On June 23-25th, 2019 I’m paddling 50 miles of the scenic Green River in South East Utah through Labyrinth Canyon for three days and two nights. I’m really excited about the trip because I have worked and lived in this area for over four years and have seen it from above on the canyon rim. A flowing river tucked in the red rock canyon walls that has carved its pathway over millions of years. I’ve dreamt many dreams of what it would be like to spend several days and nights on the river. To be flowing with the river. The same river that John Wesley Powell first explored 150 years ago. The Green River is an important watershed to the Colorado Plateau and abounds with human and natural history. This year, I have committed myself to doing an outdoor adventure beyond myself and with the bigger picture goal of fundraising and bringing awareness to getting more girls and women outside.
As an Ambassador forThe Cairn Project, I’m catalyzing this adventure into a fundraiser that will expand access for girls-only outdoor education programs around the country. The Cairn Project’s grants support organizations getting more young women outside - biking, rock climbing, backpacking, and more. Since their launch in 2016, they’ve made $100K in grants to twelve different organizations!
I'm proud to be an Ambassador to The Cairn Project and to catalyze this trip into something that gives more young women opportunities to learn and grow in the outdoors! This opportunity is meaningful to me because I strongly believe now more than ever, we need mentally and physically strong young girls and woman in the outdoor community. The outdoors are where other women can find community, find personal growth, improve mental and physical health, and empower other women in outdoor leadership roles. Check out my profile and fundraiser page at their website.
I would love to count you among my supporters, and I hope you’ll contribute to this fundraiser. My goal is to raise$2,500 for The Cairn Project’s charitable grants program. Even if you can spare $5 or $10 that makes a difference!
Please note that The Cairn Project uses the 501c3 status of their fiscal sponsor, Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE), to operate their charitable program. Your tax deductible donation receipt will reflect a donation to SEE.
Thanks so much for joining me in helping to get more young women empowered through outdoor adventures!
Moab is unique in more ways than one. I, like many who moved here, enjoy the diversity of outdoor recreation our canyon country and nearby mountains provide. You name the activity; I bet you know someone who has devoted their free time, passion, or even their career to enjoying the outdoors.
Whether it be rock climbing, taking the children to Swanny City Park, showing your sister Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, backpacking through Canyonlands National Park, mountain biking Porcupine Rim, rafting the Colorado River, 4-wheeling on Hell’s Revenge, riding ATVs at Gold Bar Rim, canyoneering, slacklining, or participating in nature photography, there really is something for everyone.
However, we are seeing more visitor-use conflicts happening on our public lands. Recreation numbers have increased tenfold over the years. We must remember that our public lands belong to each and every one of us. The best part of public lands is that it can serve multiple uses through different agencies and management. Our public lands are open to any ethnicity, gender, religion, sexuality, disability, age and economics (Even though there are many hurdles within these categories themselves.)
We often tend to think that the way our social group enjoys the outdoors is the “best” way and we get stuck in our personal belief system. We get upset when we see others shooting selfies with their smart phone or the mountain biker ripping past us as we are hiking. Or we get frustrated when an RV camper is using a generator next to our tent camp. If we don’t understand why someone would want to slackline across a giant canyon or base jump off a climb, we tend to end up with judgments. If we don’t understand why someone wants to raft class V rapids, we may view the recreational user group differently. It is a personal choice as to how we enjoy exploring the outdoors. This can be human power, two-wheeled human power, or motorized recreation activities. Bottom line for all is to be safe, have fun and to show respect.
With the technology age we live in now, is Instagram and social media to blame? Sometimes. Photos can inspire others, while tagging a location can cause multitudes of people to flock to the same area. Some areas don’t have enough infrastructures or are extremely sensitive. Think before you post.
In the end, we must remember that we are all enjoying nature, our public lands and finding joy in our own unique way.
We must respect each other. We must treat each other with respect and all get along. We must all Tread Lightly, Ride With Respect, Protect and Respect and Leave No Trace. We must communicate with each other, talk, listen and share stories and low impact ideas. Instead of shaking our heads in disgust or pointing figures, let’s all get along.
Let’s work towards the best stewardship of the planet, for Utah, for Moab, for locals and visitors alike.
See something, say something.Respect the land.
Respect each other.
Crystal
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.
As the word got
out about the upcoming oil and gas lease sales occurring near Chaco Cultural
National Historical Park in New Mexico, I was outraged that this was
happening again. I spent time researching how and when to provide my public
comment.
I, like many, got
tangled in the Bureau of Land Management website, clicking on multiple links,
documents, and maps trying to find more information.It was a maze of government garble and in no
way is it easy for a common lay person to understand. Therefore, here I am to
help you again! I hope to provide information, maps, oil/gas parcel numbers,
when/how to comment, and any other information about this upcoming issue.
It
is disgraceful that the Trump Administration is moving ahead with this sale and
has left the public out of the process that was fast-tracked during the
shutdown.
Chaco Canyon is a sacred site that is
revered around the world and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.Between AD 900 and 1150, Chaco Canyon was a major center of
culture for the Ancestral Pueblo Peoples.It deserves to be remained protected from any harmful
development that would damage its precious historical and cultural resources.
Please
note, that the public comment period has been drastically shortened and may be
at threat due to another government shutdown.
The Lease Sale will occur online on March 28, 2019 . This includes parcels for the Rio
Puerco, Farmington, Carlsbad, Oklahoma Field Offices/Districts. Most of the
parcels that affect nearby Chaco Canyon are under the Farmington Field Office
District. The parcels for the Farmington Field Office include 9 in Sandoval
County, 14 in San Juan County, 7 in McKinley County, and 1 in Rio Arriba
County.The Proposed Action is to lease
55 nominated parcels of federal minerals administered by the Bureau of Land
Management New Mexico, covering 16,377.06 acres.
Lease Sale Notice and Protest Period –
February 11, 2019 thruFebruary
20, 2019
Public Comment Periods
As of February 7th, 2019, ZERO
documents have been uploaded to the E
Planning BLM-Land Use website. We shall wait
and see what appears on February 11th, and if we are able to
electronically submit public comments on the NEPA project links.
Take the time to provide a useful comment
and not strictly an opinion or repetitive comments. Make it unique and be sure
to include your name and address and be aware at any time your public comment,
may, well, be “public”!
A parcel may be protested. Protests received that do not meet
the following requirements will be summarily dismissed.
Submission of
the protest to the BLM New Mexico State Office no later than close of
business (4:30 PM local Mountain Time) on the last day of the protest
period. (Which is February 20th)
Submission of a
hardcopy protest mailed or hand delivered to the BLM New Mexico State
Office, Attention: State Director, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508.
Inclusion of the
name and address of the protesting party. If the party signing the protest
is doing so on behalf of an association, partnership or corporation
(group), the signing party must reveal the relationship between the party
and the group. An individual member of a group cannot make a protest in
the group’s name without authorization of the group.
Reference to the
specific parcel number(s) being protested.
Disclosure of
protesting party’s interest in the parcel(s).
Inclusion of a
statement of reason(s) to support the protest of the specific parcel(s).
Small
Print:Any protest, including names and street addresses, submitted will
be made available for public review. Individuals submitting a protest may
request their personal identifiable information be withheld from public review
or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, by prominently stating
this request at the beginning of the protest. Such requests will be honored to
the extent allowed by law. All protests received from associations,
partnerships, corporations (groups) or individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of a group, will be made available for public
inspection in their entirety.
Government Blah Blah Blah About
Public Comments:
Please
note that the most useful public comments are substantive comments that
identify issues relevant to the proposed action, question, with reasonable
basis, the accuracy of information, methodology or assumptions, present
reasonable alternatives other than those analyzed, cause changes or revisions
in the alternatives being analyzed, or contain new technical or scientific
information for the BLM to consider in the environmental analysis to be
prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Comments which contain only opinions or preferences, or comments that are
essentially identical to other comments will not be specifically addressed in
the environmental review process.
Before
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal
identifying information in your public scoping comment, you should be aware
that your entire comment - including your personal identifying information -
may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review,
we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
For more information, contact:
NEPA Lead (Farmington Field Office)
Jillian Aragon Planning
and Environmental Coordinator
6251 North College Boulevard, Suite A
Farmington, NM 87402-1738
(505) 564-7722
jgaragon@blm.gov
NEPA Lead (Rio Puerco Field Office)
Lucas Vargo Environmental
Protection Specialist
100 Sun Avenue Northeast
Pan American Building, Suite 330
Albuquerque, NM 87107-4935
(575) 289-0068
lvargo@blm.gov
Government Blah Blah Blah about Oil/gas
leases, Exploratory, and Future Drilling: Once sold, the lease
purchaser has the exclusive right to use as much of the leased lands as is
necessary to explore and drill oil and gas within the lease boundaries, subject
to the stipulations attached to the lease (43 CFR 3101.1-2).
Oil and gas leases are issued for a 10-year period and continue for as long
thereafter as oil or gas is produced in paying quantities. If a lessee fails to
produce oil and gas, does not make annual rental payments, does not comply with
the terms and conditions of the lease, or relinquishes the lease, exclusive
right to develop the leasehold reverts to the federal government and the lease
can be re-offered in another sale. Drilling of wells on a lease is not
permitted until the lease owner or operator secures approval of a drilling
permit and a surface use plan specified under Onshore Oil and Gas Orders and as
described in 43 CFR 3162.
A permit to drill would not be authorized until site-specific NEPA analysis is
conducted. Site specific mitigation measures and Best Management Practices
(BMPs) would be attached as Conditions of Approval (COAs) for each proposed
exploration and development activity authorized on a lease.
Well, 2019 is starting off good with three books read so far this year ! I just wrapped up reading The Man Who Quit Money by Mark Sundeen. A guy raised with fundamentalist deep religious roots goes on a lifelong quest to find life, to live sanely and happily, without spending money! It is one of those books that has you thinking after you finish it. He digs deep into companionship, community, purpose, and spiritual purpose. He finds himself returning to the liberal mecca of Moab, Utah quite often and living in caves.
Here are some of my favorite excerpts from the book:
Page 118 - Tao Te Ching: Creating without claiming, Doing without taking credit, Guiding without interfering, This is Primal Virtue.
Page 125
"He was less interested in reaching some desintation- a river or an overlook or arch- than in the experience of traveling through the moonscape, visualizing steps and ramps on a sheer slickrock dome, squeezing into forbidden slots and wondering if there was an exit. He sought to become an element of the landscape."
Page 148 (Describing the group of alternative life seekers in Moab, Utah)
" And what sort of people chose to dwell there? Quality people who didn't want the responsibility of ownership. The usual muster of river guides, seasonal waiters, Indians, environmental activists, and drunks."
Page 161
"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Faith = taking a chance. "
I feel like there’s this nasty, persistent rumor going around that you can’t go on adventures while experiencing anxiety and depression That there is some imaginary barrier to the outdoor world if you struggle with your mental health in any fashion. To be adventurous, you need to be spontaneous, illogically brave, and incredibly strong – in all the meanings.
People with anxiety can often get trapped in a bubble. Sometimes they are told not to do the things that give you anxiety – so you won’t get anxious, and you can protect yourself. Avoiding the triggers. By doing this, people limit their possibilities for their life.
I had all these ideas of everything I always wanted to do, but I didn’t think I could with anxiety and depression. I had false stereotypes in my head:
“You cannot be anxious and be a rock climber. You cannot be depressed and be able to backpack. You cannot do it. People like you don’t do things like that. You are not as badass as them.”
Every time I thought of doing a new activity – I would hold back because I never thought I would be good enough. So I wouldn’t even attempt it. I lived a quiet life for a long time. I didn’t do many activities besides watching other people’s lives through television and movies. I thought I was protecting myself. I heard how change isn’t good for anxiety. How intense activities aren’t good for anxiety. But, exercise and sunlight are always a coping mechanism for anxiety and depression. But it’s never easy, is it? Finding the motivation to do it. Finding the strength to do it. Finding the mental willpower to do it.
So, I found myself stuck between these two dichotomies. Getting outside and exercising as well as living small. When trying to find the balance between the two, my soul still wasn’t satisfied. I knew I wanted so much more out of life.
Here’s the thing, you can have anxiety and depression and love outdoor recreation. You don’t have to be the typical badass lady to do these types of sports. In fact, I would like to bet that these types of activities will help minimize your anxiety and depression. There is nothing like accomplishing things you never thought you could accomplish.
There is a fair share of adventurous women out there who struggle with anxiety and depression that do the most amazing things. Here are just a few of them:
I watched Caroline’s videoFollow Through. Honestly, I was a little jealous of her. She’s beautiful. She’s badass. She does things I could never do. In this video she is open, she is vulnerable, she talks about her insecurities. This video proves she is a badass – skiing some of the most challenging ski lines in Utah – as well as having anxiety. She is also open about her anxiety on hersocial media. She talks about it in her stories and posts. Her honesty is refreshing. It makes me connect with her. It makes me feel less alone when I’m doing a new activity and struggling with anxiety.
“There’s something incredibly special about climbing in a crew of all women. Here we are on the top of Castleton Tower near Moab, Utah during a 2 week long exchange between the South Africans and Americans supported in part by the Mountain Club of South Africa and American Alpine Club. There’s so much more support, less pressure and competition with women. And it feels so much more chill. It’s okay to be silly and girly. Feeling badass yet vulnerable is empowering.” – Heather Weidner
Heather is a professional rock climber. In 2017, she climbed the hardest route she has ever done called China Doll. Her effort to climb this difficult route was made into a documentary displaying the true emotions that go into trying to send a climb. In her blog, “Heather Climbs,” she mentions how she cried when re-watching the film, she said, “I was in a place where I let my negative self-worth mind chatter take over, despite just achieving the greatest climbing accomplishment of my career.” She talked about how she is trying to stop using negative self-talk and numbing behavior – and how difficult it can be. She mentioned “I do believe in myself. I admit that I live most of my life with confidence, but I battle those deep-seated thoughts of negative self-worth, and sometimes they take over. I’m getting better at catching those thoughts and labeling them, not letting them go too far as they did in the past, but they’re a part of me and always will be.”.When reading that article, I instantly felt less alone. My mind is also cluttered with negative thoughts about how I will never be good enough and challenging my worth. Depression is a close friend. But here is this amazing women dealing with the same things. I’m not alone. Read thefull article she wrote about the process watch the filmhere.
Nikki is one of the most talented ultramarathoners out there. She holds records. She usually finishes in the top for races. She also happens to struggle with depression. Maybe that sounds strange to some. Depression usually drains your energy – so how does this woman who struggles with depression run ultra marathons (races more than 26.2 miles)? In the film,Finding Traction, she talks about how depression is her secret weapon. Depression taught her how to endure. How being outside – even if just for a half mile walk – saved her life. She wants to show that women can do anything. She is looking for her limit.
I remember cross country skiing one winter up a black diamond feeling like I was going to die. I repeated to myself “if I can survive that night, I can survive anything.” When I said “that night” I was referencing a very difficult night I had a while ago, where I was on the verge of a mental breakdown with anxiety and depression taking over. I thought that night would never end. I survived that night so I can survive cross-country skiing up a black diamond. Depression made me tough. It sucked. I wish I never had it, but I cannot deny how mentally strong it has made me.
Sylvia Marcia – Average adventurer with anxiety and depression
Then there’s me – an average female who is anxious and depressed. When I first started doing adventurous outdoor recreation, I was usually overcome by anxiety. I would become irritable and anxious. But I also felt a pull to the outdoors. To pushing myself. To challenging myself. To finding peace. To prove to myself and my anxiety how capable I am. I have cross country skied, rock climbed, hiked, winter hiked, backpacked, and downhill skied. I have done things that I never thought I could do because of anxiety and depression.
It didn’t necessarily come easy. I was lucky to have people around people who I trusted and were interested and talented in outdoor activities. They mentored me. But I had anxiety attacks on rock climbs. I had moments when I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it. I had moments when I wanted to go back. I had days when I woke up and had no desire to move, so I stayed in bed instead of going outside. I had plenty of setbacks. Moments when I wondered if I should even try to continue to venture out into the wild.
I spent a winter weekend in New Hampshire that was full of new people and new activities. I was on edge for most of the weekend. On our way back home, we stopped at the base of Mount Washington to hike to Tuckerman’s Ravine. We took a broad trail on the way up, and I felt mostly good. I was happy and laughing. But when we reached Tuckerman’s Ravine something shifted. Nothing felt okay. I was angry and irritable. I went into flight or fight mode. I ended up heading down the mountain, without fully telling the people I was with. On the way down the mountain, I felt dizzy and like I was dissociated. I remember crying. I remember sitting on the path. I remember thinking “what the hell am I doing?” I felt like an idiot. I was frustrated with myself. I felt like a failure. I was afraid of how angry the people I left behind were.
I messed up. My anxiety took over. I wasn’t sure if I would ever be allowed to hike with them again. Or if I should even be allowed to hike again. What I did was dangerous and not smart. I was embarrassed and wanted to hide. After a few days of contemplation, I decided that I learned my lesson and to keep moving forward.
The following year I took part in another difficult, winter weekend of new activities. But I handled it like a boss. I discovered what worked for me when it comes to winter hiking. I got better gear. I prepared more. I took time for myself. After I finished the hike, I was SO proud of myself.
I have come incredibly far with coping with anxiety and depression in the outdoors. I still have struggles, but I’m moving forward. Outdoor sports give me a breath of fresh air. It gave me space. It helped me develop my self-esteem and capabilities more. It proved to me that I can do so much more than I ever thought I could. It brought me to new places and new people that I once found so intimidating, but now I find welcoming. It showed me that there is so much out there than I ever thought there was.
I used to think that I was stuck living a life I didn’t want to, due to my depression and anxiety, but I realized that I am capable of so much more. I have anxiety and depression and am an outdoor adventurer. You are not alone in thinking you are not enough. But anxiety and depression also made us who we are. You can have anxiety and be an outdoor adventurer. You can have depression and be an outdoor adventurer. You can struggle with your mental health and be an outdoor adventurer.
not smart. I was embarrassed and wanted to hide. After a few days of contemplation, I decided that I learned my lesson and to keep moving forward.