[Cdt-l] CDT Integration

[Bob Sartini]

I think mags hit on a real issue. Long Distance Hiking is just a minuscule
number of people out of 350,000,000. Even the numbers cited as AT, PCT
hikers are over estimated because it's also a lot of the same people over
and over.

I wonder why the hell I do it let alone anyone else.



On Sun, Jan 6, 2013 at 7:29 PM, Paul Magnanti <pmags at yahoo.com> wrote:

> I've said it before, and I still think it is true:
>
> Outdoor recreation of the "REI type" is a college educated, affluent
> recreation choice.
>
> In my own family, my cousins and I are the first generation to be college
> educated.
>
> We are of the generation that grew up seeing our parents do construction,
> work on their feet all day,
> work odd hours and so on to put food on the table and pay the mortgage.
>
> So, to go into the woods on weekends and WALK ALL DAY for fun??????
> Huh?!?!? :)
>
> Physical exercise on weekends is a lot less appealing when your whole week
> consists of getting up at 5am (or earlier) to
> work in something that does not involve an office chair.  And if you are
> lucky enough to get overtime pay  during the week and
> maybe even work a Saturday,then you really don't want don't want to hump
> a pack up and down the mountains on your day off. :)
> (And, esp in my Dad's case, he had enough 'camping' when he was in the
> army to boot!)
>
> Weekends are to catch up with chores, rest,  see the family  (16
> grandchildren on Mom's side!) and have a big Sunday dinner.
> (mmmm.....Grandma Mags' homemade braciole....)
>
> When I did the AT, I met people who grew up in the outdoors as part of
> their life. Invariably THEIR parents were 'professionals'
> who went hiking, backpacking and so on. They grew up with the outdoors and
> looked on it as part of their normal life.  My family OTOH,
> wondered why at the "advanced" age of 23 I spent the weekends walking in
> the woods, when I'd meet a a nice girl and start a family. :)
>
> Many minority groups have a similar story to the above.  (I also freely
> admit that being considered white helps
> moving up the socioeconomic ladder)
>
>
> So while I think there some validity to the whole "that ethnic group just
> does not do the outdoors", scratch beneath the racial
> surface and you see socioeconomic background as well.
>
> A few years back the ATC did a survey of AT users, most were college
> educated or in college.
>
> I honestly (perhaps naively?)  believe as the groups move up
> the socioeconomic ladder and/or attend college  and are exposed to things
> outside
> their background, you'll see a more diverse set of Americans enjoying the
> outdoors.
>
> Of course, most people don't do outdoor things at all regardless of ethnic
> or socioecomic background..but that's another story! :)
>
> Anyway..that's my nickels worth of Sunday ramblings.
>
> ----------------------------
> Paul "Mags" Magnanti
> http://www.pmags.com
> http://www.twitter.com/pmagsco
> http://www.facebook.com/pmags
> -------------------------------
> The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust
> caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
> --Thoreau
>
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>


-- 
Everything is in Walking Distance
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