One for All and All for One
Rain spatters on the windshield as I pull into the small dirt parking lot near Donner Lake. The only other occupied spot contains an old Subaru Outback (now there are two), and its owner is nowhere to be seen. Although fog obscures the far side of the lake, I can see through the trees well enough to discern that the few camping spots down by the water are vacant. This October afternoon isn’t wet enough to warrant a waterproof rain shell or cold enough to require a puffy jacket, so I pull on a hoodie and meander down the short path to the rocky beach.
Even though it’s the middle of the day, the beach is deserted. I’m all alone, with only gentle waves lapping at the shore for company. Today’s lunch will be comprised of the energy bar in my pocket and twenty minutes of downtime before my next meeting, but that’s enough time for me to get my nature fix.
Donner Lake, in the Sierra Nevada mountains near the town of Truckee, California, is the much smaller, lesser-known cousin of nearby world-renowned Lake Tahoe. Living in the shadow of the crown jewel of the Sierra helps lend a special, off-the-beaten-path feel to Donner Lake. This atmosphere is precisely why this is the first place I go when I need some quiet time to myself.
As humans, connecting with nature is critical to our well-being, and I wish all people could experience this communion as often as possible. People need to be able to spend time alone in nature, but to maximize this benefit for society we must encourage all Americans to take advantage of our shared public lands. The question of how to balance these two conflicting requirements is a complex one without simple, readily-available answers. The problem serves as a natural-world reflection of the broader issue of individual rights versus the common good, a topic that both divides and defines us as a nation.
The most obvious way to ensure all of us can experience the serenity of nature while immersed in our public lands is simply to have more public land. Unfortunately, under the current administration in Washington, the situation is heading in the wrong direction. The Trump-ordered downsizing of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments is a big win for corporations seeking to extract resources from our public lands and a giant loss for the actual human beings that comprise our nation.
Ordering the reduction of existing public land is particularly unfair in light of the fact that access to public land is an issue with broad support from both sides of the political spectrum. Whether you happen to be a dedicated advocate of human-powered outdoor recreation or a member of the hook-and-bullet community (or both, there’s more overlap than social media would have you believe) you’re probably a strong supporter of shared public lands.
As American citizens, we all possess a voice to help shape our country, and I encourage everybody to express their support for public lands in every way they can: personally, professionally, and especially in the voting booth.
The amount of land available to us in this country is vast but not infinite, so we must explore other creative ideas to help solve the problem of overcrowding. Another way to create more breathing room is by promoting off-peak visitation, essentially segmenting time as well as space. During the most popular times, Donner Lake is frequently crowded, particularly near the beaches and in the State Park area; both are well-known and easily accessible locations.
Spreading out visitation can be assisted by encouraging entrepreneurship, remote work, virtual offices, and co-working spaces. There are many benefits to being self-employed or working remotely, not the least of which is the flexibility of one’s time. It’s entirely possible to experience Donner lake quietly, peacefully, and largely alone under the right circumstances. On an off-season midweek day, it’s not uncommon to see only a single rowboat or stand-up paddleboarder quietly making their way through the still water.
I believe that connecting with the natural world helps us become the best versions of ourselves. The desire to inspire and compel as many people as possible to get outside and experience the outdoors on their own terms is what gets me up and out the door each morning. Nature should not be a partisan issue — to quote Montana Governor Steve Bullock, “This ain’t about politics, whether you’re a Democrat, or Republican, or Libertarian, or vegetarian, these lands belong to you.” Collectively as Americans we can find solutions that both protect our public lands and provide for private enterprise and recreation, but only if we are aware, involved, and engaged with the natural world.
I sit down on the driest rock I can find and close my eyes to fully appreciate the moment. The crisp, clean mountain air on my face, the slow drip of water from the surrounding pines, and the odor of damp dirt and moss quiet my mind. I take one last deep breath, open my eyes, and unwrap my lunch. I still have only twenty minutes to spare, but I’m no longer in a rush. I’m in my Happy Place.
Want to help conserve and protect America’s public spaces for all of us? Learn about the work the Outdoor Alliance is doing, or sign their petition to protect our public lands.
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Five Frames Stories are a series of short-short visual adventure stories to help us connect and engage with the outdoor world. They are a somewhat-haphazard and typically serendipitous collection of tales about the people, places, objects, and things I stumble upon in my quest to lead a life well-lived in the outdoors. Unlike the terrible run-on sentence I just made you read, Five Frames stories are short and to the point.
