WHITEFISH — One of the good things that actually came out of this challenging year is it forced people to find new ways to connect with each other.
One of those groups to do that was Outsiety, which was created by women for women.
Founder Laurie McCargar said she wanted to give the Flathead Valley something she didn't have: a network of women.
"It is a resource of connecting to each other but also to start dropping a lot of these layers of inhibition that I don't think that we need to have as women. We need to start really being more intentional in building a safe space for all of us," said McCargar.
Wednesday's event was called Bikes and Friends, which encouraged women and daughters to come out and learn how to mountain bike. Mother Jessica Siman brought her 11-year-old daughter, Grace, and said that this group has helped her immensely to just reconnect with people again.
"Being able to do so much outside has made such a difference and then just being around humans and people to talk to, and just meet other friendly people. It has been really cool that a lot of people are new to Whitefish, so a lot of people are looking for friends but then there is people who have been here forever too, so it feels really cool to get some of the local tips," said Siman.
Grace Siman said it was just fun to be able to share this experience with her mom.
"It’s really fun, like all the trails we have been on are very kid-friendly and fun to do and one of the trails had cliffs but easy ones, so us and our new friends could climb those. It’s really fun once we get there, and I like to share this experience with my mom," said Grace.
Mountain bike instructor Lynn Foster explained how amazing it is to see women being pushed outside of their comfort zone, especially when they get to do it together.
"You just interviewed a an 11-year-old that likes to ride bikes with her mom which is spectacular. And I don’t see that a lot with women and girls if they don’t have a support system so I think it’s vital," said Foster.
If you are looking to sign up for any Outsiety event go to Outsiety.com or their Facebook page.
