We love seeing so many folks enjoying outdoor recreation, but we don’t like outdoor wreckreation. With the increased visitation to the outdoors, we’re seeing too many of our beautiful spots damaged here, here, and here. Whether it’s leaving trash on the trail or your poop, we think it’s as good a time as ever to (re)introduce the Leave No Trace Seven Principles for those of you who don’t know them, forgot them, or are just now finding out that there’s something called the “Leave No Trace Principles.” If you want more detail, you can read about them here. What Does...
Avalanche safety training is a must if you want to explore the backcountry. 20-40 people die every year in an avalanche in the US and 90% of those deaths “are from slides triggered by the victim or members of the victim's group.” We all want to explore untouched snow, but going out in the backcountry unprepared, without advanced training, is dangerous. We wanted to chat with an expert ourselves to learn more about avalanches and avalanche safety. We got in touch with Halsted Morris, the President of the Board of Directors for the American Avalanche Association. In this conversation, we...
Colorado State Parks are seeing record numbers of visitors this year because everyone wants to get outside and explore. And we are here for it. What has also come from this surge of State Park visitors is increased congestion, overcrowding, and questionable trail etiquette — especially for Colorado State Parks near Denver. Colorado has 41 diverse State Parks which offer everything from hiking to fishing to horseback riding to spending the weekend in a yurt. We wanted to see what lesser-known Colorado State Parks had to offer so we can practice social distancing as well as discover new places. In...
While responsible tourism typically seems to be applied on an international scale, there are ways to incorporate responsibility and sustainability into your outdoor tour operations that not only protect the environment but support the local economy. Whether you do an entire overhaul and follow The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria or incorporate bits and pieces that are applicable to your tour guiding business, you will inevitably provide a better experience for customers. We know of the seven Leave No Trace Principles: 1) Plan Ahead & Prepare, 2) Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces, 3) Dispose of Waste Properly, 4)...
U.S. National Forests provide jobs, life, and recreation. This is how to preserve and celebrate them. Find a national forest near you.
Thanks to thousands of miles of trails, we are able to explore the wild. June 6th, 2020 marks National Trails Day to celebrate and advocate for trails we enjoy (now more than ever). The American Hiking Society created this day to commemorate all the ways we enjoy trails in the United States.
There are 419 national parks in the United States spanning across more than 84 million acres. Most of us have heard about or visited Yellowstone and Yosemite, Rocky Mountain National Park and Zion National Park. They are popular for a reason. What about the national parks that are underrated? They don’t get the spotlight often and we want to highlight five that we think deserve some notoriety.
One person can make a difference in taking care of the earth and it doesn’t have to be just one day. We can implement these steps every day of our lives. We’ve also included the first step you can take toward changing your habits. Have fun with it!
To celebrate National Park Week, here are six uncommon stories about Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Rocky Mountain National Parks.
Online education is growing and with everything going virtual right now, it’s the best time to hone your skills for your next outdoor adventure. While you’re staying at home, it doesn’t mean you can’t continue educating yourself on your passions so you come out of this with more knowledge.
The second-best thing to exploring the outdoors is reading about others who have done it and left with an amazing story. We can learn through their accounts, histories, mistakes, and glories while nestled in our beds or sprawling across the couch.
You can visit all these parks in a day without waiting in line for the best view or worrying about keeping a 6-foot gap between you and the next person.
It’s a great privilege to be able to recreate outside. The most agreed-upon action to take right now is to get outside, but we need to be cautious.
When we don’t stick to “Leave No Trace” principles, evidence of our trip is left behind which negatively affects wildlife, trails, the environment, and the next generation of explorers.
One of the primary reasons we created Origin is help spread people out and reduce the overall user impact on busy trails. Anyone can hop into Google and find the most popular, aka busiest, trail when they land in a new location. Not everyone has the opportunity to pair up with a guide whose area knowledge will lead you away from the crowds and into less trafficked but equally fulfilling adventures. Whether you ride the superhighway to the summit with the masses or a guide shows you the path less traveled, there are several things you can do to lessen...