Caroline Gleich’s candidacy is about more than winning a senate seat in a red state—it’s about the outdoors taking its rightful place in the national discourse.
This spring, Caroline Gleich stepped up to take a job no one else seemed to want—running against an at-the-time unnamed Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Utah, the reddest of red states. While other Democrats in the state must have seen the move as hopeless, Gleich has approached the uphill task with the same grace and gusto she has brought to a lifetime of outdoor adventures. She is determined to win—and even if she doesn’t she is sure to change the national political discourse (you can read Drew Simmons’ in depth Q and A with her for EO here).
That’s because Gleich represents what those of us who spend time in this space have known for a long time: Outdoor recreation and conservation belong in the national conversation and in our politics.
Caroline Gleich is best known as a professional ski mountaineer. She has been on the cover of Powder. She has climbed Mount Everest, to raise awareness for gender equality, and Cho Oyu. She was the first woman to ski all the lines in the Wasatch’s famed Chuting Gallery. And she has done all this while dealing with the inevitable misogynistic trolling a woman receives for simply going out and achieving outdoor objectives. Beyond her impressive outdoor resume, she has continually been dedicated to conservation and activism—lobbying Congress for climate action as a member of Protect Our Winters and leading climate marches here in Denver, as well as starting an Athlete Activist Club to encourage other athletes to use their public platforms to advocate for a better world.
If you ask how that makes her qualified for one of the most powerful positions in the country, I ask you to take a look at the character and lifework of some of our current politicians. I, for one, would rather see someone who truly embodies and sticks to strong values lead us into this uncertain future of climate change and shifting economies, than those who deny these problems even exist. Gleich is also unafraid to be vulnerable, posting videos in which she cries and countering the trolls by reposting their disgusting comments over her beaming and positive image. Don’t we need that type of emotional honesty these days? This is the type of person a life dedicated to the outdoors creates—one who sees deeper than themselves and understands the place and power of the individual in an interconnected world.
Win or lose, and it is a daunting fight she faces, Gleich’s candidacy represents what I think is a coming landslide in our political spaces. The outdoors and conservation are not simply some cute niche for hippies, hunters, and outcasts—on a rapidly shrinking planet, the outdoors and caring for our planet are the most pressing reality.
Our parks and outdoor spaces are more crowded than ever. Case in point, we recently visited Zion National Park in Gleich’s home state. Since 2010, the number of visitors here as jumped from 2.9 million to 5 million. More and more people need the outdoors and the healing and joy they bring in a world crowded with commerce and inescapable technology. And the outdoor economy is booming, finally recognized as a money maker that’s bigger and more sustainable than traditional industries (see Luis Benitez’s discussion of this issue here). The outdoors is the fabric of American life.
If you believe that is true, I encourage you to support Carline Gleich in any way you can (donate here). It’s time for the outdoor voice to take its place on the national political stage.
