Story time!
Some years ago, when I was still awkwardly attempting to navigate the Los Angeles dating scene I went on a date with a dude, we’d hit it off moderately well, and arranged for a second date the next week. I had just gotten back into hiking in a big way and thought that a perfect (and cheap) date would be a hike in the Santa Monica mountains above LA. I had everything planned out and texted him the details. His reply: “What does one wear to go hiking?”
Honestly, this totally threw me. I thought that everybody knew what you’d wear to go hiking, it seemed so obvious to me, and downright silly that somebody wouldn’t know. I told him shorts and regular athletic shoes would do the trick. He told me the only shorts he owned were boxer shorts, and then I proceeded to get really awkward and cancel our date.
What I should have done was to pick an easy hike that could be navigated in jeans and town shoes, helped him find a way to participate in the outdoors without spending a bunch of money, and then slowly ease him into something I was really passionate about.
What I did do was to blow him off, then mock him behind his back to my friends. Smooth.
And why? All because he didn’t know how to participate in a sport that is almost exclusively marketed to straight, white, wealthy, able bodied, men. That’s crazy messed up people, and I deserve zero credit for finally coming to this realization! The truth is, that this realization was nearly five years in the making (now that’s embarrassing), that being a good ally is a continual learning process for which you are responsible, not the oppressed and marginalized people. And while I 100% believe that nature is for everyone, I also know that the “outdoors community” can be downright exclusionary.
I grew up in a white, middle-class family, I lived in a city that had easy access to open spaces, my parents had the money and free time to help me get out there and explore, all of which equals one thing: privilege. Privilege I am grateful for every time I step on a trail, but privilege none the less.
Conversely, imagine growing up near downtown LA and trying to visit Yosemite – one of America’s most visited and most popular National Parks. What if your parents don’t work a cushy white collar job with PTO and ample access to a car? Just to get to Yosemite you’d have to hop a bus to union station, from there you’d take an AMTRAK bus to Bakersfield, CA, then you get on a train to Merced, CA, get on another bus that would take you into the park. All told 10+ hours of travel, and $60-$80 just to get there, and then you still have to get home! With a car it would take 4.5 hours and $30 one way.
So let’s all stop living this collective lie that our national parks are truly accessible to everyone. And recognize that our outdoors media largely isn’t representative of the amazing kaleidoscope of colors/genders/sizes/abilities that make up the human race.
But, I also recognize that me as a white woman talking about how I messed up when it comes to inclusion isn’t moving the ball down the field. Below are a few awesome bloggers from a diverse range of backgrounds who are making their presence in the outdoors community know. Please leave a comment below with any other awesome outdoors folks who have inspired you and are making our natural spaces more diverse and inclusive!
OutDoor Afro
– Where Black People and Nature Meet
Outdoor Afro has become the nation’s leading, cutting edge network that celebrates and inspires African American connections and leadership in nature. They help people take better care of themselves, their communities, and our planet! With more than 60 leaders in 28 states from around the country, they connect thousands of people to outdoor experiences.
Vanessa Pamela Freedman – Dramatic But Honest
Vanessa is a bad ass lady hiker and writer who, aside from other awesome things, hiked 450 miles of the PCT this year! She’s a self proclaimed “queer feminist writer and photographer who is usually based in Portland, OR but is currently traveling around Europe. I’ve got a pink sleeping bag, a pink journal, and a lot of feelings.” You can find more of her on Flex Your Heart Radio in her awesome interview titled “I Walked 454 Miles and I Still Feel Like I Failed” – this interview is definitely worth a listen.
The Blackalachian aka Daniel White
Daniel completed his thru hike of the Appalachian trail in 2017, and is currently in the process of planning a 2018 thru hike of the PCT. His Instagram account is a funny and irreverent look at life on the trail through his eyes. This month The Trek wrote a profile on Daniel, and it’s 100% worth a read.
Jenny Bruso of Unlikely Hikers
Jenny describes herself as “a self-identified fat, femme, queer, writer and former indoor kid who, in 2012, went on an accidental hike which revealed a new life trajectory of healing, self-care and adventure in the outdoors. Through sharing my personal stories and the @UnlikelyHikers Instagram community, I want to bust up preconceived notions of what an “outdoorsperson” looks like and put a spotlight on diversity, inclusion and visibility. I live and adventure in Portland, Oregon.”
Latino Outdoors Blog
From their about page: “We bring cultura into the outdoor narrative and connect Latino communities and leadership with nature and outdoor experiences.” Their blog series “Yo Cuento Outdoors” is filled with engaging pieces featuring community members. For additional reading, VOX published an awesome piece titled “The Strangeness of Being a Latina Who Loves Hiking.”
Able Outdoors
Their mission is to bring the entire accessible outside world into one place, to be an information source for everything outdoors: hunting, fishing, travel & all types of outdoor recreation. Their Facebook page is another awesome resource where athletes can connect with each other, share stories, and find resources.