GayOutdoors is seeking members to volunteer running trips for other members.

GO really is nothing more or less than the sum of the energy and enthusiasm that all of our individual members contribute - the greater and broader that energy, the greater and broader will be the enjoyment that we derive from GO.  By injecting your own involvement and enthusiasm, you will be contributing directly in that formula.

Being a volunteer trip leader does take some work. You have to pick a day that works for you, plan the trip, post it, screen the members who want to come, get everyone to show up on time, make sure everyone sticks together and has fun; and gets back to their cars in one piece. Why would anyone do that for free? Still we have dozens of GO members who volunteer to run trips. Why do they do it? They want to get OUT more!

Here are some more reasons:

• To be part of their local gay outdoor recreation community
• To always have people to do gay outdoor recreation activities with when they want company
• To teach others to be better skilled at the outdoor recreation activity of their choice
• To develop trip planning and group management techniques
• To promote trail maintenance, stewardship and protecting our public spaces
• To help train new trip leaders
• To join the ranks of other trip leaders that we look up to as trip leading mentors. They are recognized as Member of the Month.

We honestly had no idea how fulfilling becoming a volunteer trip leader would be when we started down this road. Members who organize trips are into what they’re doing, do it for the sheer enjoyment of it, and enjoy sharing their experience with others. It’s an opportunity for members who have participated in previous trips to give back a little and organize one of their own. Aside from the exercise and fresh air, by organizing a trip, you will meet and hang out with some great members. You’ll learn something new from someone who goes along, and someone will learn something new from you as well. Don’t forget that trips have their own intrinsic value rewards such as adventure, stimulation and serenity.

Organize what you like to do or would like to try! Do you have a favorite place you would like to share? Maybe there is a place you would like to explore? There are some members in the group who would appreciate a light, easy-going event. Usually you can find information to plan a trip from articles and trip reports on our website, from a guidebook, from the Internet, or from talking with other GOers. Post an event that you'd be comfortable doing - don't drive yourself crazy!

If you wish to get members together for a weekend getaway at a lodge, hostel, cottage, campground, mountain hut or even your house, that's great! Have the guys split the costs with you.

You control the outing. You control the horizontal, you control the vertical. You decide the maximum number of guys you'd like along, and you can establish a minimum.

But it'll be too "lame"... There are some members in the group who would appreciate a light, easy-going activity.  Light hikes not far from your town are great for beginners and for people who are trying to get fit. A leisurely weekend getting members together at a campground removes stress. Get together for kayaking, tubing or rafting in a river; swimming at your favorite swimming hole/beach, or backpacking out in the wilderness. Members also enjoy sightseeing trips, cycling and mountain biking.   

I don't know what outing to do...There is all kinds of information out there on the Internet and there are great books out there with ideas for activities. Our website has some great articles and check our trip reports/photos section to help you. Don't be afraid to ask questions in our forums. Most states have a 50 Hikes series published for hiking. There are books on places for hiking, camping, paddling, backpacking, cycling and mountain biking. -- you name it!  And you can always Contact Us. 

There are many GO members in your area who might be interested in meeting and joining you.  Once you post a trip on our website members nearby are sent an email providing them all the details and inviting them to join you. And it will appear on our website. After you post the trip, you'll be able to edit the details of the trip, contact all participants in one email, and manage the active/waiting lists. As you likely would surmise on your own, the key to a rich calendar lies with those first few people who are able to step out in front and get the ball rolling in their area.  To get a further perspective on the in's and out's of organizing a trip, click here for some help or read the questions/answers in our FAQ next time you have a moment. After the trip you can post pictures, a trip report and identify the members who attended. 

Will you always have a full trip? Will lots of guys always sign up? No, not always. You might be the only person who will do the trip. However did you have a great time when you went? Did other members who joined you have a wonderful experience? Quality is more important than quantity. Keep posting trips with consistency and eventually you'll begin to establish a core group. The more you lead trips, the more you'll begin to establish a solid core group! It's really important to post pictures and a trip report afterwards so that other members who did not join you will find out what they missed...even if you went alone.

In addition to seconding your personal goal of participating in a GO trip sometime soon, another thing to consider doing is to actually organize and post a GO trip yourself, in your area.