I struggle with this all the time as a person whose livelihood was invested in the ski industry for the last five winters (prior to this one). I wanted to move out west to learn what the mountains teach, and I definitely have learned quite a bit! But as a lifty I did see those crazy lines and all the people driving up these wild mountain roads to get to a resort that has dwindling snow while the lower elevations have none, it’s super ironic. But yeah I resonated with the whole idea of “Oh that person gets after it all the time!”. What does that even mean?! Is reading a book, meditating, simply existing and enjoying the slower, smaller moments in life not also “getting after it”? Why does it have to be the most ridiculous powdery Alaska spine line that people think of “ripping down” instead of some nice simple dad pow in the trees? I don’t know, there is a lot of ego for sure and it’s what made me opt out of working for a resort this winter. I’m definitely still itching to get some turns every now and then which is entirely natural, but I’ve mainly been doing it through touring which is what I like more anyway. Especially with a powder surfer, because it makes these more benign bunny slopes super fun because it’s just like going out sledding as a kid…any slope is fun on a pow surfer! I think it kind of instills the childlike play and wonder back into me, and I don’t care how many vert I get or how far I hiked, I’m just outside in the forest being present and using it as kind of a meditative flow experience. I think this is where these sports could have some positive effect, if people could swallow their egos a bit and just get outside—especially with other people to build social connection—and truly explore, not in this grandiose embarkation but rather just kind of being happy with existing outside with people whom you love, and going slow enough to feel your heartbeat synchronize with the forest as you’re skinning along. Also realizing that you are embarking on a journey in every moment, no matter how mundane or unsexy it seems from the outside. Don’t let other people’s egos define what adventure you embark on! There is one hell of an adventure in just being able to sit and be without any ego infringement, whether that’s in the middle of a city or in the forest or on a mountain is a different experience for sure, and you’ll learn different things. But also every single moment is a new experience, and if the only way you can enjoy it or be present is through high octane rippage of pow, I truly feel bad for you! There’s so many people that use pow as a crutch, and it’s so sad to see that they don’t have another way of viewing the beauty in this life. I have also learned over the years of working the lifts to be grateful and enjoy any snow conditions—especially bulletproof ice—because “sliding is sliding”, and it’s something to be aware of how ephemeral this enterprise is. So yes, I do feel guilt when driving hours away to go up into the mountains for whatever reason, because I know that I’m hurting them by doing so. Lately I’ve been loving an “adventure from your own door” mindset, where I’ll bike with a big hefty pack to a trail, work for every inch of the mountain, kind of feeling the entirety of this broader organism—which I do think a mountain acts as an organism in a sense. And the adventures are much more intimate!! But I still do feel bad using all this gear that inevitably was made in factories, that’s a hard one to get around especially since I break a lot of things because I do ride hard from time to time. I also can’t help but think, is all of this just too frivolous of a pursuit for these times we find ourselves in? Why should I be going out on the trails when I could be out in a regenerative organic farm feeding a local community around me, or taking people out in the forest and having them simply be and meditate, healing them and detaching from their egos. I think there has to be a happy medium somewhere, I do like to go out alone, but much of the time I do kind of view it as my intense study time where I do my research or learn something from the forest, the mountains, and try to translate it back to people in an empowering way. Or just seeing the healing capabilities and resilience of nature up front—a gnarled tree in the alpine withstanding winds and snow for ages—inspires me to keep going, and be resilient when interacting with people, and compassionate and understanding of where they’re coming from. Everyone has a story written in them just like a tree does in their writhed form, so let’s listen to each others story’s more and learn from each other just as we would learn from a tree. We are nature and I feel that if I can go out into some of these places—ideally close to home so I don’t have to drive far—and truly feel my oneness with it all, then I come back into society with a clearer lens so I can still feel my oneness even in the grocery checkout line. Anyway I’m rambling here but THANK YOU! I’ve been waiting for someone to write about this issue for a long time and you’ve done a wonderful job, I love your new Substack writings! Spread love to all beings🙏
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this. I hadn't thought about fresh snow being a finite resource, but it really is. While I don't ski, I do get a thrill when I'm the first one to snowshoe on a trail. I also understand that drive to make the most of good weather, and even sometimes find myself feeling guilty for resting on nice days, even though I need that rest.
Thanks to one of your videos, I try to remember to say thanks to the trees and rocks that help me make my way along a trail.
Ross, this was so well done. Thank you for exploring this topic—it’s been on my mind for a while. I’ll admit, I’m part of the problem. I love playing outside, but I don’t do enough to give back to the places that bring me so much joy. That said, I also believe outdoor recreation is a gateway to caring about the planet. The more people engage with natural spaces, the more they’ll care about them—and the more willing they’ll be to advocate for climate solutions. Inviting more people outside is a good thing. And if we take your suggestions to heart—building respect, reciprocity, and relationship with the land—we can create a culture where more people live in harmony with ecosystems.
I put together a few ways we can improve, building on your ideas (directly or adjacently). Read as advice to myself:
Ditch the exclusivity and elitism. Let’s make the outdoors welcoming for everyone. No gatekeeping, no chewing out beginners. Teach, learn, and make outdoor spaces accessible to all—especially those outside the white, upper-class demographic. Representation matters.
Stop making it about competition. Not every adventure has to be epic. Go for a walk, play outside, and appreciate the small moments. In Vermont, my outdoor community thrives on shared, low-key adventures—gravel rides, group hangs, and post-ride food. It’s less about ego and more about connection.
Give back—and make it fun. Turn trail maintenance, beach cleanups, and reforestation into community events. Celebrate with a beer or tacos afterward. Giving back should feel as good as the adventures themselves.
Go human-powered (when you can). Choose human-powered adventures over lift-assisted ones. Bike and ski up, bike and ski down, and leave the big resorts behind. If you really need downhill (or if accessibility is an issue), let's support local family-run mountains over big. If you’re a resort skier, consider a second-hand backcountry setup—it’s cheaper than an Epic Pass and better for the planet.
Thanks again for the great read. Gonna get to work!
This really resonated with me, as it’s a topic I’ve spent much time wrestling with. Excellent points across the board and a very enjoyable read, thank you!
Hey Ross, I don't know if you get pingbacks on substack when someone links to your content from outside this platform. I'm trying to escape the social media ecosystem back to a private blog where I have full control over my publication and content - which unfortunately cuts me out of Substacks content sharing community and actually costs me money, but such is the way of ethics.
The is a refreshing read! This topic is on my mind constantly. Golf courses are the bane of my existence.The amount of diversity that has been removed to be replaced with turf grass saddens me to my core. On top of that an average golf course can use upward of 300,000 gallons of water daily to keep that turf grass green.
I don’t shame or belittle the people who enjoy golf because most were taught like myself that the land is just another economic product that we should profit from. Unless a person seeks out different opinions or viewpoints that mindset will persist. For me reading a variety of books/information has takedown those blinders that developed while growing up in the Midwest. One book that really opened my eyes is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The way she describes her and her ancestors relationship with the land is so beautiful. I continue to read more books written by indigenous authors and it has changed me for the better. Especially in the way of showing gratitude to the living ecosystem that surrounds me.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is educating can make a massive impact in fixing the wrong that has been done. That is why I make it a priority to support creators like yourself who can take their knowledge and spread it to a larger audience and get it to the people who really need to hear it. Hopefully there is a day that it’s common practice that humans show their gratitude by planting native plants, removing invasive, or donate toward ecological restoration before they make that trip to the ski resort or whichever outdoor recreation
I struggle with this all the time as a person whose livelihood was invested in the ski industry for the last five winters (prior to this one). I wanted to move out west to learn what the mountains teach, and I definitely have learned quite a bit! But as a lifty I did see those crazy lines and all the people driving up these wild mountain roads to get to a resort that has dwindling snow while the lower elevations have none, it’s super ironic. But yeah I resonated with the whole idea of “Oh that person gets after it all the time!”. What does that even mean?! Is reading a book, meditating, simply existing and enjoying the slower, smaller moments in life not also “getting after it”? Why does it have to be the most ridiculous powdery Alaska spine line that people think of “ripping down” instead of some nice simple dad pow in the trees? I don’t know, there is a lot of ego for sure and it’s what made me opt out of working for a resort this winter. I’m definitely still itching to get some turns every now and then which is entirely natural, but I’ve mainly been doing it through touring which is what I like more anyway. Especially with a powder surfer, because it makes these more benign bunny slopes super fun because it’s just like going out sledding as a kid…any slope is fun on a pow surfer! I think it kind of instills the childlike play and wonder back into me, and I don’t care how many vert I get or how far I hiked, I’m just outside in the forest being present and using it as kind of a meditative flow experience. I think this is where these sports could have some positive effect, if people could swallow their egos a bit and just get outside—especially with other people to build social connection—and truly explore, not in this grandiose embarkation but rather just kind of being happy with existing outside with people whom you love, and going slow enough to feel your heartbeat synchronize with the forest as you’re skinning along. Also realizing that you are embarking on a journey in every moment, no matter how mundane or unsexy it seems from the outside. Don’t let other people’s egos define what adventure you embark on! There is one hell of an adventure in just being able to sit and be without any ego infringement, whether that’s in the middle of a city or in the forest or on a mountain is a different experience for sure, and you’ll learn different things. But also every single moment is a new experience, and if the only way you can enjoy it or be present is through high octane rippage of pow, I truly feel bad for you! There’s so many people that use pow as a crutch, and it’s so sad to see that they don’t have another way of viewing the beauty in this life. I have also learned over the years of working the lifts to be grateful and enjoy any snow conditions—especially bulletproof ice—because “sliding is sliding”, and it’s something to be aware of how ephemeral this enterprise is. So yes, I do feel guilt when driving hours away to go up into the mountains for whatever reason, because I know that I’m hurting them by doing so. Lately I’ve been loving an “adventure from your own door” mindset, where I’ll bike with a big hefty pack to a trail, work for every inch of the mountain, kind of feeling the entirety of this broader organism—which I do think a mountain acts as an organism in a sense. And the adventures are much more intimate!! But I still do feel bad using all this gear that inevitably was made in factories, that’s a hard one to get around especially since I break a lot of things because I do ride hard from time to time. I also can’t help but think, is all of this just too frivolous of a pursuit for these times we find ourselves in? Why should I be going out on the trails when I could be out in a regenerative organic farm feeding a local community around me, or taking people out in the forest and having them simply be and meditate, healing them and detaching from their egos. I think there has to be a happy medium somewhere, I do like to go out alone, but much of the time I do kind of view it as my intense study time where I do my research or learn something from the forest, the mountains, and try to translate it back to people in an empowering way. Or just seeing the healing capabilities and resilience of nature up front—a gnarled tree in the alpine withstanding winds and snow for ages—inspires me to keep going, and be resilient when interacting with people, and compassionate and understanding of where they’re coming from. Everyone has a story written in them just like a tree does in their writhed form, so let’s listen to each others story’s more and learn from each other just as we would learn from a tree. We are nature and I feel that if I can go out into some of these places—ideally close to home so I don’t have to drive far—and truly feel my oneness with it all, then I come back into society with a clearer lens so I can still feel my oneness even in the grocery checkout line. Anyway I’m rambling here but THANK YOU! I’ve been waiting for someone to write about this issue for a long time and you’ve done a wonderful job, I love your new Substack writings! Spread love to all beings🙏
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this. I hadn't thought about fresh snow being a finite resource, but it really is. While I don't ski, I do get a thrill when I'm the first one to snowshoe on a trail. I also understand that drive to make the most of good weather, and even sometimes find myself feeling guilty for resting on nice days, even though I need that rest.
Thanks to one of your videos, I try to remember to say thanks to the trees and rocks that help me make my way along a trail.
❤️🔥🐦⬛♾️
Ross, this was so well done. Thank you for exploring this topic—it’s been on my mind for a while. I’ll admit, I’m part of the problem. I love playing outside, but I don’t do enough to give back to the places that bring me so much joy. That said, I also believe outdoor recreation is a gateway to caring about the planet. The more people engage with natural spaces, the more they’ll care about them—and the more willing they’ll be to advocate for climate solutions. Inviting more people outside is a good thing. And if we take your suggestions to heart—building respect, reciprocity, and relationship with the land—we can create a culture where more people live in harmony with ecosystems.
I put together a few ways we can improve, building on your ideas (directly or adjacently). Read as advice to myself:
Ditch the exclusivity and elitism. Let’s make the outdoors welcoming for everyone. No gatekeeping, no chewing out beginners. Teach, learn, and make outdoor spaces accessible to all—especially those outside the white, upper-class demographic. Representation matters.
Stop making it about competition. Not every adventure has to be epic. Go for a walk, play outside, and appreciate the small moments. In Vermont, my outdoor community thrives on shared, low-key adventures—gravel rides, group hangs, and post-ride food. It’s less about ego and more about connection.
Give back—and make it fun. Turn trail maintenance, beach cleanups, and reforestation into community events. Celebrate with a beer or tacos afterward. Giving back should feel as good as the adventures themselves.
Go human-powered (when you can). Choose human-powered adventures over lift-assisted ones. Bike and ski up, bike and ski down, and leave the big resorts behind. If you really need downhill (or if accessibility is an issue), let's support local family-run mountains over big. If you’re a resort skier, consider a second-hand backcountry setup—it’s cheaper than an Epic Pass and better for the planet.
Thanks again for the great read. Gonna get to work!
This really resonated with me, as it’s a topic I’ve spent much time wrestling with. Excellent points across the board and a very enjoyable read, thank you!
Hey Ross, I don't know if you get pingbacks on substack when someone links to your content from outside this platform. I'm trying to escape the social media ecosystem back to a private blog where I have full control over my publication and content - which unfortunately cuts me out of Substacks content sharing community and actually costs me money, but such is the way of ethics.
I wrote a long piece about how much this resonated with me, and my own observations over the past few years up in BC: https://casualdisregard.com/resonating-with-ross-reid/
The is a refreshing read! This topic is on my mind constantly. Golf courses are the bane of my existence.The amount of diversity that has been removed to be replaced with turf grass saddens me to my core. On top of that an average golf course can use upward of 300,000 gallons of water daily to keep that turf grass green.
I don’t shame or belittle the people who enjoy golf because most were taught like myself that the land is just another economic product that we should profit from. Unless a person seeks out different opinions or viewpoints that mindset will persist. For me reading a variety of books/information has takedown those blinders that developed while growing up in the Midwest. One book that really opened my eyes is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The way she describes her and her ancestors relationship with the land is so beautiful. I continue to read more books written by indigenous authors and it has changed me for the better. Especially in the way of showing gratitude to the living ecosystem that surrounds me.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is educating can make a massive impact in fixing the wrong that has been done. That is why I make it a priority to support creators like yourself who can take their knowledge and spread it to a larger audience and get it to the people who really need to hear it. Hopefully there is a day that it’s common practice that humans show their gratitude by planting native plants, removing invasive, or donate toward ecological restoration before they make that trip to the ski resort or whichever outdoor recreation