A Whole New World…By Foot, Car, Bike, and Boat
Okay, maybe not a whole new world. But it never gets old. Whether I’m day hiking, mountain biking, or climbing, I tend to wander off the beaten path to find the real hidden gems of our national parks and trails. And with the news of REI’s closing on Black Friday, I’m already planning my mini-excursion for the day.
I’ve been with REI for 25 years. I joined the company back in 1990 in a part-time role and had no idea I’d be hanging on this many years later.
REI really gives its staff the tools and backs us up to help folks and celebrate products. It’s just a good experience from that perspective. But it’s also great to see how we as a company make decisions. We’re always looking through the lens of our members by asking, “What do we need to change?” or “What do we need to make better?”
Such sentiments are no different behind the #OptOutside challenge. I remember thinking what an incredible thing we’re doing for our staff and the statement we’re really making to the world. We’re putting our money where our mouth is and literally saying “Get outside.” It’s a day when a lot of folks can travel to be with family, which I think is extra important and has a nice touch to it. I’ll be doing the same and will squeeze in a day hike on the way back. I hope you’re considering a few adventures of your own.
Spending time disconnecting and relaxing can sometimes be all you need to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors.
If you are looking for a few spots to hit — when you’ve woken up from your tryptophan-induced coma, of course — consider what follows to be a little bit of inspiration. This was actually my sabbatical year at REI. I took a whole four weeks and change to do a long road trip from Utah to British Columbia, meandering through California and Oregon along the way.
Bryce Canyon & Zion National Park, Utah
My wife and I mostly day-hiked here, spending two days at each. We hadn’t planned on it as part of the road trip, but figured why not. Both Bryce and Zion are super iconic national parks that we had never visited. I have been to other parks in Utah, and never traveling to Bryce and Zion was a bit of an empty spot in my national-park travels. After looking at a map we said, “We can do this! Let’s go!”
Mammoth Mountain Resort in Mammoth Lakes, California
We then drove over to the east side of the Sierra and spent a couple of days at Mammoth Mountain. If you’re going to do anything there this season it’s ski — since the resort shifts into winter mode — but when it warms up again, try mountain biking. It’s lift-assisted, you ride up on a gondola, and you’re dropped off. Then you just come down and barely have to peddle. We spent about two days here.
John Muir Trail, California
From Mammoth Mountain, my wife and I split up for some solo activities. I went backpacking on the John Muir Trail for five nights from Devils Postpile, hiking north 60 miles into Yosemite Valley. My wife met me there, and we continued on up through Oregon. Proceed with caution in the winter, though: At this time of year, deep snow and winter conditions may be present.
The other great thing about the outdoors is what you don’t do. That’s right. Spending time disconnecting and relaxing can sometimes be all you need to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors. For my wife and I, visiting Lassen Volcanic Park, relaxing at Crater Lake in Oregon and then heading up north to overnight in Bend before landing on the coast where we spent four nights were all integral parts of our road trip.
After an overnight stay at Mount Rainier, we picked up my mother-in-law in Seattle and hit a few tourist spots along the way, including a ferry ride over to Victoria (an absolute must-do if you’re traveling to this part of the country).
The trip was bookended with four nights in Vancouver, British Columbia, and another half-day of lift-assisted mountain biking in Whistler.
There’ll be some people who’ll embrace #OptOutside and do very grandiose things — heck, they may even jump on a plane and travel somewhere! But on the other end of the spectrum, even if it’s just to get out to your local city park for a walk or wherever it is, just do that at the very least.
