Why the Appeal will be providing more outdoors coverage

Mark my word, it won't be long before Carson City makes it on one of those outdoor magazine lists of the best places in the country to live.

You've probably seen the lists I'm talking about ... they invariably include highbrow places like Jackson Hole, Wyo.; and Telluride, Colo. (where ordinary people couldn't afford to live), mixed in with more blue-collar towns like Pocatello, Idaho.

It's been coincidence more than anything that has allowed me to live in or near a few of the places that usually show up in those rankings and, I have to say, they're not without their faults.

All are beautiful, but in some of them, the pretentiousness hangs like smog noticeable by those not wearing the latest outdoor gear or speaking the lingo. Some are crowded, and even once-secret trails and streams are congested. The rapids on the Snake River below Jackson Hole are fantastic, for example, but the lines of kayakers at each of them would remind you of a DMV office.

Others would be difficult to live in. Duluth, Minn., for example, is very close to some of the world's most breathtaking wilderness, which you can spend weeks exploring without seeing nary another human being. But its winters would make Nevada's seem like the tropics.

Northern Nevada's deserts, mountains and lakes are a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, and I'm not basing that on my limited experience exploring it. It turns out that the Appeal has its share of employees who've known that for some time. For some of them, it's a primary reason why they live here.

Sam Bauman, for example, has explored just about every trail in the region, and those he hasn't visited will see him soon. He's expert at several outdoor pursuits, especially skiing, and has a curiosity and energy that's contagious. He's also 78 years old and has a lot of wisdom to offer.

Then there's Pat Devereux, who works only to support her outdoor habits. Those include exploring the state's most secret natural places, not to mention the highest peaks of the nearby Whitney Corridor.

Those two are the driving force behind a new outdoors page that will appear on page B2 every Friday, beginning today. It's long occurred to these two, especially when they've dragged their tanned hides into the newsroom after their weekend adventures, that we ought to be helping our readers find and enjoy those places, too.

As you know, we already have a great outdoor writer in Don Quilici. Don specializes in all things hunting and fishing, and his column and stories will continue to appear every Thursday in the sports section.

The new outdoor recreation page will cover the other outdoor pursuits, which include hiking, biking, kayaking, scuba diving, climbing, skiing, snowshoeing and many more. It's called, simply, "G.O." ("Great Outdoors").

The idea is to not only help those who already enjoy the outdoors to enjoy it more, but to give novices and families information about places they can spend a day outdoors. The page will be heavy on useful tips and light on long stories. Our hope is people will clip and save the stories about hikes and other destinations. After a few months, you'll have enough valuable information to fill a book, but at a much cheaper price.

We also hope to incorporate the experiences of our readers who wish to share their favorite places and tips.

Of course, we'd like to know what you think. Send your comments to the Appeal at sbauman@nevadaappeal.com or by mail to Sam at 580 Mallory Way, Carson City, NV 89701.

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There may be some readers under the impression that the Appeal editorial board has endorsed a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana. We haven't, although our sister paper, the Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard, has.

They ran a bold editorial this week, which we reprinted in the Appeal on Wednesday.

The initiative, if passed by voters in November, would allow those 21 years and older to have 1 ounce or less of pot, but would bar its use in public and by drivers. Among the ideas behind it are that it would change current enforcement policies, which supporters of the initiative say are a failure and foster an illegal market. It would, they say, provide more resources to fight meth. Critics, of course, have a litany of problems with the legalization of pot.

The reason for this mention? The label above the LVN editorial in Wednesday's Appeal mistakenly said "Our View."

What is our view at the Appeal on this issue? Well, that meeting of the editorial board, which includes the publisher and senior editors, hasn't yet occurred.

When it does, my two cents worth will be that we should endorse whatever option will result in the least amount of marijuana being used in Nevada. There may be some validity to the argument about how ineffective enforcement is, but I don't buy into any argument that says pot is a harmless drug.

In the meantime, I'm sure the issue will be debated hotly on this page and at www.nevadaappeal.com in the coming months. We encourage you to join in.

• Barry Ginter is the editor of the Appeal. Contact him at bginter@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1221.