Leave No Trace is a philosophy founded on respect and appreciation for nature.
It's a program for outdoor ethics designed to educate us about our recreational impacts
and teach us the necessary skills to minimize these impacts.
No Trace techniques are based on seven easy principles to help us do this.
Even the smallest impacts can affect our overall wilderness experience.
But more importantly, there are still some common practices that have serious consequences
on the environment and are no longer acceptable.
These must be changed.
No Trace is about caring, awareness, and acting responsibly.
Our ultimate goal should always be to minimize our impact.
Before venturing out, we should all take the time to learn how to leave no trace.
Always leave home prepared by planning in advance.
Check on weather conditions and pack appropriately.
Review the guidebooks, maps, and current trail reports.
And know your skill levels and limitations.
A hiker in a difficult situation might need to abandon Leave No Trace for safety's sake.
Good planning and preparation could help alleviate this.
Always carry the ten essentials.
These may be your only protection, especially in an emergency.
Use equipment that will help you leave no trace.
Free standing tents, backpacking stoves, and collapsible water buckets allow much more
flexibility.
Pack light with exact proportions, one pot meals, and minimal packaging.
This will not only make your trip easier, but reduces needless waste.
We should take the time to learn the local regulations and always abide by them.
Backcountry permits are often required, especially in our national parks and quotas are designed,
to preserve high impact or at risk areas.
These not only protect pristine lands from the effects of overuse, but will ultimately
make your experience more wild and enjoyable.
Thoughtless footsteps can cause plant damage, destroy critical habitat, and eventually lead
to soil compaction and erosion.
We should learn to recognize ground that's resistant to impact and use it for our travel
and campsites.
Travel surfaces include dirt, gravel, sand, rock, snow, and dry grass.
Always try to avoid fragile heather and huckleberry fields, wetlands, and steep loose slopes.
These are easily damaged or destroyed.
When there is an established trail, we should use it instead of traveling off trail and
starting a new path.
Always be aware of how your party size might affect the environment, including wildlife
and other visitors in the area.
A small group will have much less impact.
On established trails hike single file within the tread, even when it's wet and muddy.
Walking around will only widen a trail or create a new one.
Allow other hikers to pass, just stepping off the trail, stopping briefly to let them
by.
At times it can be tempting to short cut on a trail, especially between switchbacks.
But short cutting is a major cause of erosion and plant damage and should never be done.
When traveling near lakes and rivers, remember these are fragile riparian zones supporting
sensitive plants and amphibians.
A careless hiker can easily erode these banks and add silt and sediment to the water, possibly
killing plants and contributing to the demise of a whole ecosystem.
Off trail travel has the greatest potential for lasting impacts.
This is where it's essential to be skilled at leave no trace techniques.
We should avoid hiking on unstable soils and sensitive vegetation.
Instead, look for durable ground and spread out to minimize starting a new trail and herding
plants.
Try to refrain from cross-country travel during times when plants are most vulnerable, especially
in spring, with new growth and wet conditions.
More importantly, avoid areas where impacts are just beginning because these are most
at risk for long-term damage and slow recovery.
If you must travel through very fragile terrain, choose your steps carefully, always picking
the way of least impact.
Hikers such as cairns, wands, and plastic tape should not be left permanently.
Be sure to pick them up on your way out.
In organized camps, use only designated sites.
Stay on established trails around camp to avoid making new paths.
Never alter a campsite, build tables, hammer nails and trees, or trench around tents.
Keep in mind, a clean camp will encourage others to use it.
When traveling off trail, finding a campsite at the end of the day is often our most difficult
task.
We should avoid pre-existing sites where impacts are just beginning.
These are most susceptible to rapid deterioration with further use.
Instead, look for a safe but small and secluded site on the most resilient surface with a
water source at least 200 feet away and one that will not impede wildlife.
There should also be a separate, durable area for cooking and a place to secure a food.
This isn't always easy, but make the effort.
Remember, good sites are found, not made.
In pristine areas, we should try to disperse our use, carefully spread out to camp away
from others, and never camp on heather or fragile meadows.
Don't scrape or clean an area of leaves or needles.
This cushion actually helps with erosion and trampling control and slows compaction.
We can minimize our impact in camp by changing to soft, sold shoes and concentrating our
activity on rock, gravel, and areas with no vegetation.
Try not to create any new paths by limiting the number of trips and alternating routes
to and from your tent, packs, water, cooking, and bathroom areas.
Using a bucket will cut down on repeated trips to the water source.
Consider relocating your campsite daily to reduce impact to vegetation.
Finally, before leaving, always naturalize the site by restoring it to its original state.
Your efforts will allow these pristine areas to continue to thrive.
Pack it in, pack it out.
And not just trash and litter, but all leftover food, toilet paper, and other hygiene products.
Under no circumstances should we leave toilet paper lying on the ground.
It's unsightly, unsanitary, and attracts animals.
Always look around before departing an area.
Check for anything that leaves evidence of your visit.
This not only affords a more pristine experience for others, but also sets a good example to
follow.
Human waste must always be disposed of carefully to protect the environment, especially our
water sources and other visitors.
If there's a composting toilet, use it.
Otherwise, urinate well away from camp, water, and trails, on rocks and bare or sandy soils.
This reduces possible damage to plants by animals attracted to salty urine.
We must properly bury our solid waste in 6 to 8 inch cat holes, preferably in organic
soil, at least 200 feet from all water, drainages, camps, and trails.
In snow, carry out human waste in blue bags or other waste bag systems.
Nowadays, washing ourselves, clothes, and dishes in lakes and rivers is no longer an acceptable
practice.
Instead, use a bucket and wash at least 200 feet from any water source.
We should also avoid using soap, even biodegradable, whenever possible.
Waterless hand sanitizers are an excellent alternative for personal hygiene.
When cleaning dishes, hot water and elbow grease are much better.
Wipe out the food scraps, strain the cooking and dish water, and pack out all food particles.
Never bury, burn, or scatter leftovers.
Our public lands are there for all to discover and enjoy.
We should leave rocks, fossils, plants, and other natural objects in cultural artifacts
as we find them.
Destroying, removing, or even disturbing such features is often prohibited by law.
Let's all strive to preserve and protect our natural and cultural heritage.
Campfires leave lasting impacts and ugly scars on the environment.
Heat from a fire can actually sterilize the underlying soil, and dead wood needed to maintain
a healthy ecosystem could be depleted when taken for firewood.
Campfires also pose a risk for wildfire.
We should always consider whether one is really necessary.
Even if accustomed to a campfire, try reducing your dependence on them.
Instead, use a backpacking stove and headlamp.
Stoves are cleaner, safer, and more efficient.
They're easy to set up, cook faster, and offer more flexibility when looking for a camp site.
Stoves are essential at higher elevations where fires are often prohibited and firewood
is scarce.
If allowed and you still choose an occasional campfire, build it where there's an existing
firing whenever possible.
Keep it small and always be sure conditions are safe.
Just cut wood, only collect loose, dead, and downed limbs no thicker than your wrist.
Before leaving, always burn the wood to ash, put out the fire completely, clean out the
firing, and scatter the cooled ashes.
Our presence in the wilderness affects wildlife in many ways.
We should respect all creatures, great and small, their space and their habitat.
Always try to give animals a wide berth and observe them from a distance.
We must never stalk or approach them.
Try not to startle or frighten wildlife.
This can cause stress and even physical harm, especially during sensitive times when resting,
mating, raising young, and in winter.
Wild animals use natural corridors that provide access to essential feeding grounds and water
sources.
We should never block their passage.
We must never feed wildlife.
Camp robbers and chipmunks are a big temptation, but feeding them only results in persistent
begging.
This is not a natural behavior, it's learned from their human encounters.
Our food could even make them sick.
Feeding animals only robs them of their wildness and can expose them to predators and other
dangers.
We must always resist the urge and teach others to do the same.
We should also be vigilant with our food, either eat it or carry it out, and make sure
all food, garbage, and scented items are stored securely so animals can't get to them.
This means we shouldn't stash our packs along the trail for a quick side trip.
Take the time to hang it properly unless you have a canister.
Finally, consider leaving your pets at home.
Just a dog's scent can drive wildlife from an area.
We all seek a true wilderness experience.
Respect other people's space and solitude.
Consider the quality of their visit too.
One way is to keep a low profile by taking breaks away from other hikers, camping out
of sight and sound of others, and using earth-toned colors for clothing, packs, and especially
tents to blend in.
We should be courteous to others, on the trail it's customary to yield to faster hikers
and to those moving uphill.
Most importantly, travel quietly.
Voices carry long distances and are intrusive.
Instead, listen to the sounds of nature.
The chances of seeing wildlife will be greater, other hikers will thank you, and you'll discover
the real essence of wildness.
Outdoor ethics doesn't just apply to the wilderness backcountry, however these areas
are most at risk.
Wherever we are in the out of doors, we should always consider our actions and how they impact
the environment, including the people around us.
We shouldn't hesitate to teach others about the principles of leave no trace, taking responsibility
and sharing our knowledge.
We must all assume the role of nature's steward.
Wise choices now will help sustain our wilderness and other natural areas for generations to
come.
Together we can make a difference.
