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Hike to highlight local women’s rights history

WESTPORT — Champlain Area Trails, an accredited land trust, is inviting the public to celebrate the 104th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New York by hiking Mount Inez on Sunday.

Named after Inez Milholland, an iconic leader in the women’s suffrage movement, the hike is a perfect way to honor the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Founded in 2009, CATS creates and maintains over 98 miles of hiking and walking trails, protects 992 acres of land, and hosts outdoor education events in New York’s Champlain Valley. The Mount Inez trail, located in the Champlain Valley region of the Adirondack Mountains, offers views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. The roughly 4 mile round trip hike has an elevation gain of 1,000 feet, reaching the summit at 1,598 feet.

“Mount Inez is a perfect trail for people to celebrate the legacy of the suffrage movement and the women who dedicated their lives to fighting for equal rights,” said Chris Maron, executive director of CATS.

Inez Milholland was a leading suffragette, activist, and lawyer who grew up near the base of Mount Inez. She was a key figure in gaining momentum for the women’s suffrage movement in New York in the early 20th century through organizing marches and rallies.

Milholland died at the young age of 30 while on a speaking tour to promote women’s voting rights.

CATS aims to raise awareness of her role in the suffrage movement by improving access to the trail that bears her name.

The Mount Inez hike is free. It is led by the CATSWomen volunteer group and CATS staff. Organizers ask that participants consider wearing white, symbolizing the suffragette movement.

The hike will begin at 9 a.m. at the trailhead, off the Lewis-Wadhams Road. Hikers are asked to park at the Meadowmount School of Music in Westport. For more details and to register, visit www.champlainareatrails.com.

Starting at $4.75/week.

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