Old Dairy Hiking Club Finishes Season With Two Hikes This Fall

Warm Springs, Va – The Old Dairy Hiking Club offers you a chance to get out with others and enjoy the beauty of Bath County. Mary Hodges is the Executive Director of The Virginia Hot Springs Preservation Trust and she organized the hiking club.

“Part of the fun is just getting to know other people who share your common interest in hiking” she says, “and for me personally, I like to think that I know most of the people in the community but I have met new people on each hike. Some of the people I have met have been hiking on their own routinely with neighbors and sort of have coordinated efforts in their own neighborhood. This is a great way to pull people together and meet new friends.”

Two hikes have already been completed this year and two more are scheduled. The next one is Saturday, September 17 and the final one is in October. The hikes are open to anyone who enjoys hiking and they are good for all experience levels.

“Generally speaking anyone can hike these and just take your time” says Hodges. “These hikes are less than five miles; they average about 4 miles. We schedule them for first thing in the morning and usually start by 8:30 or so and we’re back and finished by noon so you can get on with the rest of your day.”

For both of the remaining hikes, space is limited and you must register in advance. The number is limited to about 14 people on each hike.

“We also offer hiking staffs so to become a member of this hiking club there is a small fee which covers the cost of this custom made staff” she says. “They were made by a local resident and we have this beautiful Old Dairy hiking club medallions affixed to the staff so it makes them special.”

The Virginia Hot Springs Preservation Trust co sponsors these hikes with The Nature Conservancy. And with the success of the hikes, there’s more to come.

“This year we’ve had no trouble filling these hikes” says Hodges. “As a matter of fact, I’ve had a waiting list for several of them. So if there’s an interest, which there seems to be, we will consider adding additional hikes to next year’s schedule. This year we created four hikes for the season, and if the interest is strong and we’re turning people away, then we certainly will be open to the idea of creating more hikes for next year.”

To register in advance for either the September or the October hike call Mary Hodges at 540-839-2407, by email at mary@homesteadpreserve.com