Hit the Inclusive Hiking Scene at Denver’s Genesee Park

Oneika Raymond travels to the Mile High City and hits the trail at Denver’s Genesee Mountain Park to learn more about how we can make the outdoors a more welcoming place for all.

She’ll meet up with Denverite Beth Bradley, a plus-size hiker whose relationship with her body and her hometown were transformed forever when she went for her first hike. We’ll hear how Beth didn’t always feel included in Denver’s vibrant outdoor scene, but how claiming time on the trail for herself helped her tap into the community and motivated her to want to share the benefits of nature with more people.

Using the Denver Sheraton Downtown as basecamp, Beth shared her recommendations for best day hikes along with other outdoor adventures to consider like kayaking the rapids at Confluence Park or cycling the Cherry Creek Regional Trail, but at over 8,000 feet elevation and with views of 14,000 foot Mount Evans, Genesee Park was the perfect place to spend a breezy afternoon.

Since Beth was born and raised in Denver, she gave Oneika lots of insider insights about her city, including why it’s worth standing in line at Little Man Ice Cream for a post-hike treat and why any food slathered with green chiles is quintessentially Colorado.

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Oneika Raymond: Imagine living in Denver, and thinking that because you are the wrong size quote, unquote, that you could not go and enjoy this free nature.

Beth Bradley: Once I did that first hike, I started looking around on Instagram and I was like, oh, I’m not the only one who’s felt excluded or, you know, didn’t see myself represented and there’s other people who have had this exact experience and who are trying to get outside just like I am. It definitely cracked my life open.

Oneika Raymond: Super affirming, yeah.

Oneika: Welcome to About the Journey. I’m your host, Oneika Raymond, a travel journalist and member of Marriott Bonvoy. This season, we’re exploring what it means to travel better. And we’re doing it with the help of the people who know their hometowns best.

This is Denver, Colorado, and its own hiking enthusiast, Beth Bradley.

Oneika Raymond: In Denver, nobody’s actually from Denver, but you are born and raised Denverite?

Beth Bradley: That’s true.

Oneika Raymond: Right?

Beth Bradley: Yep. Definitely from Denver and love Denver.

Oneika: While Beth grew up surrounded by Denver’s outdoor community, she never saw herself as part of it due to her body size. It wasn’t until later in life that she hit the trail for the first time – and it ended up changing her relationship with her hometown forever.

Oneika: Copious amounts of sunshine, bustling food halls, a dynamic beer scene, and easy access to the Rocky Mountains are all hallmarks of the city we’re exploring today: Denver, Colorado.

I’m meeting up with Beth for a hike at Genesee Park. The largest in Denver’s mountain park system. With so much to explore within a half hour’s drive of my hotel, the Sheraton Denver Downtown, we could’ve met at a local climbing gym or paddled rapids at Confluence Park. But with 8,000 feet of elevation and an easy-to-climb summit, Genesee Trail was where I chose to experience hiking like a local. Before I hop in the car, though, I want to better understand what it means to be outdoorsy here.

Sarah Fansler: I think when people think of Denver, they absolutely think of outdoor first. So I do a lot of skiing and mountain biking. We might go for a bigger hike with friends or a backpacking trip with smaller groups.

Thomas Matthews: My whole office, every Friday afternoon after lunch, they’re up in the mountains.

Marin: Rollerblading at the park like city park and mosh park. Going for walks. Mostly biking, honestly, around Denver. It was a fun place to grow up, cause I definitely have an appreciation for being outside and moving my body in a way that feels good.

Oneika: “The Mile High City” makes for a great basecamp for outdoor adventure. I know from firsthand experience: my family and I used it as our own jumping off point for a national park road trip a little while back. But as we’ve heard from Beth, not everyone feels as included as they could in all Denver has to offer.

Gabrielle: Something that I did note when I did move to Denver is, how much effort people put into presenting that they’re an outdoor person. But I wouldn’t say that I see a lot of like different types of people going hiking. I’m sure that’s changed a lot in recent times, but I haven’t really noticed.

Sarah Fansler: I thought I was outdoorsy until I met a lot of people that are local to Denver, turns out I’m not, I mean, it’s all relative, so. I’ve lived here six years now, when I first got here, I don’t know that I felt super included. And then, since then, definitely spent a lot of time meeting and, and cultivating a group of people that is much broader.

Oneika: So, what I’m hearing is that while aspects of the outdoor culture here have not been as inclusive as they could be, change is in the air. I’m looking forward to hitting the trail at Genesee Park with Beth to get her perspective as a plus size hiker. I’m also excited to learn more about how we can all make more room for others to join us while we’re out there, whether we’re locals or visitors

Beth Bradley: Hi.

Oneika Raymond: Hi Beth how are ya?

Beth Bradley: Nice to meet you.

Oneika Raymond: Lovely to meet you.

Beth Bradley: You too.

Oneika Raymond: Very excited that it’s not as hot as it was yesterday.

Beth Bradley: Oh my gosh, I was just thinking that. I was like, we have like perfect conditions, it was smoky yesterday and that blew out. It’s like perfect temperature, yes, exactly…

Oneika: Beth’s right. It’s a perfect day for hiking here at Genesee Park, with a deep blue sky scattered with puffy white clouds straight out of a cartoon. Beth is dressed in what I can best describe as hiker chic: her rugged boots show off miles of wear, and there’s a red bandana tied around her neck. Her look is pulled together with a bold cat eye, hinting at her theatrical side.

Beth Bradley: We used to have a family reunion, when I was growing up at that picnic table, so it was kinda a cool…

Oneika Raymond: Good memories, of course.

Beth Bradley: Yeah!

Oneika Raymond: Let’s get started without any further ado.

Beth Bradley: Cool. Yeah. Let grab my pack here…

Oneika: Beth is warm and welcoming, and as you’ll hear – an eager and active listener who’s quick to reaffirm what I have to say.

Beth Bradley: It’s very, very dry here. You might need to drink twice as much water as you’re used to. Lotion, chapstick, everything.

So, if you’re going to do a high mountain climb you might feel sick to your stomach or you might get a headache. So I’ll take ibuprofen even before, because I guess that kind of helps your circulation, definitely like sun protection, too. You’re that much closer to the sun. So just accounting for the, the dryness of the air, the thinness of the air, the lack of moisture altogether, so…

Oneika Raymond: So hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Beth Bradley: Hydrate. Yes, exactly. Yeah.

Oneika: We make our way over to a massive stone picnic shelter Beth’s family convened at in her childhood for a pre-hike chat so we can get to know each other better. Pine cones from tall ponderosas crunch under our feet and Beth and I are already finding ourselves on common ground.

Oneika Raymond: I am from Toronto, Canada, originally.

Beth Bradley: Oh, nice. Okay.

Oneika Raymond: So lots of nature out there.

Beth Bradley: Okay. Yep. Mm-hmm

Oneika Raymond: But I, even though I was surrounded by it growing up. I didn’t do anything outdoorsy.

Beth Bradley: Same

Oneika Raymond: I didn’t camp until I was at least 25 and living in China.

Oneika: You know, a theme that’s been coming up in my conversations with the folks I’m learning from this season is how often exclusion occurs through omission. And while Beth and I have different backgrounds: I mean she’s white and plus sized, while I’m Black and straight sized, we both haven’t seen ourselves represented in outdoor spaces enough.

Oneika Raymond: So yeah, Beth, obviously as somebody who was born and raised here, you have insights. Right? You have insights into the local people, local culture. So in your eyes, what is a typical Denverite?

Beth Bradley: Mmmm. Yeah. I would say, like the character of the city is pretty friendly, pretty relaxed. I think that’s maintained, from the time I was a kid. I think people are kind of like more optimistic and a little more open here. I think just being able to get outside all the time and get sun and, you know, it gives kind of a sunny disposition to people, I think.

Oneika Raymond: As an outsider, looking in I think of Denver and I think immediately of nature.

Beth Bradley: Oh yeah. Mm-hmm.

Oneika Raymond: And the mountains. And I think of people building fires with two wooden sticks, rubbed together. Is that an accurate depiction, would you say or is that a stereotype?

Beth Bradley: So I will say it’s very, very typical for people from Denver who are from Denver to have never gone skiing or like to have never gone hiking. Like there’s definitely an interesting divide. The term I hear is adventure gap, so, that barrier economically is something that prevents, I think a lot of urban people from getting a chance to experience it. So like I, growing up, I never saw that I would ever climb a mountain and so, I definitely identified more as like an artsy kid or a weirdo. And Denver still has a little bit of that, which I like, there’s still room for oddball creative people and that’s definitely how I always saw myself. And that was almost an active rejection, I guess, of like the outdoorsy type of person or kind of that culture, because I was like, I don’t feel welcome there.

Oneika Raymond: mm-hmm.

Beth Bradley: So I’m gonna actively, you know, not be that way.

Oneika Raymond: It’s so interesting that you say that you felt as though you didn’t fit in, and you felt as though you weren’t welcomed. Was it an economics thing, like, what about it?

Beth Bradley: So I’ve always been a plus size person, so ever since I was a kid. And so, economically too, like my parents are, are librarians, like not, tons of extra income or time. But yes, even more so I would say like, seeing anybody who looked like me even remotely. Anyone that was not just like a completely thin, wealthy

Oneika Raymond: Yeah.

Beth Bradley: …straight size person. There are certain things you need to do any of it, you need gear. And it’s like, there wasn’t any in my size, so it’s just like that messaging immediately is just kind of making it. You’re gonna have to earn that by getting smaller. And I was just like, no, thanks. So, yeah.

Oneika Raymond: Yeah. You know, it, it’s so funny because what you say resonates with me so strongly because as somebody who grew up in Canada, who is completely surrounded by nature, and there’s a real tradition of getting out there. As a Black woman, I never felt included. As a Black woman, I never saw myself hiking, you know, a Black immigrant kid. Why? Like, why would you go out in the woods?

Beth Bradley: Right. Exactly.

Oneika Raymond: Why? When your parents came from a different country…

Beth Bradley: Oh yeah, yeah.

Oneika Raymond: …to work and scraped pennies together to get you this nice life and this nice house and this new country. Even beyond that, I think, I think because I didn’t see myself in mainstream media doing those things.

Beth Bradley: Yes.

Oneika Raymond: I didn’t see people I knew who looked like me doing those things.

Beth Bradley: Absolutely.

Oneika Raymond: I could not envision doing those things for myself. I also felt that I wasn’t welcomed. I didn’t want to go to Algonquin Park and be the only black person there.

Beth Bradley: Right.

Oneika Raymond: And have people look at me and wonder why is she here?

Beth Bradley: Right. I feel that a hundred percent I, I moved away and came back people moved to Colorado from all over the world just to do this stuff. And like, I was born here, like I should, see what it’s about, you know? And so, the first time it really clicked like I, I went by myself, but I picked a trail that was pretty well populated and it’s called Mount Galbrath a five mile loop. I had never done anything that far before ever. And I was like, this is the chance to see if I can do it. It was so interesting ’cause like getting to go my own pace…So I sort of got into a zone and it just it clicked so hard that, that narrative that I had of being too fat to do this, suddenly it was quiet.

You know, like suddenly, like I’ll get teared up talking about it. Because it meant so much, you know, I had planned on bringing headphones and I just realized I’m listening to like my breathing. Like I’m looking out at nature, and just that connection to nature too, that I never had. You know, I think about all the time, like how trees are every size. Rocks are every size. Like in nature, there’s not a size anyone’s supposed to be.

Oneika Raymond: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Beth Bradley: And so it, that’s how I feel out there too.

Oneika Raymond: I think that’s, that’s such a beautiful, beautiful sentiment and that’s such a beautiful realization to have. And I think so often society places these, these barriers, that make us think we can’t do something. That we’re not welcome. So sometimes in solitude, we have to make our own way to figure things out on our terms, and I think that’s precisely what you did. Obviously it’s been so transformative for you.

Beth Bradley: Oh yeah.

Oneika Raymond: I feel like in all these discussions I’ve been having with people, I’m, I’m always like, it’s so much more than thing that we’re talking about.

Beth Bradley: Oh, definitely.

Oneika Raymond: Yeah. It transcends the actual hiking.

Beth Bradley: It changed my whole way that I saw myself really, because I started to be able to just be like, that’s just what shape I am. I got to feel more neutral about that it was more about where I got to what I got to see there. That completely changed my perception, and like you’re saying, like my sense of self too.

Oneika Raymond: And so I guess my question to you is how has your love of hiking shifted your perception of Denver?

Beth Bradley: I think it’s just made me realize, this is an awesome place I mean, there’s hundreds of trails, like for any ability really too, like, you know there’s easy trails, there’s more complex or difficult trails, but just being able to have that access to the mountains that, you can wake up and be away from the city entirely in half an hour. And, and that’s very special I think so. And I do feel, that, as Denver’s changing, I do see more diversity on the trail, too. So like that I think is cool. Especially since the pandemic, with more people wanting to get outside in general, like I’m seeing, that’s starting to change a little bit.

Oneika Raymond: Mm-hmm

Beth Bradley: So that makes me happy too.

Oneika Raymond: So what are some of your go-to hikes within an hour’s drive of here?

Beth Bradley: Yeah. Oh gosh. There’s, there’s so many, but my favorite website to research trails is Day Hikes Near Denver. Lots of useful information, like, can you bring your dog or does it have a bathroom or is it accessible?

Yeah, one of my favorites, if you are in the mood for some elevation gain and, and like excellent views and don’t have a ton of time is Chief Mountain, which is kind of outside of Idaho Springs so it’s less than an hour from Denver. And it’s only about three miles round trip, but you get up to 12,000 feet. So then there’s, there’s even a little summit marker, which is very satisfying to see. I always like to see the summit marker.

So close to Denver, too, another good spot is South Valley Park. So, you know, people love to see red rocks when they come to, to Denver. And there’s a lot of those same kind of formations at that spot. And it’s also, it’s an easy one too. Like if you have kids, if you have a dog, it’s only like three miles round trip and relatively flat, but very great views for the effort.

Oneika: Our walk on Genesee Summit Trail fits the bill as a convenient day hike near Denver.

Beth Bradley: Okay, so we’re doing, the smaller loop?

I think, yeah. Okay, cool.

Oneika: As we crowd around the trail map at the start of the hike, my producer Gale notices something unique.

Gale: Look, it looks says middle bison pasture.

Beth Bradley: Oh yeah. The bison. Yeah. There’s a herd of bison that are like the property of the city of Denver.

Oneika: You heard that right. Turns out Genesee Park is also home to a buffalo preserve. The bison are direct descendents of the last wild herd of bison in the US.

Oneika Raymond: So peaceful here…

Beth Bradley: Yeah they’ve got some little wildflowers.

Oneika Raymond: So apart from bison, are there any other wildlife that you know of that reside here?

Beth Bradley: Definitely, there are deer. Probably elk too. I mean, this time of day, they probably aren’t out and about, they’re probably all in the shade hanging out. Okay. But, uh, we don’t have any grizzly bears in Colorado. We have black bears and brown bears. Definitely deer at Elks for sure and little bunnies.

Beth Bradley: I remember this from when I was a kid too, like now I’m like we would climb my cousins and me would run over here and climb these giant rocks, so.

Oneika Raymond: I mean, I grew up in Canada and so I’m accustomed to having ravines and oh yeah. Big green belt and spaces to run around like nature.

Beth Bradley: Oh yeah.

Oneika Raymond: You know, not just like a park with a lawn. Right. Totally. But something like this I’m accustomed to it.

Oneika Raymond: How can we be respectful on the trails?

Beth Bradley: There are sort of, some basics in general, like one thing I think that I didn’t even know until a few years into hiking, is that people going up have the right of way. But, and then, you know, also like leave no trace and all of that kind of thing. I think, you know, it’s, it’s evolving because there has been such a long history of, of, thin white people sort of dominating the trails. People need to think more about what they say to people that don’t look like them or that they perceive to not be as like skilled or experienced as them. If you wanna go around somebody like be friendly about it, be nice, you know, don’t act impatient. I’ll get weird comments still. Like, I, I did a trail that I’ve done three times before and this guy walks by me and he’s like, “You’re almost there.” And I’m like, yeah, I know like…

Oneika Raymond: So he thought he was being encouraging and didn’t realize that he was being patronizing.

Beth Bradley: Exactly. Right. There might be well intentioned, but like, it does have this othering effect, like, they’re assuming you haven’t done this before.

Oneika Raymond: Mm-hmm.

Beth Bradley: Assuming you don’t know what you’re doing. So, what I would say about that is I never tell people encouraging things, unless they seem to want them or need them. Like you can’t assume anybody’s physical abilities or anybody’s experience by looking at them and you shouldn’t.

Oneika Raymond: Sometimes I’ll meet people and I’m othered right away.

Beth Bradley: Right. Totally.

Oneika Raymond: So they’ll say something about my hair or they’ll say, oh my brother is married to a woman from Ghana.

Beth Bradley: Pointing out something about you immediately. Yeah.

Oneika Raymond: Even somebody who means well,

Beth Bradley: Right.

Oneika Raymond: making this encouraging comment. It’s very condescending.

Beth Bradley: Maybe think about why you’re saying that to that person, you know.

Oneika Raymond: Exactly.

Beth Bradley: Do you need to feel superior to them

Oneika Raymond: Exactly.

Beth Bradley: Or whatever, you know.

Oneika Raymond: Or you point blank feel superior to these people.

Beth Bradley: Right? Exactly. Yep.

Oneika Raymond: After we’ve done the hike, and we want a little bit of reward.

Beth Bradley: Oh yeah, absolutely.

Oneika Raymond: Where, where can we grab a beer? or yeah, an ice cream or a meal.

Beth Bradley: Yeah. So I’d say my favorite Denver food by far is breakfast burritos and especially with green chili. So Colorado and New Mexico kind of have a battle of who owns green chili. But I, you know, of course being from here, I definitely sayDenver is the best. So it’s, it’s a sauce, but it’s also a soup. It can – people put it on like literally anything it can be on a burrito, in a burrito, you can eat it with a tortilla in a bowl. Like anytime I’ve moved away, like I crave it so much, and it there’s a million different ways of making it too. So, you know, it can be vegetarian, it can have pork in it. It can be super hot and it, it can vary by the batch of chilies. So, that’s always what I want after a hike. That’s the best post hiking food, in my opinion.

But I’d say too, like, Denver has good ice cream so in my neighborhood where I live, it’s a building in the shape of a milk can.

Oneika Raymond: Nice.

Beth Bradley: And it’s an ice cream place called Little Man. That is, you have to be prepared to stand in line…like it’s definitely.

Oneika Raymond: Oh, so it’s one of those places. Okay.

Beth Bradley: But it’s fun though.

Oneika Raymond: Well listen, if, if people are standing in line it’s definitely good.

Beth Bradley: Yeah. Yeah. So they have salted Oreo, which is like their flavor they always have and highly recommend that.

Oneika Raymond: Well, we are definitely taking notes.

Beth Bradley: Nice.

Oneika: Before we can try out all the food, though, we have to summit.

Oneika Raymond: Goodness, really do feel that the airs like thinner up here.

So we’ve made it to the top.

Beth Bradley: Here we are.

Oneika Raymond: Yes. I feel very accomplished, but also out of breath.

Beth Bradley: Right, right. Climbed a little mountain here, so yeah.

Oneika Raymond: So what, what do we see here?

Beth Bradley: So we’ve got kind of like a little panorama of some of the front range here, like looking out, um, toward Mount Evans and I-70 kind of a main, thorough fair to the mountains over here on our right.

So, yeah, a cool spot, very close to Denver. A good view. Yeah.

Oneika Raymond: Very nice

Oneika Raymond: What advice do you have for people who come to Denver? And they don’t see themselves as outdoorsy.

Beth Bradley: Totally. I always think about it kind of like I used to teach sewing and I would always say like, for your first project, don’t try to do a prom dress, you know, cause you’re not gonna, enjoy it. You know? I also think like the outdoors, it belongs to everybody. Whatever anybody else wants to say about it – like it, it does, it’s everyone’s. And so, if you haven’t tried it before, try a simple trail. Try something that you’re going to get a good sense of it without, trying to do the prom dress first.

Beth Bradley: And I just think nature is so fundamental to being a human. It’s really something that everybody deserves and should have a chance to connect with. There’s all kinds of accessible trails and places that you know are a good entry way to it. So you don’t have to be outdoorsy to enjoy it.

Oneika Raymond: That’s great.

Oneika: Since there aren’t many people on the trail today, I’ve really been able to connect with Beth, and connect with my surroundings. And that’s really the goal of time in nature, right? But I also think the best kind of travel offers these opportunities – if we make space for them.

Oneika Raymond: Beth. Thank you so much for hiking with me today. It was so fun to hang out with you.

Beth Bradley: Thank you!

Oneika Raymond: And learn from you and uh, can’t wait to do it again.

Beth Bradley: Oh, anytime. My pleasure.

Oneika: That’s all for this episode of About the Journey. Thank you to our Denver guide, Beth Bradley. Next week, we’ll dive into regenerative travel.

Carmen: I’m not a mom, but I think about future generations. And I think that comes for being a good human and I wish that all the tourism operations in Puerto Rico will be a hundred percent sustainable.

Oneika: We’re dialing into San Juan, Puerto Rico…

Oneika: …to hear from women-powered travel company, Local Guest.

About the Journey is produced by Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, At Will Media, and me, Oneika Raymond. Our Marriott producers are Robin Bennefield and Jess Moss. Our At Will Media producers are Kait Walsh, Kristy Westgard, Gale Straub and Tina Turner. Editing by Greg Deavens II.

Follow along with Beth on Instagram, @thebethst. And you can learn more about inclusive hiking by heading to unlikelyhikers.org.

You can learn more about visiting Denver and how to travel more meaningfully — from Marriott Bonvoy Traveler at traveler.marriott.com

And if you liked this episode of About the Journey, please be sure to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

I’m your host, Oneika Raymond. See you next week.