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How Skiing Changed My Relationship with the Outdoors ~ By Monique Limón

 

Growing up, I was surrounded by kids in schools who talked about skiing and going to places with snow. I vividly remember coming back from winter break and sitting in a high school geometry course and having all of my tablemates tell me about their visit to Mammoth over the winter vacation.

I didn’t grow up visiting ski resorts but remembered hearing about them and wondering not only what Mammoth was like…but also what snow was like. As a young first-generation Latina from Southern California, snow was not part of my reality. I do remember making it to Santa’s Village in San Bernardino in the early 80’s and seeing some snow used to decorate the place.

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I had that one “outdoors friend” who encouraged me to take a trip to Tahoe because she knew someone who could get us discounted tickets to go skiing. I was a working adult who could now afford the ticket to go skiing and to see the snow. So I did.

My trip to Tahoe changed my relationship with the outdoors. I took ski lessons the first half of the morning and skied the rest of the day. I didn’t pick up skiing easily and struggled quite a bit. Nonetheless, it put a genuine smile on my face. I loved being on the mountain and challenging myself to get down while gliding through the snow. I liked the snow and learned how much I liked skiing on powder. In addition to the physical joy it brought to me, it also allowed me to temporarily put aside all other worries, concerns, and distractions and simply focus on the skis, the mountain, and me.

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Feeling joy.

That first experience has led to many others. I must admit that while I’m still not the best of skiers, I continue to enjoy skiing as much as I did day one – that hasn’t changed one bit. That experience also motivated me to try other outdoor experiences. So when that one “outdoor friend” invited me to Yosemite, I was happy to say yes to my very first visit to the national park.

My current professional and community commitments keep me very busy and I don’t get to ski as often as I would like (which could explain why my skills as a skier have plateaued). I do however think about what it means to give people the opportunity to experience the outdoors in a meaningful way for the first time. In my role as a School Board Member, I have been thoughtful about what it means to have students live minutes from the beach yet not ever have the opportunity to visit the ocean and hesitate going into the water because they don’t know how to swim. Or, how for some students in the school district, their sixth grade science camp experience is the first and perhaps only camping experience they will ever have.

Skiing changed my relationship with the outdoors and helped me think differently about outdoor experiences. While I may not ski as much as I’d like and still think about the costs associated with the activity, I don’t hesitate to find ways in my life or the life of others to experience the outdoors.

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Skiing in Big Bear, California.

 

 

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Weekend trips with friends has become a favorite past time.

Monique Limón is a School Board Member for Santa Barbara Unified School District. In this capacity, she is part of a governing body that serves over 15,500 students.

Twitter:
@SMoniqueLimon
https://twitter.com/SMoniqueLimon

2015 – A Year of Adventure and Hiking

By Remi Mateo

Ever since I began the #52HikeChallenge the first weekend of January this year, I’ve looked forward to my Sunday hikes. Prior to this year,  I had done some local hikes, like Runyon Canyon and Griffith Park in Los Angeles. This year, however, has been an adventure – hiking new trails, seeing waterfalls, hearing streams, and enjoying majestic views from some of the highest peaks in Southern California. Before joining the Sunday Hiking Crew, an informal Facebook group that some friends of mine started this year, I didn’t know many people who passionately enjoyed hiking. It’s because of this group I can say that I have found my hiking tribe. It helps to have knowledgeable people that can introduce you to parts of Southern California as well as teach you how to be safe in the wilderness.

The #52HikeChallenge, an initiative started by an Orange County couple, Karla Camador and Phillip Stinis, was a project to get people hiking once a week and to use the hashtag to connect and engage with others on social media. In the last 11 months, my hiking tribe and I hiked Mount Wilson, Cucamonga Peak, Topanga State Park, Bridge to Nowhere, Mount Baldy, San Jacinto – just to name a few.  The beauty of the #52HikeChallenge is that anyone can participate and find a group of friends and start a weekly hiking group or join a few that are out there like the Sunday Hiking Crew, 213 FB Hikers, and other groups out there that you can easily find on Meetup.

During this hiking challenge I’ve gained a heightened consciousness of environmental awareness, I’ve connected with other like-minded people who are willing to go on hiking adventures, and also my mental health has improved by being out in the wilderness and taking all of what nature has to offer. I also feel that by hiking and exploring our natural lands people become more invested in their environment and have more of a reason to become environmental advocates.

It’s November and I’m currently on my 34th hike. I’m doing everything in my power to complete 52 hikes this year because I love a challenge. As a former high school football player, I would typically spend my Saturdays and Sundays watching football. I now look forward to my Sunday hikes – even throughout football season!

It’s funny how I’ve changed this past year. Even when I go out on Saturdays for a social outing or a bar, I make sure to be back at a decent hour so I can get enough sleep for my Sunday hike.

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So what’s next for me on this journey? I’ve signed up for the Sierra Club Wilderness Travel Course which is a yearly course that teaches people how to be safe and survive out in the wilderness. I plan to use this information to share with others and hold bilingual workshops in order to get more Latinos out and exploring. 

I encourage everyone to find their hiking tribe. Get  your non-hiking friends to check out the outdoors, find a hiking group on Facebook or Meetup, carpool together and post those pictures on Instagram. I’ll be looking for your hashtags. @mateo_remi213

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”- John Muir

Remigio “Remi” Mateo has been hiking on and off for years. He lives in the Silverlake/Rampart District of Los Angeles. He loves to hike, bike, meet new people, and volunteer his time to various non-profit organizations. Remi is also a member of Voces Latinas Toastmasters where he has honed his public speaking skills and is working toward becoming a professional speaker.

Bird is the Word: Birding Adventures by Nydia Gutiérrez

Here in the northeast the foliage has well begun to showcase the variance of colors as the trees are beginning their “sleep-cycle” and our summer migrators have left for their voyage south. Looking back at these successful seasons in birding, I see my “Birding Life List” is increasing with the various warblers and songbirds I would have otherwise not seen if I hadn’t gotten up early morning (I mean early) and get outdoors! During breeding season in spring birds are active locating a fruitful, suiting territory while showcasing their best tune to increase their chances of finding a mate. For birders and enthusiasts alike, this provides an ample opportunity to seek out certain species as (let’s be real) they are loud and a bit easier to spot. Below are a few short “bird stories” covering some of the adventures I have had with friends and colleagues here in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia area otherwise known as the “DMV”.

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(March 21, 2015) During this birding adventure on Kingman Island in D.C. we spotted everything from the tiny Downy Woodpecker to the majestic Wood Duck and a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds along with a Ruby-crowned Kinglet whose distinctive red mark over the head helps with the identification.

 

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(April 11, 2015) In the woods of NPS: Prince William Forest Park we identified a pair of highly active Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and learned that the Carolina Chickadee and Black-capped Chickadee are hard to distinguish as they successfully interbreed and appear to look identical.

 

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(April 13, 2015) Urban birding can be a great escape from the same ol’, same ol’. On this day we spotted a Red-bellied Woodpecker hard at work outside the courtyard of a luxury hotel in the Woodley Park area. Notice the famous Cherry Blossoms in bloom.

 

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(April 25, 2015) This outing was certainly one for the books. Out in Fletcher’s Cove we spotted a Prothonotary Warbler with it’s distinct solid black beak, mostly yellow body and gray wings. 

 

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(May 2, 2015) The U.S. National Arboretum serves as an excellent location to learn about the local flora and fauna. On this outing I learned the distinct call of the Indigo Bunting. Learning calls can be a direct form of identifying a bird when visuals are not available at the moment. 

 

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(May 31, 2015) When on a group outing (photo on the left) can be a familiar sight. Birder who spots the bird passes the word along to the group and points out the species. Here in Fort Dupont Park we were in search of D.C.’s state bird, the Wood Thrush which was not spotted that day. Some days are hot, some days are not. 

 

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(August 15, 2015) On this very special day, I got to take my niece out on her very first birding trip! We spotted large waterfowl such as the Great Blue Heron (pictured above) at the NPS: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. #LatinasOutdoors

 

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(November 22, 2015) Here is a preview of what fall birding will look like. As the birding adventures continue so do the great times outdoors. We spotted Ring-necked Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Bufflehead Duck and a Great Blue Heron at Luther Goldman Birding Trail in Maryland.

Of note, I do not have many photos of actual birds. For photos, especially for the smaller guys, it is necessary to have a professional lens one that my smartphone camera does not have.

I encourage folks to get out, dust off dad’s old binoculars from the garage and take a look at what you may find. Happy to help folks identify the birds, send me a note here: Nydia@LatinoOutdoors.org

¡Feliz Birding!

 

About Me:

Nydia Gutiérrez is a Texas native, hailing from the Rio Grande Valley, a major bird migratory corridor. Ornithology became a passion after taking it as a course in college which required students to enjoy the outdoors and identify birds. Gutiérrez currently resides in Washington, D.C. where she continues to chase the sun and follow the birds.