Sisters on the Fly camper caravan stops in Whitefish

Sisters on the Fly is all about empowering women to do exceptional things in the outdoors — while probably having too much fun along the way.

Dozens of women hauling refurbished vintage campers converged at Whitefish Mountain Resort last weekend for a Sisters on the Fly caravan gathering. Glitzy campers decorated and bedazzled to the maximum created a “Main Street” of sorts where sisters strolled in their most colorful Western attire and gathered for laughs, shared stories and more than a few martinis.

As part of the Fish the Fish fundraiser to benefit cancer survivors, sisters showed off their campers, took part in a fly-fishing expo and participated in myriad of outdoor activities in the area. Sisters from 14 states were represented at the event.

Wanda Flanagan of Absarokee joined the sisterhood after getting to know Sisters on the Fly co-founder Maurrie Sussman.

“I wanted to get out and do activities with the gals,” Flanagan said, noting that men aren’t allowed at most of the events. “It’s fun to get out with just the girls sometimes.”

She says the sisterhood gave her confidence to take on outdoor pursuits she might not have tried otherwise.

“Now, if I want to go fishing, I just hook up the camper and go,” Flanagan said. “I’m not afraid anymore. There was a day when I wouldn’t even tow a trailer.”

The sisterhood is something like Girl Scouts for women. Even merit badges are earned for completing tasks such as hooking up a trailer, smoking a cigar, going potty in the woods or simply making a martini.

Deverey Willis of Laurel became interested in the sisterhood after reading about it in a magazine while living in Alaska. She decided it looked like too much fun to pass up, so she joined right after moving to Montana, knowing there was a strong contingent in the state.

Willis says that while it’s not a requirement to have a custom camper, “It’s totally fun to have them.”

“Each trailer has its own individual personality,” she explained.

Decorating a camper is a process, Flanagan added, who owns four different models.

“You end up stopping at every antique and junk store to find things to put it them,” she joked.

Each camper is given a unique name to reflect its personality. Willis named her camper the High Desert Darling.

On Saturday, the sisterhood opened up “Main Street” to the public and showed off their campers for a $10 suggested donation that went to Casting for Recovery.

Casting for Recovery is a national nonprofit that provides opportunities for women affected by breast cancer to learn the sport of fly fishing. This is the third year that the local program has put on a retreat.

“We do a lot of good things while we are having fun,” Flanagan said.

The Whitefish Knotty Nymphs helped organize the weekend of events.

To learn more visit online at www.sistersonthefly.com.