After a couple of snowy, cold days in Moab, the temperature has again begun to climb, leaving us with pink cheeks after a day in Indian Creek.
It's Jeep Safari and spring break season here in Moab, so everything, and I mean everything, is swarming with people. While walking down the aisles in City Market the other day, I found it interesting how easy it is to distinguish one breed of outdoor enthusiast from another. That one, in the Arc'teryx jacket and Five Tennies is a climber. That one in the Harley Davidson jacket is a motor head here for Jeep Safari. That one in the Chacos and Kavu viser is probably a boater. That dirty one in the non-descript, ragged clothing could be any of the above, but he/she definitely lives in a van....

The list goes on. It's quite intriguing, this time of year, and very interesting people watching. At the same time, though, it's hard for me to not get territorial. Gone are the days when you and your partner are the sole people at the crag. Gone are the days when the traffic is so minimal that it's possible to ride your bike around town with your dog off-leash. When going to the store isn't like weaving through a busy airport and the term "traffic jam" is not in your vocabulary.

Ah well. The joys and pitfalls of a tourist town, eh? Not to long ago a reporter from Men's Journal asked me to comment on the ORV trails that the BLM is opening around town. Here's what I wrote:

"First, I understand that a large part of Moab's revenue comes from recreators who use the ORV trails. Also, I ride dirt bikes on occasion and really enjoy it -- so I can empathize with the importance of these trails to the town.

By the same token, however, Moab is home to some of the most amazing natural wonders in the world, not to mention the U.S. The desert is incredibly resilient to natural forces, but it is also very fragile when in comes to the demands that humans put on it. One of my favorite climbing areas, Indian Creek, is also an area in danger of being 'over-loved.'

ORV trails damage vegetation and fragile cryptobiotic soils, causing increased erosion. They also damage water holes that are tiny, life-sustaining ecosystems, kill wildlife, and cause significant noise pollution to the area.

So...like I said above, I understand the importance of the trails to the town, however, I think they should be significantly limited to certain areas, while considerable other areas (for example, areas with pictographs and other Native American Artifacts) should be protected against motorized use."