Plainfield
I’m a naturally slow hiker anyway and the early May hike was to be the first I went on this year. After a long winter, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to keep up the pace.
I had nothing to worry about that second Wednesday in May, an absolute perfect spring day. Because, as I quickly learned, the goal of the Wednesday Walkers isn’t to break any speed records or see who gets to the top first. Instead, it’s about good company and staying active.
There are about 20 (mostly retired) women who are part of the group, most all of whom live in Plainfield and range in age from their late 50s to their late 70s. Twelve members went on the hike to French’s Ledges.
“They’re all friends and neighbors,” Gretchen Cherington said. “This is about getting connected to my community.”
The group was founded 10 years ago by Jeanne Thompson when she was the librarian at the Meriden Library.
(Full disclosure: I met Thompson while volunteering with the Five Colleges Book Sale, and she invited me to come along on a hike.)
“We never miss a week,” Thompson said. “We don’t care if it’s below zero or 90 degrees. We go.”
I started out hiking alongside Ida Burroughs. She started with the Wednesday Walkers about 4½ years ago after her husband died.
“This is a really nice support group too,” she said. “It’s a nice, comforting thing to know you know more people in the area.”
Along the way, the group stopped to admire wildflowers that had begun popping up, identifying each one before continuing on the trail. They discussed different topics, from community news to asking about each other’s families.
“It’s spring. Everything’s growing. It’s wonderful,” Thompson said, an accolade that was repeated among the others.
They don’t always go on hiking trails or stay in Plainfield, though they try to choose trips that are within an hour of town. In the colder months they do more road walks, and others go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
At the summit of French’s Ledges, one can see for miles. There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes from a view like that, one that never fails to awe me.
Helen Koehler’s granddaughter even came up with a slogan for the group: “Although our hair is gray, we still lead the way.” The group comically discussed the inclusion of the word “although,” suggesting it be cut. What do you mean, “although”? Of course they lead the way. It also was pointed out that not every member has gray hair.
Barb Wendt joined the Wednesday Walkers about eight years ago after she saw the group in action. “I was so nervous because I didn’t think I’d know anybody,” she recalled. It turns out she did, and then she quickly became friends with the others.
During the few hours I spent with the Wednesday Walkers, I was quickly brought into their fold. It’s a wonderful group to be part of, and I can only hope that when my hair turns gray, I will lead the way as they do. (Another disclosure: At the end of the hike, Peggy O’Reilly kindly gave me a half-dozen eggs from her chickens.)
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
