The explosion of interest in the outdoors during the pandemic exposed wounds in the ethics of public lands use, and came with some ugly new negative impacts.
An old post I know, but consider this an update from the front lines. Just prior to the pandemic, I moved from the “popular” public land management agency to the “big” public LMA and witnessed firsthand the massive increase in free, dispersed camping use. Anecdotal, yes, but the camping areas we manage that lay on the outskirts of NPS units are to this day rife with the scars of the novice user. This last weekend, on a 0900 patrol, I found 5 smoldering fire rings. The ancient PJ forest has been hallwayed by virgin camp saw wielding Sprinter and RTT pilots. This area in particular went from 5 sites to more than 40 over the summer of 2020. And it’s not ever going away. Enjoy your writing, thx!
First, thank you for your service! I love public lands and have been enjoying them since I was a baby -- my whole mind took shape thanks to public lands. And, I hear you -- the number of smoldering fire rings I've put out while roaming around as a user is alarming. I've found the social media exposure (i.e., not just the big platforms, but all of the trail apps, etc) have exposed places without any imparting of ethics that once governed the more experienced travelers. It's a wild new landscape, and it seems that we're at the inflection point where ethics will have to give way to regulation and infrastructure. Thanks for working to keep public lands open and cared for -- you have your work cut out for you in this new era!
I grew up in Washington state where we learned at a young age to respect the outdoors and leave no trace. My first backpack was made of wood and rubber inner tubes for support. During my high school years, friends and I covered the Washington Cascade trails where we could pack in for days without seeing anyone. I spent time as a scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts and I introduced my own boys to backpacking and leave no trace before the days of REI. Now iPhone apps list everywhere the "Instagram" crowd goes. No area is unknown anymore. My brothers and I still have our own 'secret' trails and areas we can disappear into, but those are disappearing. As far as I'm concerned, the locusts are ruining the outdoors. I'm ready to hang up my hiking boots and just stay on my property in Western Oregon.
I hear you -- it sounds like we have very similar experiences and observations. Last weekend, I was out in a place that I've been many times (the last time about seven years ago), and instead of the usual 3-10 camps, there were no fewer than 1,000. No exaggeration at all -- at least 1,000 cars were parked at camps over a 1-2 mile stretch of road. No event happening, the place was just posted on social media or some app somewhere. I wish I had taken pictures, but was a little too rattled in the moment. The locusts are here, that is for sure... the ethics that once governed outdoor areas will now give way to regulation, infrastructure, and overall urbanization of the outdoors.
Thank you for saying something. I have worked unfortunately in the outdoor industry for a while, and started with outdoor education in my schools - which includes a heavy (if not entirely) focus outdoor ethics and inner development training. I make sure to get those 200 feet even if it kills me. My teachers would have punished me for not hiking with the group. Our campsites were always LNT if it hurts us, you never leave a site until it is better than you found it, and you better shut up if you’re complaining about ramen for the 10th night in a row or hiking 8 miles with a 50lb pack in the pouring rain. My teachers were old school outdoor ed guys, and I loved them. They taught me to take care of myself, the group and the land. They taught me that outdoor experience no matter what kind, for education, recreation or otherwise, is about learning as a person to be better morally and growing together as a group. It’s hard as shit. Do the hard first, easy later, one kayaking NOLS instructor insisted to us. I agree with him. The lack of ethics and education around said in the outdoors is one factor driving its newly saturated misuse. The other major factor driving it is social media, and capitalism, at its core. I worked at a climbing gym started by a bunch of old school Wilderness medics, and pros from the 70s-80s. They were the most humble, down to earth people I’ve ever met. They got things right, rooting outdoor sports in ethics and history, and community. It’s about the group not the individual. Ego has no place in our community. Those guys quickly fail out and are looked down upon. However, capitalism and the almighty profit has reared its ugly head. Suddenly, technology and “trend-chasing” became more important over the original values. Shame on my community, shame on the industry and sports. It used to be about education, community, family, environmentalism and inner intrinsic values such as using an ethically executed backcountry trip with professionals or a school group and trained leaders, to find deeper meaning in yourself, the group and the world around you. The shift and “trend” over the last 5+ years I hate to say it has been rapidly barreling toward capitalism-only - - My comment became so long I wrote my own article. I’ll just post a link here. https://open.substack.com/pub/anniewlo/p/outdoor-ethics-and-the-capitalist?r=1c4orv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
An old post I know, but consider this an update from the front lines. Just prior to the pandemic, I moved from the “popular” public land management agency to the “big” public LMA and witnessed firsthand the massive increase in free, dispersed camping use. Anecdotal, yes, but the camping areas we manage that lay on the outskirts of NPS units are to this day rife with the scars of the novice user. This last weekend, on a 0900 patrol, I found 5 smoldering fire rings. The ancient PJ forest has been hallwayed by virgin camp saw wielding Sprinter and RTT pilots. This area in particular went from 5 sites to more than 40 over the summer of 2020. And it’s not ever going away. Enjoy your writing, thx!
First, thank you for your service! I love public lands and have been enjoying them since I was a baby -- my whole mind took shape thanks to public lands. And, I hear you -- the number of smoldering fire rings I've put out while roaming around as a user is alarming. I've found the social media exposure (i.e., not just the big platforms, but all of the trail apps, etc) have exposed places without any imparting of ethics that once governed the more experienced travelers. It's a wild new landscape, and it seems that we're at the inflection point where ethics will have to give way to regulation and infrastructure. Thanks for working to keep public lands open and cared for -- you have your work cut out for you in this new era!
I grew up in Washington state where we learned at a young age to respect the outdoors and leave no trace. My first backpack was made of wood and rubber inner tubes for support. During my high school years, friends and I covered the Washington Cascade trails where we could pack in for days without seeing anyone. I spent time as a scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts and I introduced my own boys to backpacking and leave no trace before the days of REI. Now iPhone apps list everywhere the "Instagram" crowd goes. No area is unknown anymore. My brothers and I still have our own 'secret' trails and areas we can disappear into, but those are disappearing. As far as I'm concerned, the locusts are ruining the outdoors. I'm ready to hang up my hiking boots and just stay on my property in Western Oregon.
I hear you -- it sounds like we have very similar experiences and observations. Last weekend, I was out in a place that I've been many times (the last time about seven years ago), and instead of the usual 3-10 camps, there were no fewer than 1,000. No exaggeration at all -- at least 1,000 cars were parked at camps over a 1-2 mile stretch of road. No event happening, the place was just posted on social media or some app somewhere. I wish I had taken pictures, but was a little too rattled in the moment. The locusts are here, that is for sure... the ethics that once governed outdoor areas will now give way to regulation, infrastructure, and overall urbanization of the outdoors.
Thank you for saying something. I have worked unfortunately in the outdoor industry for a while, and started with outdoor education in my schools - which includes a heavy (if not entirely) focus outdoor ethics and inner development training. I make sure to get those 200 feet even if it kills me. My teachers would have punished me for not hiking with the group. Our campsites were always LNT if it hurts us, you never leave a site until it is better than you found it, and you better shut up if you’re complaining about ramen for the 10th night in a row or hiking 8 miles with a 50lb pack in the pouring rain. My teachers were old school outdoor ed guys, and I loved them. They taught me to take care of myself, the group and the land. They taught me that outdoor experience no matter what kind, for education, recreation or otherwise, is about learning as a person to be better morally and growing together as a group. It’s hard as shit. Do the hard first, easy later, one kayaking NOLS instructor insisted to us. I agree with him. The lack of ethics and education around said in the outdoors is one factor driving its newly saturated misuse. The other major factor driving it is social media, and capitalism, at its core. I worked at a climbing gym started by a bunch of old school Wilderness medics, and pros from the 70s-80s. They were the most humble, down to earth people I’ve ever met. They got things right, rooting outdoor sports in ethics and history, and community. It’s about the group not the individual. Ego has no place in our community. Those guys quickly fail out and are looked down upon. However, capitalism and the almighty profit has reared its ugly head. Suddenly, technology and “trend-chasing” became more important over the original values. Shame on my community, shame on the industry and sports. It used to be about education, community, family, environmentalism and inner intrinsic values such as using an ethically executed backcountry trip with professionals or a school group and trained leaders, to find deeper meaning in yourself, the group and the world around you. The shift and “trend” over the last 5+ years I hate to say it has been rapidly barreling toward capitalism-only - - My comment became so long I wrote my own article. I’ll just post a link here. https://open.substack.com/pub/anniewlo/p/outdoor-ethics-and-the-capitalist?r=1c4orv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web