the scene

photo by firepotter

"welcome to the scene. now that you are here, try to remember your manners..."

how would you feel if you woke up on a one morning and found piles of trash in your front yard? it would probably piss you off. what if a road marathon or cycling race happened to pass by your house and the trash you found was from that event? now you have accountability and you would probably complain to the responsible parties.

well. i'm complaining to you. chances are, if you are reading this blog, you play outside. your a trail runner. you ride. you might surf. you might be a friend of mine from the past or future, but your here. bonded by the simplicity of being outside, within our bodies in some way, shape or form. our numbers are growing. we have started seeing more tire tracks and over packed trail heads. the single track is getting worn a little wider each season. our stores have more trail shoes on the walls. books, website and youtube video's are enhancing our stoke. our events are filling up faster than ever and interest has never been higher than it is right now.

we don't have a governing body. living free in america, we have few rules to follow. our freedom is in our access and ability to explore. when you tread the path, even one you've paid money to attend, don't assume that someone is going to clean up after you. our sport is not a hotel room that you can trash and check out of. we need to police ourselves. impact and social consciousness has quickly jumped the shark in favor of finding ways to bring growth and attention to sport but nobody seems to be considering what having 2000 runners in a small town might do to the limited resources of a place. 

just remember, where you play. where you visit. folks live here. visit. enjoy, but bring your manners with you. you only make it harder for those who are managing and putting on the events you love to participate in when you chose to use the trails as your trash can. the good news is that all the pockets in our trail shorts that carry our fuel, are just as capable of carrying our trash. you have to make the effort. please...