Women's Adventure Club
A community of women who value adventure and connection with the natural world
Western PA
Welcome to the Women's Adventure Club
The Women's Adventure Club is a Pittsburgh-based community of women who seek year-round outdoor experiences. We offer frequent opportunities to get outside such as hiking, biking, and yoga hikes. Seasonal adventures are kayaking, rafting, SUP, skeet shooting, archery, Nordic skiing, alpine skiing, snowshoeing, and backpacking. Self-healing experiences include sound baths, drum circles, Qigong, and forest bathing. Our adventurers range in age from 20s to 70s. We are accepting, supportive, and fun!
The Women's Adventure Club isn't a membership-based organization—there's no club to join, just adventures to experience! Discover the thrill of trying something new in a supportive community, build strength outdoors, and embrace Pittsburgh winters in a whole new way. Find more awe and wonder in your days as you explore the beauty of the outdoors. We handle the planning—all you have to do is sign up and show up. See you out there!
OUR MISSION
Create weekly opportunities
for the women of Western PA to get outside
in a way that feels bold yet safe, supportive, and fun.
01
Connect with nature and elevate your well-being
The science-backed benefits of spending time outdoors
🧠
Sharper Mind
Better focus,
memory &.
mental clarity
🌿
Less Stress
Lower cortisol, blood pressure & heart rate
😴
Better Sleep
Deeper, more restorative rest
✨
Elevated Mood
Less anxiety & fatigue, more calm & awe
02
Novel experiences are good for your brain — and your soul.
We are wired to seek comfort and safety. But it's the slightly-out-of-reach that helps us grow! Novel experiences stimulate the brain, boost mood, and remind you what you're capable of. There's something deeply human about trying something for the first time.
That's what adventuring together does. It invites you to show up curious, be a little vulnerable, and try something you might never have done on your own. You'll leave feeling empowered.
03
Cultivate camaraderie and friendships
Something about being out on a trail causes us to drop our guard, to be more open and accepting, and allow others to see us as we are. Women on the trails are grounded and real. Connection is important and yet sometimes we want solitude. You are welcome to hike quietly and peacefully, taking in the sights and sounds of nature. Delight in the stillness of your own company while still benefiting from the comfort and assurance of the group.
03
Cultivate connection. Community is medicine.
Something about being out on a trail causes us to drop our guard, to be more open, more accepting, more ourselves. Women on the trail are grounded and real. Whether you're chatting the whole way or hiking in peaceful silence, you belong here.
Voices from the Trail
The camaraderie and supportive vibe of this group of women is honestly good for the soul.
Mandy, Wexford
I leave every adventure having learned something new about the outdoors and about myself!
Julie, Ohio Twp.
The WAC is full of fun, adventure, challenge, kindness and encouragement. It’s an honor to explore with such courageous, humble, thoughtful women.
Elizabeth, Sewickley
Meet our Guides
Lindsay Gibson
Lindsay is the founder of the Women's Adventure Club and has a deep love of the outdoors and everything it has to offer. From kayaking the Napali Coast to Nordic skiing and fatbiking in Anchorage, she brings a profound connection to nature and a spirit of curiosity to our outings. Sharing the trail with the women of the WAC is so fulfilling.
Lindsay is a certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide and holds certifications in Wilderness First Aid, First Aid, CPR, and AED — so you can feel confident and cared for every step of the way.
She is also a trained Sound Practitioner who loves offering sound baths as a way to soothe the nervous system, restore balance, and bring a little stillness to a busy life. Lindsay can't wait to adventure with you.
Meisha Haddad
Meisha grew up in the Allegheny National Forest and has a strong passion for the outdoors. Meisha loves the WAC because it inspires women try something new within the safety of the group. She loves to travel and has been lucky enough to hike in China, Hawaii, and all over the US. Her favorite activities include hiking, biking, skiing, SUP, and getting her hands dirty in the garden. Meisha is certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED, and is a certified yoga instructor.
Dr. Abby Scheg
Abby enjoys hiking, rucking, exploring new trails, and just taking a walk in a new place. She and her husband are on a mission to visit every National Park—they've checked 18 off the list so far, with plenty more to go. Abby loves being outdoors in all four seasons and can’t wait to share her passion for the outdoors, especially with those new to outdoor adventures. Abby is certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED.
Our Friends & Partners
Joe Triebsch
Trip Leader
Joe loves to share our local woodlands and trails with others of all skill levels and backgrounds. As a high-school teacher for Pittsburgh Public Schools, Joe ran the ski club for many years and co-sponsored an outing club where he took students hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, snowshoeing, and white-water rafting. Joe later volunteered his time as a trip leader for Venture Outdoors. After retiring from teaching, Joe worked at REI for 16 years where he enjoyed helping folks plan their own outdoor adventures. He also taught many classes for REI's Outdoor School in hiking, backpacking, cycle touring, and snow sports. We are so fortunate to have Joe as a friend of the Women's Adventure Club!
Megan Caplan
Trip Leader
Nancy Latimer
Trip Leader
Nancy is an avid hiker, biker, camper, and backpacker. She found her way to becoming an outdoorswoman later in life and enjoys continuous growth in outdoor pursuits, crocheting, and playing the ukulele. She has led trips with various outdoor organizations since 2008 and loves to share her knowledge with others, especially those new to outdoor adventures. She has been trained in Wilderness First Aid and is certified in First Aid, CPR, and AED.
Monique Mead
Internationally renowned musician and sound practitioner
Monique Mead is an internationally acclaimed violinist, educator, and sound healer whose career spans three decades of performances on major concert stages across the U.S., Europe, and Mexico. Mentored by Leonard Bernstein, she has built a profound reputation not just for her musical excellence, but for harnessing sound as a tool for well-being.
Monique’s sound-healing sessions weave together her emotive violin playing with the resonant tones of crystal singing bowls, gongs, and singing bowls to induce deep relaxation and foster holistic healing. The Women’s Adventure Club loves partnering with Monique for an extraordinary offering that blends forest bathing—a mindful walk in nature—with her signature sound-healing practice, creating a uniquely restorative and immersive experience for women seeking both connection and rejuvenation in the great outdoors.
Dr. Doug Jones
Certified ANFT Forest Therapy Guide
Dr. Doug has partnered with the Women's Adventure Club to offer Forest Therapy Walks (forest bathing) since 2020. He received his certification as a Forest Therapy Guide in 2020 from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides and Programs (ANFT). Prior to beginning his Forest Therapy practice, Dr. Doug worked as an independent psychologist in Sewickley, Pennsylvania and at Sewickley Academy for over 30 years. In retirement, his goal is to guide walks as a way of staying in service to others and nature. The encounters that occur during a Forest Therapy walk provide participants with the opportunity to recollect and embody their sense of being at home in nature and with themselves. The ANFT motto is: “The forest is the therapist, the guide opens the doors.”
Read more about Dr. Doug and Forest Bathing
Connect with Dr. Doug to request a private Forest Therapy Walk
Jessica Schaefer
Certified Yoga Instructor, RYT-200
Jessica has been practicing yoga since 2006, and received her 200 hour certification through One Point One Yoga in 2021. Her classes have roots in vinyasa, which simply stated, is linking poses together seamlessly through breath. Expect a focus on anatomy and mobility, with elements of breathwork, meditation, and yoga philosophy sprinkled in. Jessica teaches weekly classes at ASCEND Climbing Gym and rotating Saturdays at 3 Rivers Outdoors Co. She is currently working towards her 500-hour certification and looks forward to sharing the strength, power, and confidence yoga has given her with the Women’s Adventure Club.
Check out more of Jessica's yoga offerings @jessicaschaefer.yoga
Carissa McClellan
Intuitive Sound Healer
Carissa McClellan is an intuitive sound healing facilitator who partners with the Women’s Adventure Club to offer a wellness experience that blends mindfulness and sound. Her journey into sound healing was inspired by a desire to explore holistic methods for emotional, physical and mental well-being. She creates immersive sound experiences with a variety of instruments—including crystal singing bowls, chimes, gong, and more - that support relaxation, clarity, and healing for those in the Johnstown/Laurel Highlands area. Offering both group workshops and one-on-one sessions, Carissa holds space for others to reconnect with themselves through mindfulness, intention, and the resonance of sound.
Hi! I'm Lindsay.
I help women elevate their well-being through movement in the outdoors — connecting with nature, trying new experiences, and finding their people along the way. This community was built for you.
Why did I start the Women's Adventure Club?
Zion National Park
“Nature has the power to heal because it is where we are from, it is where we belong and it belongs to us as an essential part of our health and our survival.”
– Nooshin Razani
