Out Trails LGBTQ+ Running Retreat Coming to North Cascades

A weekend running retreat for the LGBTQ+ trail running community hosted by Out Trails & Aspire Running.

Making Outdoor Spaces More Queer & Inclusive

Want to adventure in and around the North Cascades this autumn? Are you looking to celebrate the outdoors with an uplifting community of LGBTQ+ athletes? If so, you came to the right place! LGBTQ+ running community Out Trails is partnering with Aspire Adventure Running to host its 2nd Annual Queer-only Running Retreat in the North Cascades, and scholarships are available!

We are inviting 40 runners, all identifying as LGBTQIA+, to Mt. Baker Ski Area for 3 nights and 2 full days of running/hiking. From the lodge basecamp we will share meals, stories, music, and laughter. And on trails, we will experience the beautiful autumn landscape with the backdrop of Mt. Baker.

Daily pace groups and a choice of distances each day (6-20 miles/day) makes this event open to trail runners of all abilities. Whether it’s moderate days on mountain ridgelines, or taking selfie photos among the blazing fall colors, this weekend will be a non-competitive and supportive environment to run, play, and experience the trails with a like-oriented community. Queer Pro Ultra & Trail Runner and Out Trail Founder Ryan Montgomery, Gay Pro Ultra & Trail Runner Addie Bracy, Gay Pro Ultra & Trail Runner Coree Woltering, and Gay Trail Runner Michael Tappel will be co-hosting this year’s Out Trails Running Retreat, all of whom are well-known LGBTQ advocates in the trail running community.

We Have Scholarships Available for LGBTQIA+ Athletes!

Out Trails and its supporting partners – Ultimate Direction, Summit Coffee, Altra Running, Janji, and Suunto – are providing 25 Full-Registration Scholarships for members of the LGBTQ community to cover all registration costs, including some travel vouchers! Anyone interested in applying for the scholarship can submit an application here before the June 30, 2023 deadline.

Registration, Scholarship Applications, and Additional Trip Information

To learn more about the trip, scholarship details, or to register for the Running Retreat, please visit the Out Trails LGBTQ+ Running Retreat Course Page.

Why Affinity Trips?

On trails, we liberate our hearts and minds and become part of a tribe of humans who find connection by moving our bodies in wild spaces. Runners come from all backgrounds and many of us are queer! Thus, we create affinity trips for this purpose. By limiting events to individuals of a specific affinity group, we are opening a space that celebrates the unique culture of these groups and creating space for human connections unique to an exclusive gathering. While specific affinity events may limit some individuals from participating, they add to a more diverse and inclusive running culture as a whole.

Out Trails Founder & Pro Runner Ryan Montgomery, who identifies as a gay and genderqueer, started Out Trails because he saw the need for members of his running community to have more inclusive outdoor spaces that are explicitly for queer people.

“I know that I am not the only queer person who spends a lot of time outside–oftentimes in remote places. I know so many trans, queer, gay, and non-binary folx… who trail run or hike, and each of them tell me it’s hard to find spaces that feel fully supportive or safe.” Ryan Montgomery, Out Trails Founder, and Pro Ultra Runner

Aspire Adventure Running is dedicated to building a community of runners connected to wild spaces. Their affinity trips support diversity and inclusivity in outdoor spaces through meaningful partnerships and collaborations.

“Trails, mountains, and wildspaces are a source of inspiration to runners of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, genders, and orientations. With the increased recognition of diversity across the trail community we are excited to support opportunities for subsets of our larger trail community to gather, celebrate, and build community through shared experiences.” Abram Dickerson, Founder, Aspire Adventure Running.

About Mt. Baker Wilderness Area
The Mt. Baker Wilderness is 117,900 acres, created as part of the Washington State Wilderness Act of 1984. Mt. Baker is an active glacier-covered volcano in the Cascades standing at 10,778 feet, making it the fourth-highest summit in Washington and the dominant attraction of this wilderness. This location is on the indigenous lands of the Nooksack people.

About Out Trails
Out Trails is a community of LGBTQ+ and ally trail runners & hikers, celebrating and promoting diversity out on the trails. We believe outdoor spaces are for everyone to find community and to enjoy. Out Trails hopes to build upon and accelerate the existing, and already amazing, outdoor running communities. Our programming, group runs, and trips aim to create safe, welcoming spaces for athletes of all identities and abilities.

About Aspire Adventure Running
Aspire organizes single and multi-day running adventures in wilderness terrain across Cascadia and Northern California. We provide logistical and emergency support paired with delicious meals and community for a unique and memorable backcountry running experience.

[Editor’s note: Check out Talking Out Trails and Inclusion with Ryan Montgomery.]

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