Any Other Brown/Non-Caucasian Thru-Hikers?

[EverydayJourneyman]

Over the years, I've grown strangely accustomed to being the only person of colour doing the things that I love to do (spelunking, mountaineering, adventuring).

But by chance, are there any other folks like me in the 2009 class?

[maxNcathy]

I am like you. I like adventuring and get very dark skinned by autumn.

[EverydayJourneyman]

I am like you. I like adventuring and get very dark skinned by autumn.

That counts!

[UnkaJesse]

Over the years, I've grown strangely accustomed to being the only person of colour doing the things that I love to do (spelunking, mountaineering, adventuring).

But by chance, are there any other folks like me in the 2009 class?

Fantastic question. Although I'll get pretty tanned by the end of the summer, not now. What made me respond was that several years ago I read an excellent article in Outside on this very topic. When I just now searched for it, I realized it was over eleven years ago. The fact that I still remember it tells you how much of an impact it had on me.

The author is a black man and the story is about his being -- most often -- the only person of color outdoors. Take a few minutes and read through it. I think you'll find it worth your time. Since reading this article all those years ago, it's been confirmed for me many times on my mountain bike, hiking, scuba diving and ski slopes.

Here's the link.....http://outside.away.com/outside/maga.../9712solo.html

[traildust]

Surely things have changed since this article was written. Then again, probably not. Sadly. Can't remember where I saw it but I read an article somewhere that talked about how some group was working hard to encourage minorities to take up outdoor activities. It was presented not so much as a matter of race but more a matter of health and lifestyle.

[Tipi Walter]

I was doing a part of the AT in 2006 and at the Cable Gap shelter I read an entry by a guy with the trailname OB MOAT. Only Black Man On Appalachian Trail.

[Slo-go'en]

We had a camp fire discussion one night on the trail last year about the lack of racial diversity on the trail. No conclusion was reached. Some sort of social/economic thing? For what ever reason, hiking seems to be predominately a white mans hobby. At least on the AT.

I think I can count on one hand the number of hikers "of color" I've meet on the trail over the years who weren't part of an outward bound or hoods in the woods type program.

[drastic_quench]

Fantastic question. Although I'll get pretty tanned by the end of the summer, not now. What made me respond was that several years ago I read an excellent article in Outside on this very topic. When I just now searched for it, I realized it was over eleven years ago. The fact that I still remember it tells you how much of an impact it had on me.

The author is a black man and the story is about his being -- most often -- the only person of color outdoors. Take a few minutes and read through it. I think you'll find it worth your time. Since reading this article all those years ago, it's been confirmed for me many times on my mountain bike, hiking, scuba diving and ski slopes.

Here's the link.....http://outside.away.com/outside/maga.../9712solo.html

Thanks for that link. I might pick up one of his books.

[maxNcathy]

Seems like African brothers and sisters have walked for centuries..maybe they are just sick and tired of it.

[TJ aka Teej]

Let's see... Winston, way back in the '80s, and there was that Hispanic young lady in a tennis skirt hiking with a dog, and good ol' Sarge, and Xenon, and the young man who worked at the Salem NH EMS after his sobo a few years back, and Haiku, and FlufferNutter (?), and well not that many, really. The photo albums in Harpers Ferry a few years back were a disappointment to my daughter's two Dominican hiking pals.

[JAK]

I'm not that fond of fly fishing but I am very fond of wilderness. I don't understand why more people don't enjoy it. I don't understand why I don't enjoy it more often. I find it difficult enough to get myself and my daughter to go as often as I should. Can't think of much more despicable than discouraging folks from doing so, yet it happens, in various ways, no doubt. Up here in New Brunswick is far from being any exception to this uglier side of human nature. Worse than barring a child from school or church in my opinion.


Valley-Folk
- Fred Cogswell

O narrow is the house where we are born,
And narrow are the fileds in whick we labour,
Fenced in by rails and woods that low hills neighbour
Lest they should spill their crops of hay or corn.
O narrow are the hates with which we thorn
Each other's flesh by gossip of the Grundies,
And narrow are our roads to church on Sundays,
And narrow too the vows of love we've sworn.

But through our fields the Saint John River flows
And mocks the patterned fields that we enclose;
There sometimes pausing in the dusty heat
We stretch cramped backs and lean upon our hoes
To watch a sea-gull glide with lazy beat
To wider regions where the river goes.

[Jim Adams]

2002, Rockytop. Got his "load" sorted out at Neel's Gap and turned into a hiking machine.

geek

[the goat]

"no pain" is a black dude who's done the trail multiple times.

[EverydayJourneyman]

Thanks for the link UnkaJesse.

I remember doing a week of adventuring out west about a year and a half ago, some sea kayaking in the Puget Sound, climbing on Mt Rainer, hiking in Olympic National. I was asked during dinner one night why I was doing these things, considering my ethnic background (I'm a Brit by birth, mum's from Germany with a French dad, Greek and Egyptian on my father's side of things).

I couldn't help but think of the old famous George Mallory quote when he was asked "why do you want to climb Mt. Everest." His answer, "because it's there."

It's impossible to not notice the lack of diversity and it is somewhat disheartening but perhaps in a small way I can encourages others to give it a try.

[RITBlake]

Seems like African brothers and sisters have walked for centuries..maybe they are just sick and tired of it.

And white people did what exactly.....ride on their hover boards?

[Pony]

The January-February issue of Journeys had an article you may be interested in. It's called Come Together and it's about a program to get "people of color" into the great outdoors. Pretty good article.

[sliderule]

Sounds like we need a new federal program to "encourage" diversity on the trail. Maybe a stimulus package for first-time minority hikers. Or a quota system. "Sorry, sir. There are only two slots left for the Icewater Springs shelter on May 2nd. And you must be an Asian/Pacific Islander to get one."

[Slimer]

LMAO!!!!
sliderule, your comment made me spew tea all over my laptop.
Sadly though, this could actually be a future policy.

[EverydayJourneyman]

"Sorry, sir. There are only two slots left for the Icewater Springs shelter on May 2nd. And you must be an Asian/Pacific Islander to get one."

Hmmm, I know just the Maori!

[sheepdog]

I've seen quite a few Asian hikers, never any black hikers. On the bright side I doubt race would be an issue with other hikers.