Signs of the Times
Yeah, things are weird. Plus, California's shortest trail, a new riverfront park in Portland, baby eagles, a trail confessional, and more!
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Hey everybody. Sorry for the delay on this issue of the newsletter. Part of it was due to some work-related madness. Part of it was planning for a trip down to Los Angeles for a poetry conference this week (!), and honestly probably the biggest part of the delay was ::gestures broadly at the country::
I probably don’t need to tell you that reading the news—even just news focused on the outdoors—has been a major bummer lately … but I’m going to do my best to find a silver lining here for you. Soldier on and all that!
I think by far the biggest outdoor story that’s going on right now is that federal outdoor employees are speaking out about the political shifts affecting them—specifically around the wave of firings and probable pushes toward privatization. In Yosemite National Park, the annual natural firefall event was also marked with an enormous upside-down American flag, a signal of distress (but because the people who draped this flag were former federal employees, they also ensured the flag was treated with the proper respect, left no trace, and removed the flag before the height of the firefall event to not mar the experience for the public. These people being indiscriminately fired are literally the best.)
Not long afterward, webcams around Yosemite National Park found themselves pointing at protest signs in addition to the spectacular scenery:
This protest idea has moved up into Oregon, where climbers affixed a similar upside-down flag to the popular climbing route Monkey Face in Smith Rock State Park:
Although not all of these were done by former federal public lands employees, it is remarkable that so many are speaking out, whether in the form of protest or just honest and straightforward videos about the work they used to do for the American public. Mostly because in general, these employees
are not allowed to share their opinions on the way things are being run or just politics in general. Honestly, even when chatting with folks in this field off-the-clock, off-the-record, and in a social setting, they are incredibly tight-lipped. The fact that so many are speaking out so openly is marker of how seriously we should be taking this attack on public lands—and really, the public employee sector in general.
Although there has been significant pushback to these efforts so far—legal rulings have forced the government to re-hire fired employees—the threat remains, both to the individuals who work on these lands and the lands themselves. The National Parks Traveler notes that some of these re-hired employees are likely to be fired again, which is really no way to keep staff around … especially when some of those employees rely on employment for housing for them and their families.
As many in the outdoor advocacy space have noted, national parks get a lot of attention and already have a lot of built-in protections against industrial development and extraction. But they are often bordered and boundaries by national forest or Bureau of Land Management lands that have fewer protections and are much less well-known.
It is (see, I told you I would get here) a good thing that the firings of park service employees was so poorly received and (mostly) reversed. Although this administration doesn’t seem to care much about pesky things like “public opinion” and “law,” it is important that we keep making noise about this … and at least make our elected officials’ lives as miserable as they’re making ours by bothering the hell out of them.
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Your Parks
Your Places
Hike California’s Shortest Trail
In North Auburn, California, the guy behind the Matter Neuroscience app noticed a use trail / desire path near a local KFC restaurant. For most people, that would be the end of the story. Or maybe someone would fence off the field to keep people from walking across it.
In this story, though, the little footpath was given extremely official signage, rules, and a listing on Google Maps … which is currently flooded with glowing 5-star reviews, in the spirit of the Old Internet.
Who’s going to be first to claim a FKT on this one?
Portland Eyes a New Riverfront Park
Portland, Oregon hasn’t always taken good care of the Willamette River flowing through it, but in recent history it’s made an impressive about-face. Last year, I wrote about the city’s ongoing efforts to make its rivers more of a public park and gathering space with the opening of a new beach (and also about how much I truly treasure the ability to bike ten minutes and go swimming in the summer), and now Portland is looking to develop a large grassy area near the riverfront.
Right now, the Tom McCall Bowl is used infrequently—mostly for big events like concerts and festivals—and at least in my experience is more of a home for migrating Canada geese than Portlanders. But some recently released designs look much more people-centered, with easier access to the water and more pavilions and places to activate.
It’s no surprise that the primary driving force behind this is the Human Access Project, which was instrumental in the revitalization of the Willamette River over the past 20-ish years. You can see more of their designs and the reasoning behind the park at their website. Portland Parks and Recreation was just awarded a planning grant last week, and the city will now launch a design process with proposals from across the country. I hope they adhere to the Human Access Project’s initial vision, and balance the performance space with public access, and I hope this genuinely does help revitalize the downtown and waterfront areas.
Wildlife Crossing
Wildlife and the Outdoors
A New Eagle Arrives!
California wildlife watchers are likely already familiar with the popular eagle nest live cam in the San Bernardino National Forest near Big Bear. Earlier this month, nesting pair Shadow and Jackie welcomed their third eaglet into the nest, bringing the family total to five.
In case you missed it, the event was noted and saved on Instagram:
You can also check in on the webcam live at YouTube. When I peeked in just as I was writing this, the whole family was hanging out and honestly, it was a pretty nice break from work.
One More Thing
Oh yeah, before I go …
One of the best things about hiking is discovering some of the unique local hiking traditions either in your hiking neighborhood or while you’re traveling. Maybe there’s a secret swing in a scenic location that’s not marked on any map, or a tradition of leaving little prayers like near Griffith Park’s Wisdom Tree. Or maybe you just get to thumb through a beat up, weathered log book to see who’s come before you and what notes they’ve left behind.
Outside has a short feature on a very unique logbook on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. The summit of Priest Mountain has a shelter and logbook that has become a de facto confessional for hikers, with passers-by leaving personal secrets both heavy and whimsical.
Read more about it here … and have you ever left a personal confession at a logbook on the trail before? I know sometimes a nice long hike can make me extra introspective and open, and I’ve definitely left some personal thoughts at beat up notebooks around the West …
Until next time, I’ll keep an eye out for good news. Stay well, stay sane, and …
Happy Trails,
