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3 Things I Learned from Hiking
1. Hiking is very white.
I love nature but I don’t hike frequently.
While I thoroughly enjoy it, I didn’t grow up with “exploring the outdoors” as a common family activity. Even now, I usually won’t initiate going for a hike, but I love to tag along with others.
Recently, I went on a couple of hikes when some friends came into town and I loved it! We explored the Hot Springs Canyon Trail and Escondido Falls Trail. Here are three things I learned along the way:
1. Hiking is very white.
As we hiked these trails, it was clear that most of the kind hikers we passed were not people of color. As a person of color, this wasn’t surprising but it was still jarring.
I recalled an essay I read last year about Rahawa Haile, a queer black woman, hiking the Appalachian Trail. She details how a hiker she met was relieved to find out she was African, not “black-black” because “[b]lacks don’t hike.” This was but one experience of many during her adventure. Then there is the story of Jenna Yokoyama, a Japanese-American who experienced racism hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. On a quest to find out if a hike in Idaho was safe for people of color, she created a Facebook group for hikers of color and invited others to join her on hikes. While she garnered…
