Somebody on IG DMed me a few weeks ago asking if I had ever given any thought to the affect that my geotagging trails that I hike and run could potentially lead to the trails being overrun with folks—you know, because I have 84K followers—Of course that message started with (1)

I FOLLOW YOU AND I’M A FELLOW TRAILRUNNER AND I LOVE YOU BUT…(2)

I thought long and hard. I tried to find a softer, less controversial, less damming word to describe what I felt was GATEKEEPING masquerading as concern for a trail (The LONG TRAIL) in this specific instance, which is kinda fucking famous? (3)

I didn’t want to come back with the unmeasured anger and hot white rage I was feeling because that usually doesn’t end well. (4)

I tried to formulate a response that was JUST RIGHT for social media, JUST RIGHT for folks who feel (often implicitly and many times explicitly) that they have more rights in a particular space than anyone else, to let them KNOW. You know. (5)

Yesterday I was out on the trails on Mahican land with two long-time friends. On our way up, there were three young men on their way down smiling, sweaty, playing music, having a good time. They were all people of color and my heart went wild. Y’all! I went wild! (6)

I stepped off the trail a little bit to allow them lots of space and flashed them a huge smile and said HEY THERE! Nice to SEE you! And they all nodded back and smiled, knowingly. I SEE YOU. (7)

And I hope that as they stood on the summit of Pine Cobble Mountain, that they took in the views of Greylock in the distance and felt at home. Maybe they did some birdwatching. (8)

So yes, I’m going to continue to geotag, for those that need to experience what I have the privilege of doing as my job. (9)

I’m going to show all of my communities that they too, can reclaim the space they inhabit, reclaim history and continue imagining and creating the trajectory that others enjoy because of privilege, (10)

reclaim life in a place that seems and is often inhospitable to them in both collective and current memory—in a place where we once hung, and in a country where we are still being lynched by guns, knees, and yes, ropes. (11)

This is for you, brother George Floyd. SIP. And this is also for you, Christian Cooper. I am so overjoyed you are still here. I shall continue running in the forests for all of us.(12)