At the top of a hike with The Women’s Wine Hiking Society of Utah, you can expect women to pull out cans of wine, spritzers, seltzers, and any other drink that fits their theme that day. It’s not a common thing to expect on a hike, but the Women’s Wine Hiking group is anything but common. The group started in 2013 as a casual meet-up on Facebook called “The Salt Lake Ladies Wine Hiking Society.” It was for any woman in Utah who wanted to form lifelong connections and friendships with women who were passionate about hiking and being out in the outdoors. In 2019, Angelique Fish and Cindy Vance took it one step further and decided to partner up and make it a business.
“We changed the name to include Utah instead of just Salt Lake,” Fish said. “We wanted everyone to feel included whether they live in Salt Lake or not.”
A few months after Covid hit, Fish and Vance saw the group’s attendance grow and flourish.
“It was the one place that people could feel like they were safe… At that point, everyone was isolated at home and people were looking for community,” Fish said.
The group grew to 2,000 members in 2020 and continues to grow today with over 5,000 members on Facebook. Fish feels a common feeling when you get older is the loss of friends and community when life gets busy with careers and building families. She believes joining groups like their Wine Hiking Society are the best way to form friendships with people who are in search of community later in life.
“I think it’s a really great way for people to meet each other especially as you get older, and it’s nice to have a group that you know everyone else is interested in the same things,” she said.
The group makes sure to wear their Women’s Wine Hiking Society shirts and hats as they hike the trail wherever that might be. The image is two wine glasses clinking together, piquing the interest of other hikers on the trail.
“We wanted people to see our logo and be like, ‘Those are the wine hiking ladies,’” Fish said.
That’s exactly what happened. Fish said other hikers would stop their group all over the U.S. and ask them about their logo. The group now has chapters in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and more. Wine and themed cocktails are a common occurrence on these hikes but are not mandatory.
“The thing about the alcohol is it’s not about going out and partying, but really it’s about making our group less intimidating,” Fish said.
“We pride ourselves in being a judgment-free environment, so the alcohol is to make it fun and to make it less serious,” Vance said.
The mission of the wine hiking society started with the passion of womanhood and being in the outdoors for Fish and Vance. They wanted other women to have space where they could enjoy being outdoors regardless of age, pace, or fitness level. The group prides itself on being a space that is judgment-free to gain skills and a community.
“Part of the goal is not just to come out and hike, but also for people to find life-long friendships,” Fish said.
The group prides itself in making sure everyone goes at their own pace, but are never alone—and that they stay safe. Different ambassadors lead groups like a slow and steady hiking group, and even an over 50 age group hikes so that everyone can go the pace that they feel most comfortable. Fish believes one of the most important things about this group is that they stick together and accomplish goals together.
“We really view hiking as a team sport,” Fish said, “it’s not about the destination or how fast we get there, it’s really just about having fun together.”
