There's long been a lingering trend in the outdoor recreation space of 'protecting' certain information – most often exemplified in the way advice about getting to a beloved trail or campsite tends to be muted by those who have a history of enjoying the same place they're trying to keep secret.
In a bitter reality often met with frustration from many people, the Internet has made keeping this information hidden away much more difficult, from short social media clips that capture the magic of a destination in a few seconds and inspire the masses to seek out a spot to full-blown trail mapping websites that reveal the long-hidden routes of a remote mountain landscape with the submission of a simple prompt. And as should be known all-too-well, the Internet won't be going away any time soon.
This obviously poses several big questions, and these questions should be faced head-on by the outdoor recreation community. Perhaps the most important question is 'how can this community continue to protect and preserve beloved natural spaces with the flood gates of information pushed wide open?'
This question needs to be addressed by several involved parties – and it's not just those formally responsible for protecting natural areas via their day job, but also the community of outdoor recreators that enjoy these spots in their leisure time. It's no secret that it can be frustrating to show up to a crowded trailhead, but as the outdoor recreation space continues to grow, this common complaint won't solve itself.
One first step to finding a solution to related concerns expressed by the outdoor recreation community seems to be removing the stigma behind crowds, as painful as it might be to experience natural areas amid more reminders of civilization.
In order to do this, it's important to appreciate two positive impacts that a more widespread interest in getting outside can have on society and the greater outdoor recreation community.
First, more crowding means that more people are prioritizing life in the outdoor recreation space. And with these newcomers comes their money and their political voice. More people investing their time and wealth to get outside means that more people care about outdoor recreation – plain and simple. This allows the overall economy surrounding outdoor recreation to grow and improve, also contributing to increased political pressure to preserve these areas when these same people take their positive experiences in nature to the ballot box. The call to preserve more natural acreage for recreation gets quite a bit louder when there are a million people calling for action instead of a passionate few.
A second positive reality that can be gleaned from crowding harkens back to the reason behind why so many long-time fans of outdoor recreation exist in the first place – the positive impact that outdoor recreation can have on one's own life.
Those long-time fans should think back to the moment when they first fell in love with going outside, remembering the raw passion that this instance inspired, moving on to realize the many positive life impacts that this love affair with nature has provided in years to follow.
There's a very real reason more and more people are drawn to outdoor recreation each day, and a big part of that is that these people are getting something from going outside that tends to be difficult to put into words. Instead, that benefit is better captured in changes witnessed by those on the outside looking in, seeing that person who once had fresh tread on their boots grow into a better human being via small steps overtime as a result of diving down the outdoor recreation rabbit hole.
Those who were once 'party animals' start to skip a night out to catch the early morning alpenglow. Those once committed to hours of viewing Sunday football from their couch opt to spend their Sundays huffing, puffing, and improving their health instead. Those once charing into arguments with a stranger from behind a computer screen suddenly find they have less time and interest in the virtual world, and the stress that comes with living that digital lifestyle seems to melt away.
After living a bit of each of those aforementioned lives myself in the past, I've come to understand over years that have followed that outdoor recreation is so much more than what it seems on the surface level. It's a means of becoming a better, more caring, and more productive person, and one who simply feels more alive. And everyone in the outdoor recreation space should do what they can to make sure that as many people as possible have that same chance – regardless of their background or experience level.
Author Bill Watterson got it right when he spoke through his beloved Calvin character in his popular comic series Calvin and Hobbes:
"If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently."
With all of this considered – the next time someone in the outdoor recreation community encounters a hoard of people at the trailhead, it's my hope that they don't cringe in pain. Instead, I hope they realize that this sight means more people building a passion for the same world that they, too, love. And that more people working to capture that same feeling that can deliver a positive impact that lasts a lifetime.
If someone at the trailhead seems confused, offer a helping hand. If someone asks for advice, give them access to the best set of tips that have been carefully honed over many cherished experiences. And always remember, not everyone grew up with access to outdoor recreation – people tend to start at the same place when it comes to learning the 'best practices,' whether they're young or old when they begin to develop these skills.
The Internet is here and it's here to stay. Working to build a community in the outdoor recreation space that's expansive, yet tightly-knit at the same time will continue to be key in ensuring that future generations have the best opportunity possible to capture the same spark that inspires the call to protect the natural areas that are so beloved by those near and far.
And always remember, leave no trace.
STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)
(6) comments
Yep, the great outdoors is no longer "owned" by the Native Americans. We newcomers require a lot of services,security, limitations, clean up, regulations - and all of that is expensive.
"contributing to increased political pressure to preserve these areas when these same people take their positive experiences in nature to the ballot box" I agree in principle with what you're saying Spence, but to balance out the argument a little one must also understand the experience others have at the behaviors of some of these newbies, and even oldies. It's not like days gone by when humans respected and had consideration for others and we've seen some of their most consistently bad behavior this summer; tourons by the dozens if not hundreds unsafely and illegally interacting with wildlife, repeated incidents of hikers being accosted, r*ped, shot and killed on Colorado trails this year, not to mention the spoiled, entitled minded mindset of far too many Americans today when they want services in some of our smaller mountain towns and think the world revolves around them. Life has to be reciprocal where we all do for each other and not just a one way street that gets trashed on their way out!.
At some point in our lives, we all were newbies and hadn't a clue of what was and was not appropriate behavior when out in nature. My wife had little experience when I met her and my grandkids had none at all. Both parties have learned and are better off than most. If I run into someone who simply has no clue and is willing to listen, I'll be more than happy to educate them.
Where the problem starts is not chastising those who don't take the time to educate themselves, ignore written rules/signs and just generally ruin the experience for others simply because they feel entitled to do so.
On the opposite end are those who believe that the great outdoors are there only for their enjoyment and absolutely intolerant of anyone else using them. If they run across someone with a lesser developed skillset, instead of taking the "you do you" attitude and moving on with their day, they make a point of demonstrating their alleged superiority and reducing others enjoyment of our shared spaces.
Both groups deserve to be rebuked at every possible opportunity and in every conceivable way.
We agree that having more people out in nature can be beneficial. More dollars flowing into cash registers, lodging full throughout the season and people getting off their backsides, away from addictive video games and the plethora of ever more pointless TV shows are worthy uses of our shared outdoor spaces.
It's inevitable that as use goes up, so do the costs for the venue managing authorities. People demand that an ever increasing amount of infrastructure be built to accommodate their needs. Facilities that weren't designed for the increasing levels of use, wear out faster and require more maintenance/repair. Along with everything else in our country, the cost of those things is increasing. Paying fees to use these places is a burden that I'm willing to bear as should everyone that truly values what our country has to offer.
The last few years have found me looking for lesser known locations. Part of the enjoyment for me is the process of finding these unknown places and not simply having the information handed to me via an app. Part of the joy comes from discovery and not simply being part of a crowd that is only interested in getting that IG worthy picture and not truly understanding the benefits of where they are.
As time passes, I've become less and less tolerant of crowds. If I get to a location and see a parking lot full of cars or a long line waiting to get into a park, I simply turn around and go elsewhere. There are plenty of places to go that have not been advertised on SM and that are not in danger of being loved to death.
Here, Here!
Well stated.
Some good points, but no mention of the flood of people causing fees being charged and having to make an appointment to attraction that is popular. I was able to get some great pictures of Hanging Lake outside of Glenwood
Springs because I got there before the sun rose. That option isn't available during the summer any more. Rocky Mountain National Park, the Maroon Bells -- and so on.
And while it's nice to get ideas from the internet, it's also kinda cool to just go explore and see what's out there. As Calvin said "It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy! Let's go exploring!"
Good article. Two general thoughts: I can still find good amounts of solitude on trails within two hours of metro Denver & Colorado Springs. Two, electronic devices, social media, trail mapping websites cannot take the place of a good old fashioned map & compass, with the knowledge of how to use them.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.