Outdoors enthusiasts #OptOutside for Black Friday

To shop or not to shop?

Black Friday crowds are not for everyone and some may stay at home.

For the past several years, outdoors enthusiasts have been hitting the trails instead of the sales.

“Well we prefer the outdoors and prefer to avoid the crowds, and just enjoy the day,” said Joel Ross, hiking at Dripping Springs Natural Area.

“Hiking is better than shopping.It gives you exercise and you’re not just walking around a mall looking at stuff, you’re looking at nature,” said Andrew Bealenicc.

That’s a call many have heard this Black Friday, visitor numbers swelling in the borderland natural areas following the Opt Outside movement, encouraging people to pursue the outdoors instead of door busting deals

Just last Friday Dripping Springs had about 65 visitors, but Friday they were told to prepare for up to 400 people hitting the trails.

But hiking can be done every day, and some shoppers don’t want to pass on the sales

“Previous Black Fridays I had not really shopped before, but this Friday I said ‘what the heck, I might as well go out and get something’ with all these deals,” said Adam Keller at Mesilla Valley Mall.

These hikers are in no hurry to shop on the first day of the sales season

“I don’t think we’re gonna go shopping much,”

“If we do any it’ll probably be online, or just mostly spend time with family and enjoy the day off,” Ross said.

Many stores still have their sales going on over the weekend, so whether you shopped or hiked today, there’s plenty of time to do the other over the weekend.

The Opt Outside movement has been going on for three years.