What we’re about
PLEASE READ - TO ALL MEMBERS: For safety reasons, your profile should have a clear and current photo of your human self (face) so that event hosts can recognize you when you arrive at an event. If it does not, your profile will get deleted.
Also note that if your profile indicates that you have remained inactive (meaning, not attending an event) for a period of six (6) months, your profile will be removed from this group. So sign up and attend an event soon!
With that stuff out of the way, welcome to a very active and social MeetUp group!! Here you will find local people who are interested in hiking (in all seasons) and other activities for fun and fitness. We also cycle (on and off road), snowshoe, kayak, and cross country ski. We explore urban areas (large and small), visit museums, meet for dinner, go dancing, hear live music, and take in a movie once in a while. This group is a lot of fun, friendly, and always open to new ideas for meetups and new places to explore. We consider the regions originally intended, which are north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, but we venture out now and then to lands beyond our region.
The difficulty of this group's hikes is normally set by the event host(s) to allow the maximum amount of participation for the maximum amount of members. Generally, a moderate pace of approximately 2 mph should be expected on most hikes. When hikes are planned that are more difficult, such as Mount Monadnock, the description of the meet-up will include this fact. Our goal is to enjoy the outdoors while meeting people interested in the same - not to conquer the mountains. Our hikes are also paced to keep everyone in the group more or less together throughout the entire hike.
Weather is obviously a major factor in any of our hikes. We try not to cancel meet-ups for light rain - we are outdoors after all. However, in the case of heavy rain and/or lightning, we'll try to cancel at least 24 hours ahead of time. The best advice is to check your email the morning of a meet-up for any cancellations.
Please consider contributing to help support this wonderful group. Funds are used to offset the yearly dues for this MeetUp group. You can send a check, made payable to "MeetUp," to Tamara Huston, 182 Middle Street, Leominster, MA 01453.
A note about conduct: We are a group of like-minded people who enjoy getting together (for hiking mostly). Although members often develop friendships (and sometimes relationships) outside of the group, Meetup.com and the North Central MA/Southern NH Hiking group are not designed primarily to encourage dating or unwanted romantic attention. It's very important that all members of the group feel welcome on all of our events (not just the hikes). So please, respect the boundaries of your fellow adventurers. It's appropriate to contact someone through the Meetup site, or through email or phone, information that the member has given you, but encroaching beyond a person's comfort level is inappropriate. People who cross the line after being warned will be excluded from the group.
You do not need to RSVP "no" to an event unless you are changing your rsvp from a "yes" to a "no."
Anyone soliciting products or services through this group without the organizers' permission will be removed from the group immediately. To discourage this kind of behavior, I ask that group members do not buy any products or services from anyone trying to sell them through this group or this website.
If you have any questions or concerns about this MeetUp group, please contact any of the event organizers listed in the left hand column of the webpage.
Thank you,
Tamara
Meetup has changed our email address to: north-central-ma-southern-nh-hiking-group-announce@messages.meetup.com
== Legal Stuff ===
While event hosts attempt to plan events that will work for everyone and will try to anticipate and head off problems, you should not participate in hiking events if you would not be able to safely complete the described hike on your own. For all group hikes, think of your meetup organizer as fulfilling a social function in getting like minded people together. Please always review the event descriptions carefully. Learning about the terrain, conditions, local weather and your equipment before you start is your responsibility. Any attempts to increase the comfort and safety of events should not lead you to believe that event hosts are taking responsibility for your safety. By signing up for events, you are indicating that you are an adult who has the skills and ability to safely complete the described hike. Do not RSVP yes if this is not the case, as we will be relying on your judgment of your skills and ability. To read more about hiking safety, check out hikeSafe.com.
By RSVPing "yes" to one of our events, North Central MA-Southern NH Group members and their guests agree to release, hold harmless, and indemnify the event organizer(s) and all members participating in the event from any and all claims for property damage, injury, and/or death while attending events. In consideration for accepting this entry, I, the registrant, intending to be legally bound, hereby, for myself, my heirs, my executors and administrators, do waive and release any and all rights for damages I may have against any parties or persons connected with the North Central MA-Southern NH Group for and related to any event which I attend. I attest and verify that I (and any guest(s) I bring) are physically fit to participate, and that I assume all risks associated with the events I or my guest(s) voluntary attend. I grant North Central MA-Southern NH Group permission to use any photographs, film or videotapes of all events for any purpose.
As always, be safe and have fun.