Communities for Sustainability
October hits a ski town hard.
In the summer, visitors travel from around the world to play in the Rockies. Places like Whistler, Vail, Telluride, Park City, and Jackson Hole swell to epic proportions with adventurers. Our National Parks and Forests are swarmed with those looking for a world-class nature experience. Then the month of October comes.
We call this time of year the shoulder season. It’s the part of the year where it’s rainy, snowy, cold and cloudy. We hang up our bikes and climbing gear because our trails are mush and the mountains are frozen. So what is there to do for a community with no hobbies?
Rejoice! A collective sigh of relief is felt as we can relax after busy summers and prepare for a busy winter. Communities, like Jackson Hole, have created events that bring us together to clean up the summer mess. I attended SHIFT Jackson Hole to volunteer with the clean up and make new friends in the process.
SHIFT Jackson Hole brought out folks from all over the Jackson Hole Valley. We dispersed to tackle projects such as: Snake River cleanup, Bike Path restoration, Trailhead cleanups, boat ramp renovations and litter pickup. Fueled by free coffee and muffins, I jumped on the Bike Path restoration project.
Led by Parks and Rec staffer, Brian, we winterized the wooden benches and signs along the path through Wilson, WY.
All-in-all, events like this are what make ski towns sustainable. We all share a great sense of pride in our natural resources. Our towns make their revenue year after year because we leave nothing but footprints and take nothing but pictures.
To learn more, check out http://shiftjh.org/
