Hiking Group Brings Health Care Professionals Outside

Building connections, fostering wellness, enjoying nature

For Belinda Spinner, RN, hiking has always been part of her life, taking long walks in the woods several times a week. When she heard that two other nurses on Glens Falls Hospital’s medical surgical unit, Michelle Richards, RN, and Heather Giorgianni, RN, also hiked, she asked them to join her for a trek on one of the nearby trails. The trio hiked up Stewarts Ledge in Lake George on the first full moon of 2021.

“It was peaceful and rejuvenating,” Spinner recalled. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, they welcomed the opportunity to be outside together. They knew first-hand how important it was to prioritize personal wellness during extraordinarily challenging times, and that physical exercise like hiking could help people unwind. “We decided right then that we needed to share this, to somehow offer this to our coworkers, to join us.”

Darn Tough GFH was born. The group started organizing a monthly hike, sharing trailhead information and directions, and encouraging colleagues to get out onto the trails with them. Word spread, and folks started showing up. While at first it was mostly clinical staff, soon members of other departments joined in— human resources, education, discharge planning—building and growing relationships between colleagues.

“We sweat together. We share our food. We support each other across raging rivers. We’ve seen a whole different level of relationship building,” said Richards. “It has united colleagues across all levels of our organization.”

The first year, all hikes were short, one or two miles, and no more than 1,000 feet of elevation change. The group has since adjusted the hikes based on feedback from participants, and as the group has grown, they’ve added sunset or moonlit meetups and incorporated yoga. A series of “challenges” encourage hikers to climb all three Fulton Chain mountains or the Lake George 12.

Darn Tough shares their schedule for the year well in advance and offers hikes on alternating weekends and days for those who work every other weekend.

In 2023, the Darn Tough GFH founders were recognized as one of Glens Falls Hospital’s Nursing Teams of the Year. The hiking group was also commended for community service work, serving as guides for the Lake George Land Conservancy and tree planting in Chestertown.

Despite Darn Tough’s popularity, Spinner still finds herself wondering if anyone is going to come. “Every time I’m surprised to see the cars pile in and all the people who show up,” she said. “And at the end of the day, it’s always positive. You feel accomplished. You feel like you can do anything. You feel good.”

“Fresh air can do a lot,” she joked.

“We have our regulars who are there consistently, and newcomers who come and they bring their friends and their family and their dogs or children,” said Richards. “Every hike is a different experience.”

Spinner added, “People just need to try it—come on one hike. If they’re nervous, call one of us. We will never lead them astray and we’ll make sure they aren’t alone. We want them to enjoy it.”