“The mountains are calling & I must go.” (Muir)

WELCOME to Rhode Island Outdoors (RIO). We are a community of enthusiasts with a weakness for alpine views. We are not experts. In fact, many of us are little more than weekend warriors answering the call of a mountain. We join together to eat, to drink, to laugh, to hike, to learn, to grow, to share. We join together because we believe in The Hike. We believe in the challenge and the trail, in the summit and the view (“What a big climb you have there grandma!!” “All the better to see the valley below, my dear.”), and we believe in community—we believe in each other. We believe that as rich as we are apart, we are, without doubt, richer together.

WASHINGTON Jefferson MADISON Monroe PIERCE Ike LAFAYETTE Lincoln LIBERTY Moosilauke GARFIELD Galehead NORTH TWIN South Twin THE WILDCATS The Carters THE BONDS The Moats TOM Willey FIELD Carrigain CANNON Cardigan MONADNOCK The Kinsmans THE HANCOCKS The Osceolas NORTH KEARSARGE Baldface BEAR Everett GREYLOCK Chocorua WHITEFACE Passaconaway

MAINE New Hampshire VERMONT Rhode Island CONNECTICUT New York MASSACHUSETTS

As a group, our mission is to gather, to encourage, to support and befriend—to climb every mountain safely. We recognize “to hike is to risk” and make all decisions founded on two principles: home and happiness—nothing is more important, neither summits nor egos. We hike as a group, yet expect individual accountability, wherein everyone is supported, each person comes prepared, no one is left behind, and ALL ARE INVITED.

APPALACHIAN Ammonoosuc Ravine TUCKERMAN’S RAVINE Old Bridal Path FALLING WATERS Fishin’ Jimmy CHAMPNEY FALLS Edmands Path GORGE BROOK Glencliff NINETEEN MILE Wildcat Ridge CARTER DOME Zeta Pass WHITE DOT White Cross PUMPELLY Lonesome Lake KINSMAN RIDGE Crawford Path GALE RIVER Liberty Spring TWINWAY Bondcliff MORGAN/PERCIVAL Welch/Dickey

So once again, WELCOME. And should you dare to join us, and we hope you will, we promise not to bite.

(Thank you to Jeff for writing this new introduction/mission statement.)