Last modified: Tuesday, May 6, 2008 2:38 PM EDT Members of the Ladies Light Hiking club get set to head out in Gilbert Hills State Forest in Foxboro.(PHOTO BY TOM MAGUIRE) Ladies, take a hike! BY SUSAN LaHOUD/SUN CHRONICLE STAFF FOXBORO -- With the exception of the pesky mayflies, the 50-degree day in the sun-dappled Gilbert Hills State Forest held promise for good hiking, and the dozen women gathered in a parking lot there were ready. Busting out on this first day of May for an hour-long trek were women from Wrentham, Norfolk and Millis led by Nanci Cahalane, a certified personal trainer and fitness counselor who runs the Ladies Light Hiking program through the Norfolk Recreation Department. The brainchild of recreation director Ann Proto, program was created as an alternative to jogging or walking, and it is for ladies only - no spouses, no children, no pets. It's a time, said the ladies, to socialize - perhaps to chat and exchange wisdom over those aforementioned spouses, children and pets while getting in some exercise. Started in 2003 as just one six-week session offered only through Norfolk Rec, it has expanded to include Franklin and Millis, though any woman from any of the area communities are welcome, Cahalane said. The program also now extends throughout the seasons, with fall hikes branching into winter snow-shoeing. Hiking shoes and a water bottle constitute the only gear needed. At this time of year, ticks are about the harshest things encountered on the hikes, which are in different areas each week. Joe's Rock in Wrentham, Noon Hill in Medfield, the Rocky Narrows in Sherbourne and woodlands in Dover are among some of the destinations. "It's a good workout, but not a hardcore thing," Cahalane said. "A couple of the places have a pretty good climb, but they're not too long." The sessions can draw up to 20 women, she said. Bonnie Smith, 62, of Wrentham is setting out on her third hike this day, having joined with a couple of her golfing buddies who are also retired as teachers from King Philip High School. "We do a lot of talking," Smith acknowledged. But it's "no walk in the park," added Pat Fogg, also of Wrentham, and a former director of the North Attleboro Council on Aging. "We move." "I just like being outdoors and getting exercise," said Kathy Pfeffer, 59, of Wrentham, retired as a gym teacher from King Philip. "You get to see resources around here" that you would not see exercising inside gym walls. Anne Moran, 50, of Norfolk, agreed. "I don't like gyms, I like (the) sights and sounds" of the outdoors. This was her first time in the ladies light hiking session, but she has participated in a dog walking program that also hits the trails, recently started by Proto and Cahalane. Kelli Klenk, 38, of Norfolk, said it was her first outing and her specific goal was to "burn off some fat." Most of the women also said that the program provides them safety in numbers while trekking the trails. Cindy Brown, 52, of Millis, said some of the views from the trails - such as the Boston skyline - are breathtaking, and Cahalane will also pull out guides and explain some of the history of the areas they hike. "You can really chill in the woods knowing Nanci has the trail all figured out so we don't get lost," added Betty Stow of Franklin, who has been on a number of the hikes and enjoys getting outside and out of the office, where she is the only female. She has been hiking in the program for the past three years - spring, fall and winter. "It is so nice to be on the trails with the foliage in the fall and snow in the winter." Often, she said, she will take her husband to one of the locations she has trekked with the group and hike the trail again with him on the weekend. "I feel like Queen of the Mountain," she said. Interested in joining? Six-week sessions of Ladies Light Hiking will continue Thursdays until June 5 and Saturdays until June 7. Locations vary and often tend to be hilly. Sessions are also offered in the fall and winter. For more information, or to register for the program, go to www.virtualnorfolk.org/rec or call, 508-520-1315. The program is open to all women. The cost is $25 per session. SUSAN LaHOUD can be reached at 508-236-0398 or at slahoud@thesunchronicle.com.