Believing bare feet the best choice for the woodland trails of Western Massachusetts, the Barefoot Hikers will leave shoes behind whenever they meet for an intensive (and therefore leisurely paced) exploration of some suitable section of trail. Organising on the model of sister groups across the U.S. and Canada, we shall attempt to do at least two Saturday morning walks a month from April through November. Walks during the winter months will be less frequent.
Pamela Rickenbach, the group's founder and leader, is a fulltime, year round barefooter and an avid hiker, who learnt both the skills of a trailguide, and the importance of being able to rely on the sensitivity of her bare feet, in the rainforests of South America.
This is an open group in the sense that anyone interested is more than welcome to participate in the programme; and this welcome is expressly extended to children and well behaved dogs. All new participants are placed on the telephone list and given free Barefoot Hikers 'T'-shirts and sign'd and footprinted copies of THE BAREFOOT HIKER. We have no dues or membership fees.
Free and open as we are in these respects, however, we must nonetheless insist on certain rules:
First of all, we
are strictly barefoot. We are committed to providing a competent programme of
instruction to develop the sensitivity and awareness necessary for SAFE and
enjoyable barefoot hiking. In order to fulfill this commitment without distraction, we must insist
that everyone go barefoot. Although we ordinarily recommend that shoes be left at home,
first-timers may, if they feel more comfortable in doing so, carry some light footwear with them.
Everyone, however, is expected to arrive barefoot and begin each hike in bare feet.
Everyone must
bring water, and should carry a rucksack or other bag, a light, fold-into-a-pocket waterproof, and
a lunch or snack, depending on the length of the walk and the weather.
Everyone must understand that we are now operating a telephone coördinated group. 
Gypsy Boutique barefoot gypsies always welcome 
