2/23/2023 0 Comments 5 Ways to Lessen Your Impact in the Backcountry - Being better stewards in the outdoorsWe all love to get outside and be a part of the great natural places of this world. But as more and more of us get outside, we’re placing an ever increasing burden on these places that we love. A recent article by the Yale School of Forestry concluded that our precious outdoor areas are in danger, of being “loved to death”. More and more, people are discovering the beauty and epic nature of our shared outdoor parks and recreation areas. While it is encouraging that so many people want to explore the epic places of nature, ironically, this new found popularity appears to be causing its own unintended issues. On a recent summit attempt on Mount Whitney in California, I had a chance to speak at length with a couple of the hard-working rangers that are responsible for this iconic area. It became abundantly clear that we are not doing enough to protect these special places. So, with that in mind and after researching the challenge, speaking with the rangers and drawing on my own experiences in the outdoors, here are five ways we can all make a difference and preserve these amazing places. 1. When you’re on the trail, don’t cut switchbacks Hiking is such an enjoyable adventure for our family. Switchbacks, however, can be monotonous. Back and forth and back and forth as you climb a hill or mountain can seem tedious and the temptation to just go straight up the hill rather than make a few more steps to the end of the switchback is always there. So what’s the big deal? Switchbacks are designed to protect two important things, you and the mountain. Safety is always important and falls do occur when inexperienced people decide to go “off trail”. But, more importantly, switchbacks protect the mountain. Erosion is very real and can destroy fragile environments. It can dislodge rocks and uproot small trees and plants that are not only beautiful and add to the hiking experience, they are important to the overall health of the mountain. It can affect the animals that live in these areas too. So, enough said. Don’t cut switchbacks. Period. 2. Stay on the trail and camp on durable surfaces Staying on the trail is just as important as not cutting switchbacks. Cutting multiple trails through a meadow, for instance, can destroy fragile ecosystems. Trampling vegetation can cause damage that may take years or decades to repair. Look for durable surfaces when pitching your tent. Find an area that’s already been used for camping. Dirt or rock is best. Avoid meadows and grasslands. While they may look soft and inviting, you can easily destroy areas that support all kinds of wildlife and a grassy area which has been destroyed may never return to the beautiful meadow it used to be. So, this is your chance to do the right thing. Remember, when you leave your campsite, it should look like you were never there! 3. Don’t feed the animals! Feeding wild animals usually never turns out well for either the animal or the human. Animals can lose their fear of humans and become aggressive or just a plain nuisance. In addition, feeding an animal human food can lead to dietary problems for the animal which could include the death of that creature. Young animals that grow up depending on humans for food can also have problems finding food when humans are gone. So, don’t. Don’t feed them. Watch them from a distance. Become a part of the nature experience, not part of a problem. 4. Pack out your trash! This is one thing that really bugs me. People who leave trash behind as if there’s a cleaning crew right behind you picking up your garbage. Seriously? The ranger we spoke to on our recent trip framed it like this: “You just took food, which you just ate, out of a package. Now, somehow, that package is filthy! Really?” I agree. It’s your trash. You brought it in. You take it out. Bring a large re-sealable bag and put your trash in the bag when you’re done. It’s very simple. Then, put that bag in your pack when you leave! You just packed out your trash! Amazing how that works! And don’t forget to throw it away properly when you get back to civilization. Helpful tip: After you put the trash in the bag, press all the air out of the bag before you reseal it. It makes it pack down smaller. Also, on that same trip, we overheard some nearby campers having an argument as to whether the trash goes in a bear canister. Really? They put their food in the canister. So, why would their trash, which still smells like their food, go ANYWHERE else? So, YES, put your trash in a bear canister, hang it in a bear bag, put it in the trash can (if there is one) or a bear box. Whew! Glad we put that one to rest! 5. Consider visiting some less popular parks or recreation areas
While iconic parks and recreation areas should be on everyone’s lists of places to see, these parks are iconic for a reason and are obviously the most visited. For instance, we had a recent trip to Zion National Park. The place was packed. The trams start running at 6:00 am. The lines for these trams began as early as 5:15 am! The trams run all day and are full to capacity. All day. Wow. In contrast, on that same trip, we visited Bryce Canyon National Park. While it’s an extremely beautiful park, it had half or less of the traffic of Zion. And while it’s a different experience from Zion to be sure, it was truly rewarding and just an amazing place to see. And we didn’t have to fight with the throngs of people either. Something to consider when you plan your vacations! Another option is to visit the parks in their off seasons. There are fewer people and it is less taxing on the park, the wildlife and your nerves! These are just a few of the ways you can help take better care of the amazing outdoor places we all love to visit and experience. I would encourage everyone to go online to the LNT (Leave No Trace) website (LNT.org) and take their online quiz. It’s fun, informative and it helps all of us who enjoy the outdoors to be more aware of our impact on the environment. And, you’ll get a certificate when you’ve completed the quiz! We all need to be better stewards of our outdoor places. We are all responsible for the environment, each other and to the generations who will come after us. So, I’m curious. How do you make a positive impact on our outdoor places? Let me know in the comments below. Be sure to check out our Youtube channel where we’ll look at additional ways to lighten our footprint on the outdoors and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. And, as always, We’ll See You Outside! Photo Credits Erosion – Photo by Anastasia Petrova on Unsplash Two Trails – Photo by Mats Hagwall on Unsplash Check out our video about How to Lessen Your Impact in the Outdoors!
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So, if the average grade of this trail is 11% and we have 3 miles to go, we should be on top in about
2 hours and 15 minutes. That's how many of my conversations go with my oldest son, Trevor. He loves math and is very good at it. Forget the GPS or pedometers. He's constantly figuring out how far we've hiked, how far we have to go, what the incline in percentage is, when to leave, when to turn back (if necessary), how many calories we've burned and so on. We call it "trail math". I admire that he can do these equations in his head and do them quickly. I like math. He loves it. And he loves to share it when we hike. It's a connection we have and it helps pass the time, especially when you're exhausted and the only other things you can think about is how hungry you are and much your feet hurt. People find lots of ways to connect in nature. My youngest son, Ryan, has always had a great imagination and has put it to use in his art and stories. He tends to be quiet on our hikes or in camp. That's because he's busy creating new characters and new story lines in his head. He imagines his characters hiding in a cave on a rock face he just saw or moving silently from treetop to treetop or how they might live in a harsh desert landscape. Once he's finished, he shares them with the family around the campfire that evening. And those conversations can last through the night. Our family builds connections by being in the outdoors and through conversations with each other. Everything from what to eat for dinner to politics, school, work and how each other's lives are going. Connections with each other and the bonds that are created at these times are really important to me and my family. And those moments have created some of my fondest memories. As human beings, we spend so many of our days and much of our time worrying about things, working and being distracted that we don't really talk to one another and we certainly don't let nature work its way into our lives. We drive to work in a tin can, surrounded by others in tin cans that we choose to ignore unless they cut you off. Then you probably have a few choice words for them. We get to the office, do our job, get back in the tin can and drive home only to start the process all over again the next day. While some people truly enjoy their careers, most are simply going through the motions until the weekend. And nature sometimes takes a back seat in our lives. We start to feel disconnected from the world. Sometimes, we just feel lost and we begin to wonder if this is all there is. Well, it's not. John Muir, the great poet laureate and conservationist, once said, "In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks." Hiking, camping and spending time in the outdoors are the times when people can reconnect again. Study after study has shown that spending time in the outdoors and being in nature, is good for your health, both physically and mentally. It relieves stress. It creates a place where you to connect with the natural world, other people and, ultimately, yourself. These outdoor places, be it a National Park, a local campground or even a local community park, can begin to bring a peace back into your life, especially when you share it with a loved one. Many times when I'm outdoors I just take a moment. A moment to breathe. Just a moment to be surrounded by these beautiful places and to sit quietly beside my wife, on an old fallen tree, and take it all in. That's when I feel the connection. And it's times like these that can create connections for you, your family and friends too. But that's not the only time it happens. It can happen when you're sitting in a camp chair around a campfire with the smell of the pine trees and the smoke from the fire pit surrounding you and laughing at a goofy joke your son just told you. Or when you're enjoying a cup of coffee in the chill of an early morning while a Blue Jay squawks and complains loudly in the distance, listening to the sounds of the family stirring in the tent and awakening to a new day. But it also happens when a good friend starts a conversation. When they share a bit of their world with you in the coolness of the forest or the magnificent expanse of the desert. That's when it begins. The outdoors has that affect on you. It's the chance to connect with another person in places of peace and beauty. And to me, that's when it all adds up. That's when all the days spent working long hours, stressed out and fighting traffic just goes away, even if it's only for a little while. It's when the beauty of these special outdoor places take hold of you and you reconnect with your family, friends and the world. Because in the end, those are the only things that really matter. So, get outside and be a part of these places. Go for a hike or just a stroll. Marvel at the grace of an eagle as it soars high above you or let yourself gaze for some time at a small fish in a pond as it searches for food. And take a friend or loved one. Ask them how their life is going. Find that connection again with them and with the amazing natural spaces around you. You never know where you'll end up. Unless you ask my son. He'll let you know to within the nearest 1/10 of a mile. Author: PhilJust a guy who loves the outdoors and wants to share it with you. ArchivesCategories |
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