Come for the Hike. Stay for the Friends!

Nobody planned to finish the hike at Allander Mountain in a downpour. Smoke from the Canadian wildfires had already sent the group farther north that day than anticipated, and the haze had left the promised mountaintop views overcast. Then the rain caught everyone on the final mile down. However, the members of the Trailblazers Club did what friends do: they got soaked, laughed about it, and kept walking. The summer heat made the rain feel refreshing, and despite the minor setback, it became the part of the day people remembered most fondly.

“Sometimes the most memorable moments are the ones you never plan for,” said Linda Parentice, Group Exercise Coordinator, multi-talented Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, and Leader of the Trailblazers Club. That idea runs through everything Trailblazers does. The group gathers to hike, but participants return for the people and the places that hiking brings them to.

Trailblazers Club at the YMCA of Greenwich is an outdoor hiking club for adults who love fresh air, movement, and community. The club began about three years ago, when members in one of Parentice’s group exercise classes mentioned they loved hiking, but did not want to go alone. Later, during an internal program brainstorm and planning meeting at the Y, she saw a way to bring them together.

“I wanted to create an opportunity for people to step outside their usual routines, discover new places, develop friendships, and enjoy memorable experiences together,” said Parentice. Today, the club hikes monthly from spring through fall across picturesque spots throughout the Northeast. From challenging climbs to moderate adventures and easier walks, the club offers a hike for every level so members can choose a pace that suits them.

A three- or four-hour hike leaves time to talk, trade stories, and find common interests, and lunch afterward has become part of the routine. “People who may have arrived as strangers often leave feeling more connected, and it’s been wonderful to see those relationships continue beyond the hikes themselves,” said Parentice. That connection matters most to people who are new, either to the town of Greenwich or to the Y-community. A shared interest gives them something to start with.

This past September, the club took its first weekend getaway to Stratton Mountain in Vermont, planned around the resort’s annual Harvest Festival. Many members arrived Friday evening and had dinner together, which gave them an opportunity to get to know one another away from the trail. On Saturday, members hiked to the summit through fall foliage, stopping often for photographs. They then headed to the festival to shop local vendors, enjoy a chili competition, and sip glasses of local Vermont beer and wine.

“Seeing so many members embrace this new adventure reinforced my desire to continue expanding Trailblazers with more weekend getaways and destination hikes,” Parentice said.

This year’s hiking season closes on Saturday, November 21, with a 6.1 mile stroll through Central Park in New York City. Next year, the Parentices hope to plan more destination hikes and weekend trips, including a potential longer getaway to the Lake Louise area of the Canadian Rockies next summer or an international trip to Cinque Terre, Italy, along the Riviera.

There is no place like this place. The Y is a movement that helps bring people together. Here, you will find a community that will ensure that you do not walk through the hike of life alone. No one should. From members to volunteers to staff, the YMCA of Greenwich helps everyone find purpose and contribute to something meaningful, continuing the cycle of care and growth that makes the Y so special.