Patagonia, Others Threaten To Boycott Major Outdoor Show

An environmental conservation group and two dozen outdoor recreation companies, including Patagonia, REI and The North Face, announced Monday they would boycott the Outdoor Retailer trade show if it’s moved from Denver back to Salt Lake City, accusing Utah’s leaders of trying to chip away at protections for national monuments and public lands.

The Conservation Alliance, comprised of more than 270 companies, said in a news release that Emerald X, the publicly traded company that owns Outdoor Retailer, is considering moving the show despite widespread industry objections.

“Our position on the location of the Outdoor Retailer trade show remains clear and unchanged: The show belongs in a state whose top officials value and seek to protect public lands,” Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s office and Emerald X did not respond to emails seeking comment Monday.

But Cox asked the show last year to return to Salt Lake City, saying the location offered economic benefits for both Utah and outdoor retailers.

“We’ve missed you for the past several years, and we’ve made some improvements while you’ve been away,” he said in a video released in October in which he referenced airport renovations and an increase in hotel room capacity.

The outdoors industry took a stand after Utah lawmakers asked President Donald Trump in February 2017 to repeal the newly designated Bears Ears National Monument. Thirty outdoor companies objected, and the Outdoor Retailer show announced it would move from its longtime home in Salt Lake City to Denver.

The following December, Trump reduced the size of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. Patagonia sued and declared on its website, “The President Stole Your Land.”

Those protections have since been restored by President Joe Biden, but The Conservation Alliance says Utah’s leaders are still trying to undermine the monuments.

The biannual Outdoor Retailer show, which generates tens of millions of dollars in local economic impact, has dwindled in size in large part because of the pandemic, and Denver’s five-year contract with Emerald X expires after this summer’s show.

Emerald X sent a survey last year to the show’s attendees asking about a possible move to several cities, including Salt Lake City, Anaheim, California, Houston, Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, along with Colorado’s U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, said Monday the state is a natural home for the show because it is a leader in outdoor recreation and is home to many of the industry’s biggest brands.

“We take pride in caring for our public lands and supporting our tribes while taking bold climate action and remaining business friendly,” the three said in a joint statement. “Today’s announcement from the outdoor recreation industry and its top leaders underscores that the Outdoor Retailer Show belongs in Colorado.”

REI Adventures Launches New Destinations, Expands Its Easy Active And Signature Camping Offerings

REI Adventures, the active travel company part of national outdoor co-op REI, is launching 20 trips, bringing the total for the year to more than 40 new itineraries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. The industry leader is also formally introducing a collection of lower intensity trips to meet the diverse interests and abilities of its broadening traveler base.

"Throughout our 30-year history of offering active vacations to classic and emerging destinations, we've proudly stayed true to our heritage by designing unique itineraries with physical activity at the center of the experience," says Cynthia Dunbar, general manager of REI Adventures. "Our new collection quickly struck a chord – we've heard from some of our most seasoned travelers who've accomplished our most intense itineraries and those new to active travel and trust REI to provide a transformational experience."

REI Adventures' new lower intensity collection is designated as level two on the company's activity scale. Consistent with all REI trips, travelers will be active daily but at a more relaxed pace and with less intensity. A sample day includes hiking two to six miles with minimal elevation gain and/or loss. Physical activities will be interspersed with local experiences to highlight a region's cultural and natural history, and unique interactions with communities made possible by local expert guides. During REI Adventures' most strenuous trips (level five), guests can hike more than 10 miles a day and carry backpacks weighing up to 45 pounds with constant and dramatic elevation gain and/or loss.

Nine level two trips are now available in Italy, Japan, Myanmar, Peru, Thailand and the United States. For example, Japan Hiking – Kumano Kodo & Nakasendo is an 11-day trek across ancient trade and pilgrimage routes from the country's imperial capital to modern Tokyo. Adventurers traverse through awe-inspiring bamboo groves and temples, visit the Hongu Grand Shrine UNESCO World Heritage site, and dine on local cuisines. So many highlights are woven into the journey, including the hospitality of local communities and learning about the art of sake and miso production. Accommodations include hotels and traditional guesthouses tucked into quaint communities. The unique combination of these classic routes is a first for the active travel industry.

Other new REI Adventures trips that range in activity level include:

Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb – Rongai Route: REI has helped adventure seekers summit Africa's highest mountain since the travel company's founding. Complementing the popularity of its other two itineraries, Rongai is the less-traveled path on Kilimanjaro's northern side. Members hike through wide climate zones as elevation increases – from lush forests with sightings of colobus monkeys to sparsely vegetated alpine desert to the volcanic landscape. The itinerary features REI Signature Camping with deluxe accommodations such as spacious tents, elevated cots, thick sleeping pads, and touches of home for a restful sleep. At the heart of the trip is the expertise of a local guide and porter team who encourage and support each traveler to achieve their personal accomplishment.

Other new Africa itineraries include a nine-day Tanzania Family Adventure and Safari and a 13-day Tanzania Ultimate Adventure and Safari.

France Hiking – Provence: Over nine days, explore picturesque landscapes of vineyards and olive groves, oak forests, mountain passes and hilltop towns that were celebrated by Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse. The journey begins with Avignon's Papal Palace, a jewel of medieval architecture, and includes visits to the still-working 12th-century Senanque Abbey in Gordes, the Luberon region that has grown lavender for 2,000 years, Aix-en-Provence's tree-lined and lively promenade, and more. Throughout the trip, travelers dine on Provencal farm-to-table cuisine.

REI Adventures also increased its Italian collection to 14 trips. New itineraries include Italy and France – Piedmont to the French Riviera where hikers traverse vineyards and country trails, forage for truffles, learn about prehistoric carvings in Mercantour National Park and reward themselves with a soak in cool waters. On REI's Italy Hiking – Amalfi Coast & Capri trip, explore the country's southern Mediterranean by hiking the Path of the Gods, visiting a medieval castle on the Isle of Ischia, kayaking the dramatic coastline, and learning the art of Neapolitan cuisine.

As the largest operator in the U.S. National Parks, REI Adventures launched hiking and backpacking trips in the country's national treasures, including Texas Hiking – Big Bend National Park and Beyond where members hike seven days from the Chisos Mountains to the Chihuahuan Desert and through the region's culturally significant border towns of Marathon, Alpine and Terlingua. On REI's Yosemite Winter Adventure, travelers have a magical experience as they snowshoe and hike during the park's lightest visitation period.

Through the end of the year, REI Adventures will continue its robust expansion with a Botswana Adventure Safari, multisport exploration through Croatia's islands and more than 10 itineraries in the United States. For example, hiking and multisport adventures will launch in Alaska, while backpacking, hiking and family trips will soon be available in epic Pacific Northwest destinations. For those wishing to travel in warmer climates, backpack Arizona's Aravaipa Canyon or explore the Sonoran Desert by bike.

About REI Adventures 
Award-winning REI Adventures has been a global leader in worldwide guided active adventure trips since 1987. As the travel business for national specialty outdoor retailer REI, the company offers unique itineraries focused on sustainable, human-powered outdoor adventure, including hiking, biking, kayaking, climbing and more. Guests experience iconic destinations as guides take them off the "beaten path," and provide opportunities to explore a destination, get to know the local people, their culture, the flora and fauna and discover things they would not be able to duplicate on their own or with another travel company. REI members receive a special discount price on most trips. For more information, full itineraries and trip reviews provided by guests, visit http://www.rei.com/adventures.

REI Adventures Introduces New Active Trips To Unforgettable Places

Explore storybook scenes in England and Scotland, play in Belize and Baja's crystal blue waters,

 and go deeper in national parks

- For nearly 30 years, REI Adventures has brought guests

 to unforgettable places to enjoy activities they love with like-minded travelers. Today, the leading 

active travel company announces new itineraries.

"Our new trips feature the rich history and traditions of Europe, clear blue waters of Latin America, and

 desert wonderland known as Joshua Tree National Park," says Cynthia Dunbar, general manager of REI

 Adventures. "Time and time again, our guests share how their travel changed their perspective of the world

 and that fellow guests are now lifelong friends. Key to their experience was our local guides' attention to

 every detail and unexpected highlights from adventures that go off the beaten path."

Europe – Four new trips, including:

England Coast to Coast Hiking: REI's nine-day hike traces highlights of the famous 192-mile route by

 focusing on the most stunning landscapes, storybook castles, and quaint villages that boast local

 teahouses and lively pubs. With prevailing winds at their back, hikers journey west to east, starting 

in England's romantic Lake District. The group heads into James Herriot country to explore the rolling

 hills of the Yorkshire Dales before crossing the purple heather-strewn moors of the North York Moors

 National Park to reach the wild North Sea.

Scotland Family Adventure: An activity-filled trip takes families on an eight-day journey through the

 Scottish Highlands where they learn about the country's history, while enjoying hiking, biking, 

kayaking, geocaching and trekking with reindeer. Families also ride on the Jacobite Steam Train,

 learn the art of archery and explore a medieval castle on the shores of the mythical Loch Ness monster.

Latin America – Six new itineraries, including:

Baja California Hiking and Kayaking: This multisport trip ventures between the Pacific Ocean and

 Sea of Cortez, and it's no wonder why the region is called an "island in the sky." After hiking the

 peninsula and summiting the highest peak in the Sierra de la Laguna range, guests kayak in clear

 blue waters along picturesque beaches and abundant marine life, and snorkel with sea lions. A

 seven-day family itinerary is also available.

Belize Lighthouse Reef and Mayan Adventure: Over nine days, guests experience all that Belize has

 to offer: hundreds of bird and fish species, tropical plants and cultures living in harmony. Travelers 

first visit the Barrier Reef, the longest unbroken reef in the western hemisphere. They then snorkel 

and kayak around Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Natural Monument, one of the world's top scuba

 diving and snorkeling sites. After four days on the reef, the group heads inland to hike and bike the 

mountainous terrain with Mayan archaeological sites, rocky plateaus, creeks, waterfalls and more.

United States and British Columbia – 11 new trips, including:

Backpacking Joshua Tree National Park: This expedition-style 

trip covers more than 25 miles in four days. The group starts with a gentle hike in Hidden Valley, 

followed by the Maze Trail where guests navigate through mini slot canyons and boulder formations

 that are secluded from crowds. Highlights also include seasonal pools at Willow Hole that attract

 bighorn sheep and many types of birds, and a scramble up Key's Mountain for an incredible view.

Late this year, REI will introduce another series of national park trips to expand its camp assortment.

 As the "Official Outdoor Retailer" for the National Park Centennial celebration, REI is donating 10 

percent of the retail price for each national park trip to the National Park Foundation through 2016. 

About REI Adventures Award-winning REI Adventures has been a global leader in worldwide guided active adventure

 programs since 1987. The company offers unique itineraries focused on sustainable, human-powered

 outdoor adventure including: hiking, biking, kayaking, climbing and more. Guests will experience 

iconic destinations as guides take them off the "beaten path," and provide opportunities to explore a

 destination, get to know the local people, their culture, the flora and fauna and discover things they 

would not be able to duplicate on their own or with another travel company. REI members receive a

 special discount price on most trips. For more information, full itineraries and trip reviews provided by guests, visit http://www.rei.com/adventures.

About REIREI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation's largest consumer co-op,

 REI is a growing community of 5.5 million active members who expect and love the best quality gear, 

inspiring expert classes and trips and outstanding customer service. REI has 140 stores in 33 states.

 If you can't visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI.com/outlet or the free REI shopping app. REI

 isn't just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active 

adventure travel that runs 150 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI's Outdoor School is

 run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about

 a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests

 millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to–and steward–the

 outdoor places that inspire us.