19 February 2008
Enjoy The Outdoors - Your Way, Not Mine
Posted by Darrell under: Rantings Of An Outdoorsman .
I just got back from the mountains of British Columbia. I spent the week skiing. Well, not exactly skiing. I hate to even admit it, but I spent the week snowboarding. I’ve spent the last 18 years skiing and swore for many years that you’d never ever catch me on a snowboard. To be honest, I thought that snowboarders were for the most part a bunch of trouble making punks.
Now, here I am, officially a snowboarder. I spent most of the week on a snowboard and, again, as much as I hate to admit it, I had a great time. I almost feel bad about the way I’ve hated snowboarders for the past 10 or more years.
I ended up on a snowboard simply because I went on this trip with some friends that snowboard. I was going to be the odd man out on skis. I figured that if I went ahead and skiied that I’d spend most of my time waiting on all my snowboarding friends to actually get up and do anything (I always thought that snowboarders enjoyed laying on the slopes more than actually going down them). So, due to my limited patience, I decided that I’d be happier laying around with them rather than waiting on them to get up off their lazy butts.
Anyway, I found myself on a snowboard and I now understand why, at any give time, you can find snowboarders laying all over the slopes. I feel like my 36 year old body has spent a week in the washmachine on the spin cycle! But that isn’t the point of this post (and I do have a point).
This post is about the perceptions and attitudes we have towards others and their endeavors to enjoy the outdoors. Many of us outdoorsmen tend to have an imperial view of the outdoors. We tend to think that whatever way we enjoy spending time in the outdoors is superior to the ways that others choose. For instance, I always thought that skiing was superior to, and more important than snowboarding. In fact, I was dissapointed when my favorite ski resorts first began admitting snowboarders!
During my recent trip to BC I went on a snowmobile tour and had a fantastic time. However, there are lots of outdoors people that HATE snowmobiles and the people that ride them. While taking a break during our snowmobile trip one of my friends told me a story. He had went to Colorado one summer with his family to ride ATVs in the mountains. He told me how you’d have to be careful and alert because the hikers would hurl rocks at you as you rode by. I had visions of cross country skiiers rolling giant snowballs towards our snowmobiles.
Anyway, my point is that as outdoorspeople we need to simply get along. I’ve met archery hunters that HATE crossbow hunters, traditional archery hunters that dislike anyone that hunts with a compound bow, bird hunters that dislike deer hunters, fly fishermen that speak out openly against anyone using a spincaster, trotliners that HATE bass fishermen and the list goes on and on.
My suggestion to you is to just go out and enjoy the outdoors in whatever way makes sense to you. I may not join you in whatever endeavor you choose. I may not understand or appreciate the way that you choose to enjoy the outdoors. However, I promise that as long as your method for enjoying the outdoors is legal and ethical, I will stay out of your way.
I’m going to work hard to keep from jumping to conclusions about outdoor sports and activities (that I might not participate in) and I’m going to stop judging the people that do participate.
10 Comments so far...
Kristine Shreve Says:
20 February 2008 at 9:56 am.
This is such a true post. Everyone has a right to enjoy the outdoors in their own way. As long as they are not harming the landscape, or interfering with other people’s enjoyment, who is to say what is the “right” way and what is the “wrong” way to have fun in the outdoors.
By the way, any snowboarding pictures?
Arthur Says:
20 February 2008 at 9:56 am.
Incredible picture in the post and I couldn’t agree with you more Darrell. We all need to get along in order to fight off the groups that are working against us having our outdoor past times. As long as it is legal, we might as well support it and bring them along with us to help in our fight.
Matt Says:
21 February 2008 at 9:25 am.
Very good post. Reminds me of the way many power boaters in this area feel about sail boats and their operators. I grew up hearing a lot of bad things about sailboats but then had the opportunity to try it and found it to be quite a bit of fun!
Marc Says:
22 February 2008 at 12:57 pm.
Thanks for coming over to the “dark side” of snowboarding! I’ve been snowboarding for 12 years now and I love it, although, from that picture you’ve sent me I haven’t really snowboarded yet! I’ve been on the mountains of NY, NH, and VT and am longing to get out West to the backcountry to ride the mountains that are covered in powder.
No matter whether you ski, snowboard, hike, kayak or do any of the numerous activities outdoors it is important to remember, as you said, that the outdoors is for all of us to enjoy and we should not judge how others spend their time outdoors. We also need to have an open mind and try new things, just like you tried snowboarding.
Glad you liked it! Now we have another member of the growing snowboarding community!
Othmar Vohringer Says:
28 February 2008 at 7:21 pm.
Excellent post. Ignorance is favorite topic for me and one I often rant on about. The world, hunting world that is, would be a much nicer place if we were open minded about the hunting style others pursue.
So you came to visit British Columbia eh! You could have given me a warning and I would have made sure a hot cup of coffee is ready for you. Where in our beautiful province did you go?
-ov-
mike ansel Says:
29 February 2008 at 1:34 pm.
Good post Darrell makes alot of sense. Awesome picture!
Kevin Paulson Says:
2 March 2008 at 9:00 pm.
All I can say is that as long as you are getting out in the outdoors and getting to see scenes as beautiful as in that picture.
Glad to see you back writing again, we missed you!
deerslayer Says:
7 March 2008 at 6:25 am.
I have a nephew in Maine that snowboards and snowmobiles and even though I didn’t get on the board for a try I fell in love with the snowmobiles and just couldn’t stay off of them. I think location is the key to enjoying the outdoors and we all just need our own space where we won’t be bothered by others to do this. Glad you had a great new adventure and found something new to add to your lifes pleasures.
Tom Sorenson Says:
6 May 2008 at 5:15 pm.
Great post. A good reminder for all outdoors men and women.
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