Walk to highlight local women’s rights history | News, Sports, Jobs

WESTPORT — Champlain Area Trails, an accredited land trust, invites 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 of the women’s suffrage movement, the walk 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 educational events in New York’s Champlain Valley. Located in the Champlain Valley region of the Adirondack Mountains, the Mount Inez Trail offers views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. The approximately 4-mile round-trip hike has an elevation gain of 1,000 feet and reaches 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 prominent suffragist, activist, and lawyer who grew up near the base of Mount Inez. She was a key figure in building momentum for the women’s suffrage movement in New York in the early 20th century by organizing marches and demonstrations.

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

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

The Mount Inez walk is free and led by the CATSWomen volunteer group and CATS staff. Organizers ask participants to consider wearing white, a symbol of the suffrage movement.

The walk will begin at 9 a.m. at the starting point off 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.