Hidden Knowledge in Outdoor Recreation
A couple of summers ago I was planning my friend group’s annual backpacking trip. We’d decided on Mt Assiniboine, a stunning peak in the Canadian Rockies. I had read about the region, we planned a route and researched the best backcountry tent site options. The registration process for the sites was convoluted, and my past experiences with similar processes led me to familiarize myself with the website days before the sites were released to the public.
I had even choreographed the sequence of clicks I would need to make and all the information I would need to quickly login, select my desired dates and sites and secured my reservation. Two other friends did the same, we even arranged a zoom meeting during which we would all try for the coveted sites. We logged on at exactly on time, quickly clicked our selections and….came up empty. The campsites had all been claimed by other hikers. While I pondered our next move, I also wondered what other undisclosed tools might be available to us?
People of Color have been excluded from full participation in nature spaces and outdoor sports since European colonists first set foot on Turtle Island. As white settlers rewrote the narrative of this land to serve themselves, their colonial imagination positioned white people as landowners while restricting the rights and freedom of movement of everyone else. Even today, their sense of ownership leads to proprietary behavior (i.e. - gatekeeping) that seems natural to them and inequitable to the rest of us. If we all belong outside, why is it so challenging for so many of us to access the knowledge required to get there?
Racial segregation in national parks may be officially over but does your abuela know that timed-entry reservations are required at some parks or how to reserve one? Or which hikes require permits and which do not? And if there are changes to fees, permits, or reservation requirements, is that information reaching your community? In the right language? Or is the assumption that only a certain demographic needs to know.
If you reach out to a stranger online about a hike they posted, are they likely to share information about how to responsibly and safely access public land, or is their preference that hidden knowledge remain hidden—available only to a select few who have either ‘earned’ the right to know or who inherited the right by birth?
“...we can’t be satisfied until BIPOC have access to the hidden knowledge required to fully participate in outdoor recreation.”
To make an incredibly long story short, white people, mostly men, have dictated how our society gets to engage with nature, leaving BIPOC at a disadvantage. Even if we grow up near state and national parks, many of us don’t know how to access them. Ending legalized racial segregation on public lands was not enough; we can’t be satisfied until BIPOC have access to the hidden knowledge required to fully participate in outdoor recreation.
Image credit: Mardi Fuller
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Because of the vastness and inherent ferocity of the backcountry and other wild places, there can be a lot to learn about how to travel safely and enjoyably in forests, oceans and rivers. The possibilities for learning are truly endless. And so it can feel overwhelming; especially when it comes to experiences that seem special or unique.
How do people land coveted permits to backpack the Nüümü Poyo trail or hike the Enchantments? Where can you park to access the roadside crag that’s way less busy than the popular one down the street? How do you find the unmaintained trails to ascend the small mountains on the NEHH (New England Hundred Highest) list? What are some of the best, legal dispersed campsites in your nearby National Forest? Where is that powder stash on the backside of the ski hill?
“There is an unfortunate culture of withholding this type of information. This culture stems from a scarcity mindset that says that those already in the know have the right to guard knowledge, so that, under the pretense of protecting it from overuse, the place or the activity remains the domain of a deserving few.”
There is an unfortunate culture of withholding this type of information. This culture stems from a scarcity mindset that says that those already in the know have the right to guard knowledge, so that, under the pretense of protecting it from overuse, the place or the activity remains the domain of a deserving few.
In this way of thinking, power holders have ascribed to themselves the right to belong in those spaces while implicitly stating that newcomers don’t belong. Occasionally, newcomers who prove themselves worthy by being similar to the power holders in background or capability, or, by jumping through a series of gauntlets—for example, promising to never geotag on social media—can become new initiates into their halls of secrecy. An abundance mindset approach would say that if the land is treated properly, through right relationship, Indigenous stewardship principles, inclusive regulations and opportunities to educate the public about its inherent value, there are more than enough wild spaces for all those who wish to commune with nature. Additionally, no individual has the right to explicitly or implicitly claim ownership of public lands.
Here’s how to find out…
Read a book
A lot of what might appear to be hidden knowledge can be gained by spending some time learning. Perhaps because I’m Gen X, my first resource when learning about a new backcountry area is to look for a guidebook—yes, a paper book. I’ll pause here, so you can roast me for a bit.
Okay, let’s get back to it! I will say that I like to filter information and guidance from a variety of voices. Guidebooks are often written from a consumption-oriented mindset. Brick-and-mortar outdoor stores or independent bookstores should have guidebooks for areas in your region, but if you’re planning a trip further afield, you’ll want to do an Internet search, look at user ratings, and check the publish date to ensure the information is current.
Crowdsource from blogs, Facebook groups or subreddits
Reading Reddit threads, blogs and community message boards can help you plan and learn. When I was trying to decide whether to carry microspikes while backpacking Colorado’s four-pass loop in late September, I joined the local Facebook group and searched for threads on the topic along with recent trip reports. Now, this type of crowdsourced information is painstakingly gained, because, of course, people’s opinions can be biased, self-serving, and inaccurate. Read entries with healthy skepticism and read many, many posts, cross-referencing information with a trusted source who is accountable to a reputable organization.
Ask a public land manager
Ask a park ranger or land steward. Often if you call the visitors center or permitting office of an area you’d like to visit, they are happy to help you plan your trip or to point you in the right direction. They’re incentivized to chat with you; conveying park rules and regulations to ensure safety and appropriate use is part of their job. Of course, your results may vary; I’ve had negative experiences where rangers have attempted to talk me out of itineraries that they seemed to think I was incapable of safely completing while advising white men to take on similar routes. Yep, frustrating.
Dig for discounts
Sometimes there are ways of saving money that are not widely promoted. One little known fact that many beginner skiers and riders don’t know is that most ski resorts have learning areas that cost around $25-$50 for a lift ticket as compared to $160, which is the average price of a full mountain lift ticket in the US and Canada. Used gear sales are sometimes unpublicized. For the first 10 years of my outdoor career, I geared up nearly exclusively at the REI garage sale, whose event dates were buried in long emails or hidden on tertiary web pages.
Look for an Indigenous tour
There’s no better way to get to know Turtle Island than to learn from Indigenous guides and outfitters whose land you are recreating on. In many regions, the local Nation will offer tours or guiding experiences that will challenge the colonial perspectives you’d receive otherwise and teach you how to better connect to and understand the area. You'll also likely learn about some local “hidden knowledge” as well as protected places with spiritual or cultural significance that you absolutely shouldn’t climb or hike. Here are some great examples:
https://mahoosuc.com/canoe-trips/way-of-the-wabanaki/
https://www.blackfeettours.com/
Play the lotto
Learn about lottery permitting systems and opening day for backcountry camping or cabin reservations. For example, if you want to stand under the waterfall where Beyonce stood in the video for her Lion King song, Spirit, you’ll need to carefully read and follow instructions on the page of the Havasupai Nation, whose land the waterfall is on. Some systems are more inclusively designed than others. For example, reservation.gov permits give the user a month to enter. I’ve signed up for the Enchantments lottery at least five times and have never won an overnight permit. Instead, a friend and I hiked a backbreaking 25 miles in one day to experience this jewel of a region. For my big backpacking trip to Mt Assiniboine, when I couldn’t secure campsites on the day reservations were available, a friend told me about a resource called Camp Nab, which works with parks systems to resell canceled camping reservations. For a $20 fee, I was able to lock in the sites I wanted which laid the groundwork for a fantastic trip.
And finally, the very best way to learn hidden knowledge to help you navigate the world of outdoor recreation is to find community with like-minded folks, if that’s available where you live. If not, online BIPOC affinity spaces are the next best thing. And once you’ve gained confidence, don’t forget to share what you have learned.
In the United States, public lands are accessible to everyone, in theory—but only if you know the inside baseball. This article breaks down the four largest federal public land managers, plus three more you probably haven’t heard of, so you can get outside with family and friends this summer.