| 128 | 4wd, Yee-Hah | 2009-09-23 |
Having lived most of my life in the Southeast I understand the culture of the region. I am not saying it is the best culture nor the worst, it is just southern. I just sort of take it for what it is.
The ’good o’ boys’ who live in the South love their 4WD’s, ATV,s, and dirt bikes. They use these alternate means of transportations so they can drive to their favorite hunting, fishing, or camping spots or just for the sport of off-road driving (oh, and the vehicles are also used for some work.) After all, why walk, when you can drive. These ’good o’ boys’ hardly ever wear out a pair of shoes, but they do have to spend money on tires.
In Colorado, everyone seems to drive the off-road vehicles. They drive them to the trailheads and as high above the trailheads as possible (like the stuck truck on Cameron). The climbers don’t want to walk any further than they have to walk. Somehow, the Coloradans, justify their use of the vehicles as part of the experience. They want driving to be ethically acceptable as a fair means of climbing the mountain. Now I will admit that driving the roads takes skill and nerve, but it still is not the same as climbing the mountain. It took me a while to understand that the Coloradans were just ’good o’ boys’ too.
Of course not all Coloradans believe in the all mighty 4WD. A group in Salida started an organization devoted to quiet use. They do not like the noise, fumes, dust, and impact of the off-trail vehicles.
We all have to share and lessen our impact on our natural resources for the preservation of the wild. Whether we are walking or driving, we need to find ways to use less and preserve more in all of our activities. No matter what state we are from, we are responsible for our impact. It is okay to be a ’good o’ boys’, but be a ’good o’ boys’ to the earth.
Happy trails, yee-hah!