When I moved to Jackson 20years ago I learned 2 things quickly. One was that The Tetons would be my home. The other was that only white people played in the mountains. My first job in Jackson was teaching English to Latino workers through Teton Literacy Program, one of the best jobs I’ve ever had! At that time I had no words for why I had such a strong connection to the Latino community. We had so much in common though we are from different continents. This weekend a newly formed Latino outdoor group @caminaconmigo.jh invited me to climb table mountain with them (gracias a @coombsoutdoors ) Camina is a Latino lead group, it’s all Spanish speaking - for Latinos by Latinos. I think it’s a huge shift in the world! The whiteness of the outdoor culture is not random. It’s how it has always been, and major barriers still exist that remain invisible to people on the inside. For me personally, I am at home outside. I made my career in the mountains - I feel they are my home. But my privilege is the exception for people of color, and I feel a massive responsibility to make sure that I lower the barrier to entry for other people of color in this country. I know that many of you will be stoked to see Latinos on the trails, and in the mountains - but many will not. Go out of your way to make them feel welcome there. Follow their efforts @caminaconmigo.jh, there will be many opportunities to support this organization in the years to come. Hit me up if you are interested. A todos mis hermanos Latinos gracias por invitarme, seguimos en las montanas, un lugar donde todos pertenecen 🤙🏽