Commentary: Safety In The Backcountry Yields Lessons For Current State of Affairs

By Brian Kramp

Commentary Contributor

“S**t is f****d,” Zach said while we were skinning up the cat road in search of some soft snow. 

There was no question in my mind what he was referring to (the state of our politics).

Staring down at my ski tips, a realization struck me. I’d been making an implicit assumption that someone, at some point, would step in and save the day. Surely our institutions would self-correct. Our country is strong and stable. 

Right?

Now I know better. No one is coming to save our democracy.

In the backcountry, we check the forecast before heading out. We constantly look for new information, communicate objectives with our partners, and turn around when conditions aren’t right. It requires humility and a willingness to adjust course. 

Dysfunctional momentum is a real danger. And just like in the backcountry, we need to be ready to rescue ourselves.

My period of grief and apathy has run its course. I’m ready to participate.

What does that look like, for me?

I’ve realized that telling my wife she’s wrong never makes me a winner. Instead, we try to share our individual experiences, make an honest effort to understand each other, and agree to move forward together. 

That’s also how our country can, and should work.

If our democracy is going to survive, it will be because enough of us choose curiosity, engagement, and compromise over anger or resignation. Enough of us talk to our neighbors instead of consuming ragebait.

The spirit of compromise doesn’t mean sitting quietly on the sidelines while billionaires and strongmen use our military to invade or blockade foreign countries, claim constant states of emergency, weaken Congress, erode our alliances, or deregulate protections that keep people safe.

It means the opposite.

It means actively engaging people in my community I don’t agree with, hearing their opinions, and making mine known. It means doing this even when it’s uncomfortable and the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

I’ll continue to vote. 

But I also want to organize, donate when possible, and have hard conversations without writing people off. I want to listen more to real people, judge less based on labels, and stay curious even when it’s uncomfortable.
We all have to take responsibility. 

And if enough of us choose to stay engaged and act with intention, we can un-f**k this s**t.

Brian Kramp is a local backcountry skier. He recently founded The Art of Progress in "an attempt to turn frustration into participation through art and community". Learn more at TheArtofProgress.org.