Define "local"

That reminds me of the time I told the guy from SUWA that I was from Blanding, Utah.

The Larry wrote: Oh my, what high standards we have.

Its pretty accurate. I've sworn off local women. Crazier than a snake's armpit they tend to be. More so after age 23.

Seriously though, in any bar in any given ski town (or Laramie), the people the out-of-towners are picking fights with are what you might call locals, and they're in the bar not to pick up women (because none of them will talk to the local guys) but because drinking alone is too depressing.

Hank Caylor wrote:It is kinda funny how most of the rest of Colorado does not like Boulder.

It's not just the rest of Colorado Hank ;)

Hey Bradbury, what happened in the Cotton Bowl last year? And what the hell is a buckeye anyway?

Oh wait, CU Buffaloes suck way worse. Nevermind.....

Hank Caylor wrote:Hey Bradbury, what happened in the Cotton Bowl last year? And what the hell is a buckeye anyway? Oh wait, CU Buffaloes suck way worse. Nevermind.....

lol :) Don't forget how bad the Browns and Indians suck.

I was in Boulder yesterday and my friends said you were a good dude. Always stoked regardless if its V2 or 5.12x.

Hank Caylor wrote: Just go to a restaraunt in Breckenridge and blurt out "we're from Boulder" all happy like to the server. Your food will show up in an hour or so.

We just hit the brewery yesterday, got the alpine style burger with the oatmeal stout -- man, you're right. We said we were no where near "from Boulder" and the items came out really fast. Good stuff, too -- they've got a vanilla porter also, yummiee.

As Red Rock locals, Gigi and I plant scrub oak in the backyard to research suitability for rappel anchors. This one here represents the p1 rap anchor for Nadia's Nine...

John, that rappel anchor in your photo belongs in this forum:
Top Ten Trademarks...

John Hegyes wrote:As Red Rock locals, Gigi and I plant scrub oak in the backyard to research suitability for rappel anchors. This one here represents the p1 rap anchor for Nadia's Nine...

Oh yeah, beat this one:
mountainproject.com/v/tony_…

It's very reassuring to see the quicklink is fastened tight on that anchor Tony.

It seems to me what the real issue here is, is respect. If locals and nonlocals just respected one another, I bet no one would really even care who was or was not considered local.

Also, just to stir things up, why does anyone here care if they are or are not considered a local at an area hours and hours away?

if you offer unsolicited beta every time you see climbers who are consulting a guidebook you consider yourself a "local"

if you have childhood memories of the area from a time when you didn't know what the heck climbing meant other than trees you actually are a local.

Josh Brown wrote: if you have childhood memories of the area from a time when you didn't know what the heck climbing meant other than trees you actually are a local.

There ya go, there need not be any further discussion, the question has been answered.

Boulderites don't qualify as Eldora locals. Got to live in Nederland. Even that's iffy though. One can easily live at town of Eldora. (well, with winter wind maybe not easily...)

Hard to tell how many of your responses are tongue in cheek and how many are meant to be serious (god I hope that's few), but: I've lived in Boulder for getting on 20 years and never really had any problems with anyone else, anywhere, because of that. Problems on Internet sites--sure, have them all the time, but not in real life.
And to the extent the Boulder stereotypes (rich, liberal, NIMBY, hypocritical, shallow, etc.) have a ring of truth, they pretty much pale in comparison to the entire state of California, at least the areas near the coast.
One thing about living in Boulder that, at least to me, is a bit opposite of the stereotype: you sure better not go around acting like you're any sort of a special climber unless you really have it going on, or else you will get your ass handed to you pronto. (And most of the climbers who really do have it going on seem like fine, upstanding people, at least the ones I've come across.) I like that.

Darrell Hensel’s comments in this thread made me think more closely about the implications of being a ‘local’. Defining this word by the strict definition of having a permanent residence in close proximity to a crag (or beach, or whatever) doesn’t serve the purpose very well. Here in Idyllwild, the climbing community has always been very small, and though I’ve lived here a very long time, I’m still not sure I consider myself a true ‘local’, as there are many others in this town that have multi-generational connections with this town.

It seems to me that the distinction is related to something much less simplistic than the time one has lived in an area. It’s more related to how an individual interacts with an area and the people in it, and the level of stewardship they show in supporting that place. The term ‘local’ just doesn’t speak to this very well, and I don’t have a good suggestion for a replacement. But there are some characteristics that set someone apart from the casual user of a place.

Respect for place: Being in the area and using it in a respectful manner that leaves it in the same condition (preferably better) than when you arrived. Treating it in a way as though it was your own, highly valued property.

Respect for others who share the place- not using it in such a way that it detracts from the qualities that other people value that place for (in a place like Tahquitz or Suicide, this might mean quiet).

Make an effort to learn about how the place became known and valued for what it is, and experience it in a way that supports this history. If one finds that a shift in these historic values is worth considering, approach it in a way that is respectful of those who currently value it for what it is right now.

Give back to the place, regularly and significantly. More than simply picking up a little bit of trash, do meaningful projects that preserve the place that others can enjoy. Regularly participate in organized events, and take the initiative & time to do projects on your own. In short, don’t just take from the place…give back to it meaningfully.

As the unique values of a place become more known, there is the inevitable increase in people visiting it. I would freely and unapologetically admit to a protective (some might say ’territorial’) reaction to this, as the increase in people directly detracts from a primary quality of an area: few people! And the vast majority of these new visitors tend to simply ’take’ from the area (or worse, abuse it), and don’t seem to give back to it in any meaningful way. That doesn’t engender a particularly open reaction to all these new visitors from those who have a long, committed love for a place.

Once someone demonstrates some of the aforementioned respect and stewardship characteristics, they become a ‘local’ (for lack of a better word) in my eye.

I hadn't realized that "local" has such a negative connotation for some people.  For me, a "local" just implies that you have a deep knowledge of the area acquired over many years.

When I meet out of town climbers, and the "where are you from" comes up - I say I am a 1/4 local as I have much more to learn about Red Rock.

Holy Necropost Batman!

Someone reopens a teenage thread and it ends up being a tldr. Sad. 

‘tldr’

Fair enough, Klaus. A summary for those who are challenged to read full thoughts:

The word ‘local’ could use a replacement- something less related to actually living in an area, and more related to the demonstrated stewardship one shows to an area. Ways to do this:

*Light use. Leave it better than you found it.

*Don’t encroach on others experience in the place.
*Make an effort to learn the history of a place, and respect it.

*Give back to the place regularly and meaningfully. Participate in service projects, and take the initiative to do your own.

*Visitors who don’t give back to a place are going to be held in contempt by many of those with long, demonstrated histories in that area.

What are the odds that the OP is even still around? Amirite?