The story of a canyoneer, public lands and a totally absurd New Year’s tradition in Bears Ears National Monument.

For the last fifteen years, Steve Ramras and friends have celebrated New Year’s Day in the icy slot canyons of Bears Ears National Monument. It’s a tradition so absurd, Ram calls it “the bad idea that caught on.”

When you’ve shared a New Year’s Day canyon with someone you’ve never met before, this crazy thing happens – you are suddenly fast friends for life. That’s precisely the thing that FreezeFest and public lands in general can do better than almost anything else I can think of. A place where adventure and exploration and creativity come together to create a community.

On December 4th 2017 President Trump rescinded the National Monument protection for nearly one million acres, including all of White Canyon and its tributaries.

Through that lens, Ram looks back on fifteen years of tradition, and why shared experiences are the key to protecting these places for future generations.

Help defend Bears Ears National Monument
Utah Diné Bikéyah utahdinebikeyah.org/
Friends of Cedar Mesa friendsofcedarmesa.org/
Access Fund accessfund.org/
Grand Canyon Trust grandcanyontrust.org/
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance suwa.org/