The Outdoors Decade

Last year I facetiously dubbed 2010 the “Year of the Outdoors.” Well, I’ve decided to extend that dubbing and now 2011 will join 2010 and eight of its future friends in the “Decade of the Outdoors.” A colleague suggested simply blanketing the whole century, but I thought that was a bit much. Besides, in 10 years the outdoors probably won’t even exist anymore…so enjoy nature this decade before it disappears behind a cloud of gases or is destroyed by an apocalyptic event of epic proportions or (more likely) is sued by a disgruntled hiker for an exorbitant amount of money and can’t stay in business anymore.

I’m convinced that Utah will always be able to offer an amazing outdoors experience, whether it’s skiing in January or hiking in April or rafting in July or hunting in October. And the fact of the matter is that those activities will continue to be available whether you yourself go out and do them or not (barring any apocalyptic events of epic proportions), mostly because there are so many other people in this state and from around the world who truly enjoy Utah’s outdoors year-round. As a resident of Utah you are fortunate to literally have hundreds of outdoor activities at your fingertips.

For the most part, people who live in the Heber Valley are exposed to a higher level of outdoors on a daily basis than people who live in metropolitan areas. Many of you are able to fish in your backyard. Some of you can easily walk to a nearby trailhead. It’s not uncommon to narrowly miss hitting a deer with your wicked slice on Hole 6 at the golf course. Because there is constant access to the outdoors in this valley, it is hard to imagine not being able to do those things.

But the world’s population continues to increase and nature’s domain is shrinking as time goes on. Trails are slowly disappearing under concrete and asphalt; bit by bit ski resorts are buried under houses; streams gradually become irrigation ditches; people from New York City (or Salt Lake City for that matter) have to visit places like the Wasatch Mountains in order to believe that such pristine, untouched beauty still exists in the world.

I’m not trying to be a doomsayer, but if we don’t use the outdoors, somebody else will, and that person may end up building a theme park on the hillside that we always admired. I am thankful that our government has had the foresight to reserve places of beauty, such as the national parks, and protect them from becoming anything but natural. Unfortunately there are other, smaller, bastions of splendor that are not protected, and without some humans to appreciate them and defend them from civilization they are slowly vanishing.

So get off the couch, pack some snacks and fight for your right to do outdoorsy stuff. You don’t have to be an activist or a “tree hugger” to defend nature and your ability to easily access it. Nature is like your brain: use it or lose it. Do the smart thing and use both.