I love the outdoors. I always have. I spent a good portion of my youth in Oregon hanging out in the deep backwoods of Smith River Road. My time in Oregon is something I cherish to this day. It taught me a lot about respect for the outdoors at a young age.

I spent another large part of my youth in the San Bernardino Mountains and deserts. From Little Mountain to Glen Helen to Arrowhead to Waterman Canyon where my oldest brother's ashes are spread.

As I got older, I started getting more into off-roading, continued hiking, camping, surfing and any number of other outdoor activities. I carry my respect for the out-doors with me most times, and while I try not to judge other people for their beliefs, sometimes I can't help myself.

Like now.

A fellow blogger and outdoor enthusiast recently wrote a post over at the Outdoor Weblog about a trip to Death Valley and an encounter with a group of off-roaders who were out to enjoy the same area that our fellow blogger was enjoying.

The post reads like off-roaders are some kind of thugs that don't have any respect for anyone or anything. The rant states:

The chain of grinding pistons and crunching gravel made such a disruptive commotion in the tranquil valley that I was startled - as if from a peaceful dream, to the reality of a Monday morning alarm clock.

...

they were not too fond of us, a hippy and an Asian- American rolling past them in a Volvo All Wheel Drive.

...

so on past the line of gas-hogging, noise-making, peace-disrupting, human-carrying machines and out of the flat valley we continued our journey.

So because this fellow is a "hippy" and/or "Asian American" and drives a Volvo, somehow that makes them better than those that ride American made 4x4s? (Which, by the way, the brands our friend listed, Jeep and Suburban (Chevy), are both American.

What this fellow blogger doesn't realize is just how much effort us "gas-hogging", "noise-making", "peace-disrupting" "human-carrying machine" driving people go through to make sure we have as little impact on the environment as possible.

I would suggest taking a look at places like the ASA and other off-road sites to see just how much we, as fellow outdoorsmen, do to make sure we take care of it where we play.

[edit]
Here are a few places to look...

• Off-Road.com's official stance on the environment and off-roading
• SDORC - About Us
• Nevada Off-road
• 4Wheeler's Code Of Conduct
• About Virginia Beach Jeeps Off-Road - Virginia Beach Jeeps Off-Road (Virginia Beach, VA) - Meetup.com
• - Dirt Road Magazine - Jeep Club Information - (dirtroad.com)
• Wheels24 - Drive Out
• Land Rover US - Environmental Respect