Spending Time in Big Bear: I Still Think of Mountaineering and Climbing. (The Outdoor Industry)

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Big Bear CA is one of those places where people love to have weekend getaways and downhill ski, hike, fishing or hang out on the lake. It is also a place where you will really enjoy the outdoors. Its about 7,000 feet above sea level so its not way up there but you could notice a little climate change and a a touch of thinness of air.

Mostly it is just a place to vacation and live nestled into a mountain surrounded by nature. Residents remind me of people who live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They are a little isolated, surrounded by nature, and everything is very clean (You can read about an analysis I'm currently doing on how to attract businesses and outdoor recreation to Delta County Michigan. HERE.)

When your in eclectic places like this I often start to think about climbing and mountaineering. I started a little on that path about 5 years ago and was thinking of maybe training to climb Everest (I still sort of think of it but time and age is moving forward.). Something to do and to do it for a good cause!

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Life circumstances change but I also see where it is possible again. While I'm not sure if I would make Everest I might still start engaging in more climbing and mountaineering and just see where that leads (Hiking, climbing, camping, rappelling, navigating, etc.). Not all the time, just enjoy the outdoors, and engage it on a fairly consistent basis.

That is part of balancing life. To fulfill these inner needs to explore, understand, and overcome. There are just some who are built as explorers and some that are not. Adventure and outdoor sporting are not for the faint of heart but are worthwhile augmentations to "normal" life. Our nation was built on explores, dreamers, and those who dared to be different. 

There is a reason why so many people flock to the outdoor lifestyle and why it is a growing trend. You can read an Outdoor Industry Report HERE. "Outdoor recreation accounted for 1.8% of the U.S. GDP in 2021 with $689B in gross output and 4.3M jobs."

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The Outdoor Industry Association (August 22, 2022). 'State of Outdoor Market Report: Summer 2022. Retrieved Number 4th, 2022 from  https://outdoorindustry.org/resource/state-of-the-outdoor-market/#:~:text=Key%20findings%20from%20the%20report,output%20and%204.3M%20jobs.