Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Lake Metigoshe State Park is hosting the Winter Wild Outdoor Women (WOW) Event Feb. 21-23, 2020. This event is for women over the age of 16 who are looking to learn or refine skills associated with a variety of North Dakota’s outdoor recreational activities. WOW provides opportunities for participants interested in outdoor recreation to gather with other enthusiasts, try new activities and equipment, acquire basic skills, and gain the confidence to enjoy the outdoors safely.
Registration opens Dec. 11, 2019, at noon via http://www.ticketleap.com and will close at 11:59 pm on Jan. 16, 2020. Registrants register for as many sessions as they’d like, up to five sessions; a Friday evening mini session (2 hrs.), Saturday morning and afternoon sessions (3.5 hrs.), a Saturday evening mini session (2 hrs.) and a Sunday morning session (3.5 hrs.). Several activities span multiple sessions. In addition, registrants can opt for meals, lodging needs, and WOW apparel. Activities range in price from $18-$220 depending upon the activity and associated costs.
Activities include yoga, ski maintenance, wilderness first aid, fat biking, fur handling, downhill skiing, dark house spearfishing, cross-country skiing, orienteering, spearfish decoy carving, arm knitting, snowshoeing and more! There’s a great mix of indoor versus outdoor activities and easy versus arduous physical activities, as well as a wide range of options to suit those that may be on a budget.
Lake Metigoshe State Park collaborates with numerous volunteers, organizations, and fellow state agencies to make this unique event possible. Corporate sponsors supporting the event include Starion Bank and Souris River Telephone (SRT) Communications. Dakota College at Bottineau, North Dakota Game & Fish Department, Bottineau Winter Park, Scheels, Intentional Fitness with Crystal, RadChicks, Turtle Mountain Trails Association and True North Chiropractic have collaborated with the park for some great sessions!
Due to the high level of interest in WOW Events, it is highly suggested to register promptly to have a better chance of getting into desired sessions. Registrants are limited to purchasing one ticket/person for all activities to ensure everyone an equal opportunity. Those that want to attend with a friend or family member will need to coordinate a time to register individually factoring in the availability at that time.
Roughly 100 ladies attend WOW with most participants being from North Dakota. Attendees have traveled from Montana, Colorado, Florida, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, California and Saskatchewan to gather with other outdoor recreation enthusiasts to learn something new, try out equipment, enjoy the park and share a few laughs.
“One of my favorite parts of my job is hearing personal stories from WOW participants. Many that have gone on to purchase their own skis, canoes, kayaks and spears enabling them to continue doing activities they learned here at the park by themselves or with their friends, family and even other ladies they met here at an event. Others have shared how the event inspired them to get outdoors more often and lead a healthier lifestyle to better participate in activities. There’s also been participants that have shared deeper connections that included family heirlooms, grief and recovery. Whatever the reason, ladies, join us at the lake in February because you won’t regret it!” Amy Schimetz, event coordinator states.
Future event information is available via event listings through the Lake Metigoshe State Park and North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department Facebook pages as well as the North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department website http://www.parkrec.nd.gov.
Lake Metigoshe State Park is located 14 miles NE of Bottineau, North Dakota, along the Lake Loop Road, just off of Highway 43.
