Adventure Activism

Adventure Activism, Commentary, Diversity, Environmental Journalism, Expedition Denali / 16.07.2014

Several weeks ago I made the middling drive from Madison to Chicago. On a round Joy Trip of about 300 miles I journeyed south to meet up with two old friends to hear their story of adventure. Robby ReChord and Scott Briscoe were in town to present a slide show at the downtown Patagonia store on their ascent of the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley also called Denali. As part of a team of African-American climbers Robby and Scott aimed to share their experiences in the...

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Adventure Activism, Climbing, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Life Out Loud / 02.07.2014

On this date 50 years ago the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law. In a White House ceremony in the presence of Martin Luther King Jr and other dignitaries President Lyndon Johnson administered the passage of legislation that ended legal discrimination in the United States once and for all. Though the struggle for racial equality in this nation would continue for decades later this newly enacted law would set in motion the dreams and aspirations of African-American men and women to reach new heights of achievement. It’s...

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Adventure Activism, Adventure Media Review, Breaking News, Diversity, Expedition Denali, Film preview, Life Out Loud / 25.06.2014

Back from the mountain for almost a year most of the members of Expedition Denali gathered as a group for the world premiere of the new film that documents their climb of the highest peak in North America. An American Ascent details the journey of the first team of black climbers to attempt to reach the summit of Mount McKinley, also know as Denali, in June of 2013. Before an excited audience of viewers in the Jefferson Auditorium at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington DC members of the team...

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Adventure Activism, Camping, Diversity, Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection, National Parks, Outdoor Recreation, Special Events, Yosemite / 13.06.2014

In the fading light of a late spring evening, gospel singer Sista Monica Parker sat humming on a bench at the Yellow Pines Campground in Yosemite National Park. There she waited patiently for others to gather. Quiet at first, her melodic voice gained strength as she swayed to the rhythm of a hymn perhaps not heard in the Valley for more than a century. The sound slowly swelled into a powerful chorus that echoed off the granite walls of El Capitan and Half Dome. Even the birds fell...

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Adventure Activism, Camping, Diversity, Environmental Justice, National Parks, Outdoor Recreation, Yosemite / 09.06.2014

  The outdoor industry has enjoyed a long history of diversity across a wide variety of people from many different backgrounds. Over the weekend a group of African-American outdoor enthusiasts made the long journey from the Presidio in San Francisco to Yosemite Valley in order retrace the path the Buffalo Soldiers took in 1903 to take up their duty station as defenders of the first National Parks. The enduring legacy of their efforts more than 100 years ago is reflected in the faces of those who love the outdoors...

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