hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

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Webfoot
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by Webfoot » April 19th, 2018, 6:38 am

obera wrote:
April 18th, 2018, 12:32 pm
With that said - I get mansplained every.single.time I hike. I just laugh it off.
What can people, strangers I presume, possibly find to explain to you at random? Unless you're hopping down the trail on one foot or wearing your backpack upside-down this seems just bizarre. :?

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jessbee
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by jessbee » April 19th, 2018, 7:26 am

Webfoot wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 6:38 am
obera wrote:
April 18th, 2018, 12:32 pm
With that said - I get mansplained every.single.time I hike. I just laugh it off.
What can people, strangers I presume, possibly find to explain to you at random? Unless you're hopping down the trail on one foot or wearing your backpack upside-down this seems just bizarre. :?
Actually it's quite remarkable the things people think are necessary to say to you. As an often solo female hiker, I get this a lot :/
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Aimless
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by Aimless » April 19th, 2018, 10:54 am

I am a cis white het male. I understand how this makes quite a difference to my automatic position within society. However, out on the trail hiking solo, anyone's sexual preferences and skin color don't matter nearly so much as their knowledge, ability and experience.

When I am deep in a wilderness area, two or more days from a trailhead that's 20 miles up a dirt road, hiking solo, and it starts to hail like nobody's business, no amount of cis white het maleness is going to save my skin. That's one thing hiking does well. It reminds you about what's real and what's artificial. :D

Webfoot
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by Webfoot » April 19th, 2018, 1:06 pm

jessbee, I'd never have guessed. Another example of the need for perspective greater than my own direct experience.

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obera
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by obera » April 19th, 2018, 2:07 pm

jessbee wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 7:26 am
Webfoot wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 6:38 am
obera wrote:
April 18th, 2018, 12:32 pm
With that said - I get mansplained every.single.time I hike. I just laugh it off.
What can people, strangers I presume, possibly find to explain to you at random? Unless you're hopping down the trail on one foot or wearing your backpack upside-down this seems just bizarre. :?
Actually it's quite remarkable the things people think are necessary to say to you. As an often solo female hiker, I get this a lot :/
oh the things people try to tell me about... :lol:


Aimless wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 10:54 am
I am a cis white het male. I understand how this makes quite a difference to my automatic position within society. However, out on the trail hiking solo, anyone's sexual preferences and skin color don't matter nearly so much as their knowledge, ability and experience.
I think I get what you're trying to say here. The thing is, it matters to people who don't see themselves represented on the trails so much that they feel it can be a barrier to even getting to the trails. That's the point of her article, group etc.
Aimless wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 10:54 am
When I am deep in a wilderness area, two or more days from a trailhead that's 20 miles up a dirt road, hiking solo, and it starts to hail like nobody's business, no amount of cis white het maleness is going to save my skin. That's one thing hiking does well. It reminds you about what's real and what's artificial. :D

I'm not sure what you mean about real and artificial in regards to the article?
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Guy
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by Guy » April 19th, 2018, 2:59 pm

obera wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 2:07 pm
jessbee wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 7:26 am
Webfoot wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 6:38 am


What can people, strangers I presume, possibly find to explain to you at random? Unless you're hopping down the trail on one foot or wearing your backpack upside-down this seems just bizarre. :?
Actually it's quite remarkable the things people think are necessary to say to you. As an often solo female hiker, I get this a lot :/
oh the things people try to tell me about... :lol:
Any chance of Some examples, I'm not doubting you I'm just at a loss as to what random comments men are making on the trail. Since it's happening on every hike I'm assuming the definition of mansplaining must be broader that what I understand it to be.

In conversations with folks I might say something like "yeah it's another 1500' of climbing" or "2 miles to go!" Are things like this considered mansplaining? Is offering any form of unsolicited information or trail stats etc considered mansplaining?

Again I'm not looking for an argument I'd just really like to know whats considered manspalining and what isn't.
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Aimless
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by Aimless » April 19th, 2018, 5:57 pm

I'm not sure what you mean about real and artificial in regards to the article?

The last time I looked, weather was not a social construct. :)

If you are interested in seeing my remarks that directly address the contents of the article, I would refer you to my first posting on this thread. My post that you were quoting was not intended to address the contents of the article, but was answering another post, so I don't have any answer for your question, other than "I don't know."

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Charley
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by Charley » April 19th, 2018, 7:58 pm

I'm a little late to the party, but this is a fascinating discussion. I really appreciate Obera's and Jessbee's input, because the whole issue of getting talked down to on trail has never occurred to me (I'm a six foot tall, shaved head, white, male).

I have two reactions:

1. Diversity. While hiking around Seattle, I found the demographics of fellow hikers inspiring: whole families of Indian Americans high up in the mountains, and large groups of east Asian friends hiking together. I think our experience in Oregon reflects a relative lack of diversity in this region (though, I might find it different if I hiked in the Coast Range, given the relative demographics of East Multnomah County and Washington County).
Also, I'll repeat the previous comments that more and more women are hiking. My wife has taken a few solo hikes in the last year and found the experience revelatory. Hiking alone must take courage, because the world at large is full of crappy, dangerous men, but hiking alone is safe enough, and it is amazing.

2. I think a more specific question than asking if the "hiking community" embraces all people is whether this forum does so. My guess is that we do, but really, I'd be curious to know from someone who isn't straight white male. :)
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Guy
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by Guy » April 19th, 2018, 8:56 pm

Chiyoko & I went for a quick after work loop around Trillium Lake this evening. With this thread in mind I kept track of everyone we saw on this 5 mile snow covered loop:

Group1: 1 Female 1 Male Both Asian
Group2: 2 Male Both Asian
Group3: 2 Women both white
Group4: 2 Women 2 Men All South Asian / Indian
Group5: 1 Woman White, 1 Male African American
Group6: 1 Male, White setting up for a nights camping
Group7: 1 Woman Asian (Chiyoko) 1 Man white (Guy)

That was it, Asians, Indians & Women all outnumbered white males on the trail this evening :)
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obera
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Re: hiking community fails to embrace fat queer hikers

Post by obera » April 20th, 2018, 7:41 am

Guy wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 8:56 pm
Chiyoko & I went for a quick after work loop around Trillium Lake this evening. With this thread in mind I kept track of everyone we saw on this 5 mile snow covered loop:

Group1: 1 Female 1 Male Both Asian
Group2: 2 Male Both Asian
Group3: 2 Women both white
Group4: 2 Women 2 Men All South Asian / Indian
Group5: 1 Woman White, 1 Male African American
Group6: 1 Male, White setting up for a nights camping
Group7: 1 Woman Asian (Chiyoko) 1 Man white (Guy)

That was it, Asians, Indians & Women all outnumbered white males on the trail this evening :)
This is great Guy! I hope that this is indicative of the state of all of the trails! I do wonder what this would look like on a less 'touristy' trail.
Aimless wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 5:57 pm
I'm not sure what you mean about real and artificial in regards to the article?

The last time I looked, weather was not a social construct. :)

If you are interested in seeing my remarks that directly address the contents of the article, I would refer you to my first posting on this thread. My post that you were quoting was not intended to address the contents of the article, but was answering another post, so I don't have any answer for your question, other than "I don't know."
I was trying to understand what you were saying about real and artificial.. instead of guessing I asked. It's ok if you don't know what you meant.

Oh, and I read your initial response. Some might say you suggesting I do read it is 'mansplaining'.
Guy wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 2:59 pm
obera wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 2:07 pm
jessbee wrote:
April 19th, 2018, 7:26 am
Actually it's quite remarkable the things people think are necessary to say to you. As an often solo female hiker, I get this a lot :/
oh the things people try to tell me about... :lol:
Any chance of Some examples, I'm not doubting you I'm just at a loss as to what random comments men are making on the trail. Since it's happening on every hike I'm assuming the definition of mansplaining must be broader that what I understand it to be.

In conversations with folks I might say something like "yeah it's another 1500' of climbing" or "2 miles to go!" Are things like this considered mansplaining? Is offering any form of unsolicited information or trail stats etc considered mansplaining?

Again I'm not looking for an argument I'd just really like to know whats considered manspalining and what isn't.
Thanks.
Guy - I love that you asked this. I think that the key word in your question is 'unsolicited'. Unless it's life or death. Or poison oak. :lol:

Some examples:

A friend and I were crossing the river to Ramona Falls. My friend was picking her way across the logs. A man came up behind her on the exact log she was on, touched her and physically directed her on the best way to go. She wasn't unsteady, wasn't calling for help - she was just doing her thing. She mentioned she was ok and he just stuck with her to 'help' her across.

I was on my way to Paradise Park once and at a junction doing something with my pack or poles. Some guy stopped and began giving me directions and information and telling me what to do where. I was probably just getting a snack or adjusting a layer and in no way indicating distress. The guy probably talked for 5 minutes. Unsolicited. Unneeded.

Stuff like that.
oh-beer-ah

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