What has the outdoors taught you?

[Skylinerider]

I guess I never answered your question directly. If I had to put it into a short narrative, I would say that the outdoors/nature has taught me that I am a part of nature. I can choose to accept that or I can choose to live oblivious to that fact. I should feel just as at home as in the wilderness as I do in my house. This comes with experience and exposure to the outdoors. To me the outdoors aren't defined by a fence or man made boundary. There are different levels of development, but I view nature as everything around me, including myself. I could no more exclude myself (or the human race) from a discussion about Wilderness or nature than I could exclude the earth that we live on. It's mainly this reason that I view my impact on the land with the same lense that I view a deer trail or birds nest. I need a place to live, I need trails and roads to get where I need to go. I am an advanced form of life, but my needs and wants are every bit as important as the deer or the squirrel. My view is one of conservation; as a resident of this planet I am entitled to use our resources, but to use them as responsibly as I can.

 

[sixstringsteve]

well said curt.

 

[ricsrx]

I miss all the hours i spent as a kid living in Price, walking out my front door, pass 3 houses and then wilderness for as far as you can see, no trail or road to contain my direction, no motive to find and object, animal or person.

looking at, and being intrigued by the smallest of items made by mother nature, the smell of all the different plants and weeds, if you were lucky to be out while it rained then it all changed up again.

I hate to admit that being introduce to motor sports for my recreation in the same area has ruined the experience, but it has allowed me to cover more ground.

maybe that is why i have gone back to wandering aimlessly in the desert when i go back home for visits..

It really rejuvenates my soul

 

[Kevin B.]

When I moved here from Oregon, I thought the desert was an ugly dirty desolate place. I still miss the green and I love to get up in the Uintahs, but the desert has really grown on me. If I had to pick one or the other forever, it'd be a tough choice.

 

[sixstringsteve]

I'm learning to enjoy the desert quite a bit, but I'm still more of a pine tree forest kind of guy.

 

[glockman]

I think change is good. It makes us appreciate things we have grown accustomed to. For this reason I love Utah and the outdoors. After a week in the woods, the desert is more beautiful. After a week outside, a shower is beautiful. I guess it might be my ADD but I love change.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[jackjoh]

well said curt.

I agree.

 

[Unimog]

Let's see - Three things I learned just this week:
1- Getting injured in the backcountry can be a real hassle.
2- In an emergency, being prepared is a good feeling, but who you are with is more important that anything you carry.
3- Orthopedic surgeons are very expensive

All kidding aside, I'll be back to conquer the Pfeifferhorn another day precisely because of how I feel about the outdoors - I couldn't imagine a life without it. The primary reason I have a capable 4x4 is because of where it can take me. If I go more than a couple of weeks without getting out in some way, I feel beat down. I'm kind of repeating what others have said, but the outdoors is rejuvenating to my soul. It reminds me how much more there is in this universe than my little town, or for that matter, our little earth.

 

[sixstringsteve]

uh oh, that's not good. We need more of the story Eric.

 

[Unimog]

Its a good campfire story - the short version: My son, Dallin and I have been wanting to do a Winter ascent of the North ridge of the Pfeifferhorn (aka Little Matterhorn). Tuesday was beautiful and he was out of school for spring break. By the time we got to the base of the climb, for various reasons, I was exhausted. We decided it wasn't a good idea to climb that day so we headed down by a different route. About 4 miles from the trail head, I stepped on some hard snow, my foot twisted a little and my knee popped and I went down. After verifying the bones were ok, I tried to put my weight on it a few more times. Each time a pop and more pain. It seemed kind of stupid after postholing half the day and having my knee give out on fairly solid ground. After evaluating our options, we gathered up emergency supplies and a little extra clothing and ditched our packs. Dallin carried me about a mile to cell service, 50 yards at a time, postholing every 5 or 6 steps while keeping me on his back! We called the ski patrol/search and rescue and then Dallin carried me about a mile further down to a good spot in the trail where we waited for the sled. Dropped by DI on the way home for crutches. A visit yesterday to the orthopedic guy while Dallin retrieved our packs. MRI this morning and another visit to the ortho clinic revealed a torn meniscus and sprained mcl. Surgery tomorrow at noon. I can walk on Saturday and begin exercise within a week! If I get feeling good, I might start the 100 pushup challenge til I can get back outdoors!

One reason I love taking scouts on High Adventure is helping them realize they can do just about anything. It is something that is getting pretty hard to learn elsewhere. Thanks, Dallin! Sorry for derailing the thread - carry on.

 

[jentzschman]

I would love to do a winter accent but I will admit I am very hesitant because of avalanches.

 

[Unimog]

I would love to do a winter accent but I will admit I am very hesitant because of avalanches.

I hear you. On Tuesday, the avalanche levels were completely green - not indicating no risk, but very low.

 

[sixstringsteve]

bummer, sorry to hear about your accident Eric. I'll bet that was an awesome moment for your son to be able to carry you out on his back. It's a good thing you don't weigh more than 100 lbs.

 

[ozzy702]

bummer, sorry to hear about your accident Eric. I'll bet that was an awesome moment for your son to be able to carry you out on his back. It's a good thing you don't weigh more than 100 lbs.

X2, fabulous story. Stories like this are one of the reasons that I am very hesitant to make solo trips into the backcountry. Things would be different if I didn't have a family that relies on me but for me solo backcountry trips are just not worth the risk involved.

A coworker and I ran up Mill B to lake Blanche on Wed after work and the weather ended up being much nastier than was forecasted and the trail was nasty with plenty of areas where we could have blown a knee or severely twisted and ankle with one wrong step. I can only imagine what would of happened if I was hurt at the top of that trail in a storm with no gear to keep me warm, dry and alive.

I'm really impressed that your son was able to carry you and essentially save you. What a great story and situation to bond with your son.

 

[DAA]

Lots of good stuff in this thread.

The mention of solo and the risks, prompted me to comment. As one of the things the outdoors has taught me, is the awesomeness of solo adventure. Group tris are nice. Going with one or two good friends even better. But solo is where it's at, for me.

- DAA

 

[sixstringsteve]

Dave, I think you're forgetting that not all of us can do 60 push-ups.

 

[DAA]

Heck, in another couple of months, everybody is going to be doing 100 pushups! Which is just ridiculously cool, when you think about it.

- DAA

 

[ozzy702]

Lots of good stuff in this thread.

The mention of solo and the risks, prompted me to comment. As one of the things the outdoors has taught me, is the awesomeness of solo adventure. Group tris are nice. Going with one or two good friends even better. But solo is where it's at, for me.

- DAA

I would LOVE solo trips but at this point in life just can't justify the risk of going out alone, especially since I'm not in the same kind of physical shape that I used to be. I have been eyeballing some of the electronic gadgets out there that help to mitigate the risk of going it alone and think that if I had something like that I'd be a lot more willing to go solo. The thought of misfortune happening on the trail and leaving my wife and two babies without a father or even worse a father that is a burden to them keeps me from going solo. I keep telling myself that it's not a rational fear, especially in the summer but still can't get past the feeling.

 

[DAA]

Two words. Life Insurance.

I'm worth WAAAAAAY more dead, than alive. If I get myself dead out there, yeah the kids will miss me, but they'll also know that I didn't just die, I also lived - largely on my own terms.

Physical shape... It's been a steady downhill for a loooooong time for me. And it's never going to get much if any better. It is what it is. My take, I'm going to get in as much as I can while I am still able, because the time that I won't be able, is coming soon, soon, soon.

That's another thing the outdoors has helped me appreciate. Life is SHORT! I mean, blink of an eye and it's GONE short. The window for active outdoor activity is shorter still. Mine is most of the way used up already. I appreciate every minute of every day, but it gets focused and magnified when I'm outdoors and having other people around tends to diminish and cheapen that somehow. Just never as fully alive as when I'm out by myself doing something stupid.

I don't want to sidetrack this excellent thread, so won't go on about it. But, for myself, I'd rather just take up watching game shows on TV or collecting stamps or boozing and sports betting than to have one of those electro nannies anywhere near me on my trips. I do understand that nobody else agrees, and I'm fine with that. I personally hate those things almost as much as I hate working phones though.

- DAA

 

[Unimog]

On the trip out, Dallin and I had a long discussion about if I had it in me to "Joe Simpson" out of there. I'm pretty sure I could, but I don't generally go alone at this stage in my life. For now, outdoors is another excuse to be with my teenagers. Dallin's number one favorite movie of all time is "Touching the Void" where, against all odds, Joe Simpson returns from serious backcountry accident in a crazy precarious medical situation. If you like climbing or the outdoors and haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it. (warning for pretty strong language at a point where you might expect it).