A few months ago, over 100 women went camping at Glacier National Park. Some women already knew each other. Some came from across the country. They fished. They hiked. They sat around a campfire. And “best of all”, said Sisters On the Fly President and Founder Maurrie Sussman, “there were no men. No children. No pets. Just women.
Since 1997, Sisters On the Fly (SOTF) has been connecting women from all across the United States, with the mission of getting women into the outdoors and trying things they've never tried before.
Last year, Sisters On the Fly helped orchestrate over 600 events, from fly fishing trips in Michigan, to glamping trips in California, to horseback riding adventures in Montana. All of these trips are organized by SOTF members, a way for locals to find other ladies with the same adventurous spirit, or for women to find something brand new to do across the United States.
And with 11,300 registered Sisters, there's always someone hosting something that will interest you. And, more importantly, there's always a woman to experience it with.
“We have a lot of members who have just lost their husbands. Or they have retired. Or they don't have a lot of friends nearby,” said Sussman, who just wrapped up a quick feature on camp cooking with the Sisters on the Travel Channel. “There's so many women to meet. Doctors. Pilots. Waitresses. We don't ask what they do. If you like someone, you simply bond with them. It's so fun to have so many friends to pal around with.”
Like, if you're in Montana, said Sussman, and you want to go fishing, “post it on Facebook. There's always someone to go with.”
“Camping in vintage trailers has become one of the things SOTF has become recognized for, yet owning a trailer is not required to join or attend events.” [Photo Credit: SOTF]
It's honestly hard not to find someone to go with when there's over 5,000 active members posting events from all corners of the United States. It's crazy to think it all started with Sussman and her sister, Becky Clarke, just going on fishing trips together in the West. Just the two of them.
When their friends became intrigued by their outdoor excursions, the sisters began inviting groups to go with them to try out horseback riding, or even truck driving lessons. Clarke and Sussman would cook meals for the ladies when they camped together at national parks and RV parks. Things caught on quickly from there, all through word of mouth.
So, why has SOTF been able to expand so quickly?
“Because there's no men,” Sussman said flippantly. I could almost hear her shrugging on the other end of the phone. Simple as that.
“Women have a tendency to be workers,” she explained. “We're always the ones solving the problems. We're the caretakers.”
So when there's no men, no children, no dogs- women are, well, free. Everything stops. Everything changes. The women are all having carefree fun, getting along with each other, focused on what makes them happy. What inspires them. What motivates them.
“Learning something new and being out in nature gives you peace of mind,” said Sussman. “It opens your mind to different thinking. You come back from a hike with brand new thoughts you didn't know you would ever have. It opens up so many doors for things you can later do on your own.”
Simply put: Being out in nature is empowering for women.
Unfortunately, many women are not encouraged to be out in nature, getting dirty. Getting lost. Exploring.
Sussman and her sister knew they had a very different childhood. They grew up in a rural town, playing in haystacks and riding animals. Their parents always had them outside, finding something new to do on their own. “As long as we were outside, we had fun no matter where we were or what was there,” recalled Sussman.
Despite such a rough and tumble upbringing, Sussman found herself in the hotel business for a long time. Learning to take care of people's needs. Organizing and planning.
She liked it. But nature kept calling to her.
“The smell. The taste. The sound,” Sussman gushed. “My very favorite bed is my bedroll. Nothing nicer than being in your bedroll, laying outside at night, watching the stars travel. Those are the things that are so awesome. The bonfires. The sound of people singing. It's such a nice thing.”
Always a fisherwoman, Sussman decided it was time to try something new. She started taking fly fishing lessons from her experienced son. And, pun intended, she was hooked.
She dove back into nature.
“I'm not really the most athletic,” she explained, “but with fly fishing, you're only competing with yourself. There's no team picking. That's a big deal to me. I always saw the hurt when people didn't get picked to be on teams.”
For Sussman, fly fishing was more than a fun past time. It was about not being excluded. It was about inviting others to share the experience. It was the baseline for Sisters On the Fly. The inspiration. The idea behind the largest women's outdoor organization in America.
Now, she helps women from all over come together to experience new things together. Just a few weeks ago, Sussman went on a week-long trip with some ladies to Montana, where they took welding classes. They also went hiking, river rafting, and ATV'ing... But there was something “spectacularly fun” about welding. Something that is usually associated with boys. The power to make something on your own.
“Member-hosted events and special destination trips let the women do things like horseback riding, hiking, Girls’ Night Out, antiquing, dancing, fishing, wine tasting, geocaching, community service, etc.” [Photo/SOTF]
I asked Sussman how she feels about giving so many women these memories and moments…how she feels about connecting and empowering so many women.
“At first I didn't think about it,” she admitted, “but then I started getting so many 'thank you' notes for saving their lives. This group was helping them not to be afraid. So many women have taken off in trailers by themselves and gone across the country. It's so brave. This group gives them courage. There's so much courage.”
For many women, taking that plunge isn't as scary when there's a group of ladies waiting for them on the other side.
“We just like the company of women,” Sussman said. “And we're all fabulous. We're wonderful!”