Who ate all the trail mix?
A new breed of nature lovers callings themselves the “Fat Stoner Babes Hiking Club” has popped up in the St. Louis area, welcoming portly pot puffers to come explore the trails in and around the Gateway city. And while they insist you don’t have to be fat, a stoner, or even a babe to coming hiking, it can only help.
“I just wanted to hang out with like-minded individuals and people who were also introverted and have a hard time getting out of the house,” Amber Strautkalns, who started the club with a missive on Reddit, told Riverfront Times.
The stoner-friendly, introvert-loving, body-inclusive hiking club has several more hikes scheduled in the coming months. https://t.co/EnawZ7anWp
— Riverfront Times (@RiverfrontTimes) May 27, 2022
Strautkalns said she wanted to explore nature on leisurely terms without being surrounded by crunchy fitness fanatics and couldn’t find an established group.
“Fat stoner babes hiking club??” she wrote on Reddit. “Where do I find them? Or do I need to create?!?!”
It turned out there was demand, but no existing group. She designed a logo and posted it on social media inviting “chubby alterna” parents, or anyone interested, to join “Fat Stoner Babes.”
“Basically the deal is this… I like to get a lil high & go for walks & hikes. Typically I do this solo but sometimes I get lonely & would adore some groovy company,” Strautkalns wrote on the club’s Facebook page. “I’ve searched for local hiking groups but haven’t found any that my goofy, mostly introverted, thick ass vibes with. So, here we are.”
The Facebook group now has over 400 members.
“I’m chubby, I like to get high and go for walks,” Strautkalns said. “I’m not trying to hurry to the finish line, and I’m not going for exercise. We’re just gonna get out of the house and get some fresh air.”
About 30 people showed up May 15 for the club’s first outing at Creve Coeur Park, Riverfront Times reported. Fat Stoner Babes has several more hikes in St. Louis parks and nature areas slated for throughout the summer.
“You don’t gotta be fat. You don’t gotta be a stoner. You don’t have to have the best confidence,” Strautkalns said. “That’s OK. We’re all here to succeed. Let’s go!”
Caroline Berg told Riverfront Times she joined for the same reason Strautkalns started the club.
“People tend to be hard-core fitness enthusiasts, and that’s not always the vibe that people enjoy,” Berg said.
Recreational marijuana use is illegal in Missouri, but in St. Louis, possession of two ounces or less has been decriminalized.