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This letter should should be sent to the CMC Board and Staff that is where the real impact could be made: https://www.cmc.org/About/StaffBoardofDirectors.aspx That said it is pretty easy to self publish theses days. That said I have yet to heard anything position about the author. |
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Sounds familiar.... https://www.backpacker.com/stories/keeping-utah-s-outdoor-secret And remember, "A Kelsey guidebook is like a seductive dance with the devil." |
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Cool. Now we don't have to look through the dozen or so web sites that provide directions and GPS coords to those archeological sites. |
Thank you ! I did contact Colorado mountain club and heard no response. But i will try the board of directors. Nor the first time CMC popularized a sensitive ecosystem Allen Sanderson wrote: |
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I understand a lot your frustration. The instagram culture often is hypocritical in its shaming of conventional commercialized lifestyles. All the while there's a creepy undercurrent of brand promotion and desperate self validation. However people got to make a paycheck and it's the new world we live in. Keeping that portion of your argument aside as you pursue this would be wise. It makes it seem too personal/petty. Maker it about the protecting the artifacts, not about Sjorgen's lifestyle. Don't even mention her name. Just refer to the title and to her as the 'author.' If I had my way, no one would be able to find any of these areas. I wouldn't be taking personal pictures with them or list them in my book. Just leave all the hikes/runs/climbs in without reference to the surrounding artifacts and let people discover them as a secondary pleasure. |
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thank you jack for your input ! greatly appreciate it ! |
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Crystal, thank you for caring enough to write this letter. I find the whole situation to be pretty frightening, and I fear that the whole region is at the brink of a tipping point of crowds and visitor impacts. I understand both the poor example of LNT that seems to be set by the photos you highlighted and the notion that perhaps the author might not be in it for the right reasons. But I think Jack's advice is right. Even though you're frustrated by the whole of the situation, focusing your efforts on content instead of personal attacks will probably prove most effective. I.e. the fact that the author is a sponsored beer drinker is neither here nor there, even if it rubs you the wrong way. This area is really special to me, and my experiences there aren't compatible with following a guidebook to a set of coordinates to tick a site. For me, the magic is in the sense of discovery. I'd rather pick a random canyon on a topo and start exploring, but everyone is entitled to their own style I suppose, as long as your style is not to touch rock art. |
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Marc -> Thank you for the photo. Z Winters -> Thank you for your reply. I agree with you. My main struggle is how she portrays herself on social media. With over 20,000 "followers", that's quite an audience, compared to 35 friends. A lot people see a cool photo and that's all they get from it. They assume it is OK to touch ruins, because they see others doing it. Many Instagram followers may have never been to archaeological sites or live near them, but then assume oh, I saw it on Instagram. That was a cool photo, and oh, it must be OK to touch the ruins because I saw so and so do it. I understand the hikes are well known etc (and there is probably worse information out there on the internet) but sadly, not every one "gets" the Leave No Trace and/or Respect and Protect ethics. I'm sure we have all seen issues in very populated recreational areas (like national parks). It's hard for me to not personally attack the author, when I feel she has a "voice" and should be a better role model for our public lands and provide some environmental ethics vs. buy my guide book and run with the money. I think it comes down to education and yes, guidebooks can do that, and I hope folks read those pages about Leave No Trace and take them seriously ! Also, just personally I get annoyed with all the #hashtag sponsors I see in the social media world. Even though, I follow professional athletes and realize that is part of their job and how they make money. It's just a plug to exploit the land for profit, sadly. I also am bit of a luddite and would rather explore on my own with a map and finding the mystery of the trail etc on my own vs. a guidebook. BUT, I try to see things from both sides, and realize that some folks really enjoy guidebooks and find value in them. They just happen to bring focus and highlight those sensitive areas. It would be like writing a guidebook to a secret/locals only "crag". Yet, if it's on public land, it is for all of us to enjoy and usually more knowledge is better ! Yet, more people = more problems. Do I buy guidebooks? Not usually. Some are very useful, some hurt more than educate. This is an interesting thread about a guy that wanted to write a rock climbing guide book to a climbing area in Roy, New Mexico and you can see the backlash he gets: https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/109501790/roy-new-mexico-beta As Erin Alberty states in her Salt Lake City Tribune article, "This used to be a place that almost no one knew of, with no name and minimal human impact. But things change fast. Social media makes an easy brag of every adventure. We want to share the excitement, to be helpful, to inspire, to develop community with other fun-seekers. Much has been made of Instagram’s role in driving unmanageable crowds to remote natural wonders.” http://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/outdoors/2017/10/18/erin-alberty-no-that-trail-runner-in-mens-journal-does-not-know-bears-ears-better-than-anyone-living-or-dead/ |
