctaw, I was really excited when a member of the group recommended MMIW+. As women being marginalized in the outdoors, it’s really important to be able to give back to other women who are marginalized.”

Vance says she originally thought the WWHS would be unique to Utah, but the society snowballed and now has chapters in every state. Though membership numbers vary, one message reverberates throughout every chapter: all women belong on our trails. “We don’t have to be going at the same pace. We’re supporting each other along the way,” Fish says. “We’re not there to be fast—it’s all about talking and getting to know each other. I always say hiking and backpacking is a team sport, because really, it’s only fun if we all get there together.”

Learn more about WWHS and become a member by visiting winehikingsociety.com.

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