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Public lands need your help now.Durango Outdoor Exchange has compiled this handy list of regional organizations that you can support while federal budgets are slashed and land stewards are laid off.
Focus: Protects the Colorado Plateau’s natural and cultural resources through collaborative science, conservation, and education.
Services: Advocacy, scientific research, and community collaboration.
Website:cpccollaborative.org
Focus: Protects the health of the San Juan Mountains and the surrounding wilderness through advocacy, education, and science.
Services: Works on public land issues, including energy development, wilderness protection, water quality, and community health.
Website:sanjuancitizens.org
Focus: Advocates for the protection of public lands and natural resources in Western Colorado, including water and land conservation.
Services: Political advocacy, community organizing, and environmental education.
Website:wccforward.org
Focus: Dedicated to protecting wilderness areas and public lands in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys.
Services: Legal advocacy, research, and education on land protection, recreation, and sustainable land management.
Website:wildernessworkshop.org
Focus: Dedicated to protecting and enhancing the natural and cultural resources in Western Colorado’s canyons and public lands.
Services: Land stewardship, recreation, and educational programs.
Website:coloradocanyonsassociation.org
Focus: Promotes outdoor recreation, including hiking, climbing, and backcountry exploration, while advocating for the conservation of public lands.
Services: Offers outdoor programs, environmental education, and advocacy efforts for the protection of public lands.
Website:cmc.org
Focus: Focuses on the protection of public lands, wildlife habitats, and watersheds for hunting and fishing activities.
Services: Advocacy for land protections and legislation, community engagement, and education on public land use.
Website: backcountryhunters.org/colorado
Focus: Works to protect critical lands and waters in Colorado, including public lands that provide recreation opportunities and biodiversity.
Services: Land management, conservation science, and collaborative initiatives.
Website: nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/colorado
Focus: Protects land for parks, recreation, and natural areas across Colorado, including key public lands in Western Colorado.
Services: Land conservation, policy advocacy, and partnerships with local communities to create parks and open spaces.
Website:tpl.org
Focus: Focuses on wildlife conservation in the Rocky Mountain region, including the protection of public lands through science and advocacy.
Services: Environmental monitoring, advocacy for endangered species and public land protections.
Website:rockymountainwild.org
Focus: Works on safeguarding wilderness and public lands throughout Colorado, including in Western Colorado.
Services: Advocacy for wilderness designation, public outreach, and litigation to protect public lands from harmful development.
Website:coloradowild.org
Focus: Celebrates public lands in Colorado by encouraging volunteer stewardship of BLM lands and promoting outdoor recreation.
Services: Volunteer opportunities for land restoration, education, and conservation.
Website: blm.gov/press-release/celebrate-public-lands-day-september-26
Focus: Protects open space, wildlife habitats, and critical public lands across the state.
Services: Land conservation through conservation easements, stewardship programs, and habitat protection.
Website:coloradoopenlands.org
Focus: Supports the growth of Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy and promotes the conservation of public lands for recreational use.
Services: Policy advocacy, economic impact studies, and partnerships with local communities to support recreation and land management.
Website: choosecolorado.com/industry-sectors/outdoor-recreation
Focus: Focuses on wildlife conservation and habitat restoration, including the protection of public lands that support healthy wildlife populations.
Services: Habitat restoration, public outreach, and advocacy for public land protections.
Website:rmef.org
Focus: Advocates for the protection of wilderness areas and public lands; based in Durango.
Services: Advocacy, education, and public outreach on land management and conservation issues affecting public lands.
Website:greatoldbroads.org
Focus: Protects the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Colorado Plateau, including public lands in Northern Arizona, particularly the Grand Canyon region.
Services: Advocacy, science-based land management, legal protection, and educational programs related to public lands conservation.
Website:grandcanyontrust.org
Focus: Works to protect Arizona’s wilderness and public lands, including those in Northern Arizona, through advocacy and collaboration with local communities.
Services: Wilderness designation campaigns, community engagement, and legal advocacy for the protection of public lands.
Website:azwild.org
Focus: Protects the Sonoran Desert and its public lands, which also includes parts of Northern Arizona, focusing on both conservation and sustainable land use.
Services: Education, advocacy, and collaborative conservation efforts to protect desert lands and ecosystems.
Website:sonorandesert.org
Focus: Focuses on the Arizona Trail, which spans from Mexico to Utah and traverses the public lands of Northern Arizona, promoting outdoor recreation and stewardship.
Services: Trail maintenance, volunteer opportunities, and public education on the importance of preserving the Arizona Trail as part of the public lands system.
Website:aztrail.org
Focus: Works to protect birds and their habitats in Northern Arizona, advocating for the conservation of public lands to ensure healthy ecosystems.
Services: Bird monitoring, habitat restoration, and public education on wildlife conservation in public lands.
Website:northernarizonaaudubon.org
Focus: Protects wilderness areas and public lands in Southern and Eastern Utah, including the iconic red rock landscapes of the Canyonlands region.
Services: Advocacy for wilderness designations, land-use planning, and environmental protections in Eastern Utah’s public lands.
Website:suwa.org
Focus: Supports public land management agencies in Eastern Utah, including Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park.
Services: Education, scientific research, and partnerships with land management agencies to promote sustainable recreation and land protection.
Website:cnha.org
Focus: Promotes the protection of wilderness areas on public lands across Utah, including regions in Eastern Utah like the San Rafael Swell.
Services: Legal advocacy, wilderness education, and support for policies that protect Utah’s wildlands.
Website:utahwilderness.org
Focus: Focuses on conserving Utah’s wildlife and ecosystems through science-based strategies, especially in wilderness areas and public lands in Eastern Utah.
Services: Research, wildlife protection, and advocacy for the conservation of natural landscapes and biodiversity.
Website:wildutahproject.org
Focus: Supports conservation and management of public lands in Eastern Utah, particularly in Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
Services: Education, park programs, and support for scientific research and land management initiatives.
Website:archescanyonlands.org
Focus: Focuses on protecting the wilderness areas in Eastern Utah, including regions such as Bears Ears and the Escalante canyons.
Services: Advocacy for the designation of wilderness areas and protection of cultural and natural resources.
Website:redrock.org
Focus: Protects wilderness areas and public lands in New Mexico, including regions in Northern New Mexico such as the Carson National Forest and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.
Services: Advocacy for wilderness protection, policy reform, and educational outreach on the importance of public lands.
Website:nmwild.org
Focus: Works to restore and protect the Rio Grande and its tributaries in New Mexico, emphasizing the preservation of wetlands, forests, and public lands along the river.
Services: Scientific research, advocacy, and restoration projects focused on riparian ecosystems.
Website:riogranderestoration.org
Focus: Focuses on protecting the public lands and wildlife in the Southwestern United States, including Northern New Mexico.
Services: Environmental litigation, advocacy, and research to protect endangered species and public lands.
Website:wildearthguardians.org
Focus: Conserves natural areas and public lands in Northern New Mexico, including the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Santa Fe National Forest.
Services: Land acquisition, conservation easements, scientific research, and community outreach to protect biodiversity.
Website: nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/new-mexico
Focus: Protects land and natural resources in the Taos region, including public lands, private lands, and open spaces critical for wildlife and outdoor recreation.
Services: Land conservation, stewardship, and advocacy for the protection of public lands in Northern New Mexico.
Website:taoslandtrust.org
For many hikers, summiting one of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks is a lifetime achievement. Others make it their entire personality, working for years and even decades to climb all of them. Some make a goal of climbing them all in a single season while others try to ski them all.
The problem with climbing 14ers for many people is that they are difficult–and we’re not just talking about the thin air. Of the 58 in Colorado, about one-third entrail considerable exposure and require skilled route-finding and ascent/descent skills. About half have either moderate or considerable challenges. Just eight are considered “easy.”
Hikers looking to summit a 14er near Durango will find four that rank generally as easy or the easy end of moderate. They are all in the same two canyons and can be climbed by someone with decent fitness, good shoes, and a penchant for waking up early. The roads to access all these peaks are part of the Alpine Loop and can be driven from Silverton in a four-wheel drive such as a Tacoma, but are generally not in all-wheel drives like Subarus.
Ready? Here goes!
If you do anyovernight backpacking, or even long distance hiking, there’s a good chance that at some point you may need to go Number Two.
Because of heavy land use and impacts to natural resources (not to mention water sources), this is not always as simple as doing your business and covering it with a rock or a handful of pine needles.
In fact, depending on where you go, you may be required to carry an approved pooping system even if you swear on your loaded lower intestine that you will hold it in no matter what.
Here’s a quick run down on backcountry toilet systems.
