GPS apps like Strava, OnX and AllTrails are ubiquitous in the outdoors community, both a form of social media and a resource for backcountry access. It’s a boon for building community — just look at a Strava club like Roaring Fork Runners, with more than 400 members — but it can also foster a competitive culture and expose “secret” trails. How can we use these apps as a resource, and what does it mean to use them responsibly?
About the Speakers
Quinton Gonzalez explores the outdoors on ski, bike and foot and serves as the trail crew manager for the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association. His work focuses on trail building and maintenance throughout the region.
Simi Hamilton is an endurance athlete, Aspen Expeditions guide and three-time Oympian in cross-country skiing. He holds the “Fastest Known TIme” (or “FKT”) for the Elks Traverse — seven 14,000-foot peaks near Aspen in a single push.
Zoë Rom is a long distance runner, coach, comedian and journalist. She’s the co-author of “Becoming a Sustainable Runner,” with Tina Muir, and the co-host of “Your Diet Sucks” with Kylee Van Horn. Rom has also set multiple FKTs.
Moderator Kaya Williams is a trail runner and freelance journalist whose work focuses on mountain town culture and identity. She was previously the Edlis Neeson Arts and Culture reporter at Aspen Public Radio and, prior to that, a reporter for the Aspen Times.
