How does this square with record-breaking attendance at every national park, record attendance at ski resorts and other outdoors venues, etc?
What do you mean by this?
I think it can be an "escalator" of engagement though, and small exposures can build up to bigger adventures!
I never visited a proper outdoor area until college (grew up in the city). My first time, I was so scared of the unfamiliar trees that I think I screamed when some vine grazed my skin, lol.
A few years (and a few more day hikes) later, I went on my first overnight backpacking trip. Nearly froze to death because our guide didn't check the weather. Had to evac half the group out overnight through the pouring rain. Glad nobody died, but we got real close to frostbite territory. The next trip with the same group, we nearly got shot (pissed off some, uh, rural hunter types) and had to hide in sand dunes until the gunshots stopped... it's a wonder this guiding group stays in business, lol.
Despite all that, backpacking became a lifelong love. I've introduced probably a dozen friends to backpacking, and they're all most impressed by the Jetboil :) These days me and my SO go on a few trips a summer, not quite as much as we were younger, but still.
Ya gotta start somewhere! That's all I'm saying.
It's more or less the difference between a tourist and an expat.
for both points, i think some of it is driven by social media too and it doesn't take a lot for those places to feel full. are outdoorsy people listening to bluetooth radios on trails? doubt it, probably some attention seeker looking for social media content
If you have a season pass it doesn't make sense to ski the worse conditions, since you can just go back another morning. There's also the desire to beat the traffic leaving the resort, which can be brutal in some places.
Also, hiking and skiing are not exactly the most social activities.