Leave No Trace

[ski3pin]

The Lady and I had a long chat on the phone the other night with a close friend of ours. He is a mountain guide and has led and co led trips here and abroad for years. He now leads what he calls "Bucket List Trips", big ticket items participants long to do. Our chat had to do with how shocked he has become the last few years with how little outdoor ethics his clients come with. These are things most of us maybe take for granted like don't litter, pick up after yourself, don't step on vegetation, don't disturb wildlife, be considerate of others.

He has become a Leave No Trace trainer as he has seen it is essential to make Leave No Trace training part of every trip he leads.

Julie and I have just completed our two day LNT trainers course. We will not be formally teaching LNT, it was just a fun refresher and a very good use of time.

We all can benefit with refreshing these skills - and passing them on to others we encounter in the backcountry. We encourage all to take the short online Awareness Course -

Leave No Trace Online Awareness Course

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Wow LNT what a concept.It needs to be a routine in our daily lives.

Frank

 

[Vic Harder]

huh, I was a bit surprised at the "scattering" of dishwater. And I wish they would add something about using creeks/rivers as sewers. Too often have I seen people washing dishes in a stream and or spitting toothpaste out in the water or on land. Do people think that this stuff doesn't smell and attract animals? And that their next campsite might be downstream on the same creek????

 

[ski3pin]

huh, I was a bit surprised at the "scattering" of dishwater. And I wish they would add something about using creeks/rivers as sewers. Too often have I seen people washing dishes in a stream and or spitting toothpaste out in the water or on land. Do people think that this stuff doesn't smell and attract animals? And that their next campsite might be downstream on the same creek????

Dishwater is poured through a strainer and all food particles carried out. All clean up, washing, cooking, camping is to be done 200 feet (70 adult steps) from lakes or streams.

I agree Vic. We see some nasty stuff going on in the backcountry.

 

[goinoregon]

ok, i think i am already pretty good at LNT. what was your biggest surprise?
i did an 18 day grand canyon float back in.... 2006, and learned a bit on that trip. it was amazing how we left every camp undisturbed. but then i would not want to be the person at the outfitter, that emptied the 50 cal groovers.....

 

[ski3pin]

<snip>

but then i would not want to be the person at the outfitter, that emptied the 50 cal groovers.....

There is book somewhere here at home. It is a collection of "toilet" stories in the outdoors. I don't remember the title of the book, but I do remember my favorite chapter. Groovers played a starring role. The chapter's title - "The Day the Mormon Swore."

 

[rando]

ok, i think i am already pretty good at LNT. what was your biggest surprise?
i did an 18 day grand canyon float back in.... 2006, and learned a bit on that trip. it was amazing how we left every camp undisturbed. but then i would not want to be the person at the outfitter, that emptied the 50 cal groovers.....

I spend a lot of time rafting and canoeing the desert rivers, including the Colorado, and one of the biggest surprises is just how much goes into the river. You urinate directly into the river, dish water (after straining the chunks) goes into the river, ashes (where allowed) into the river, you often camp as close to the water as possible (on sand bars). Of course solid human waste and paper goes in the groover.

One of the important additions to LNT is to also be aware of how local conditions may change these general rules.

 

[AWG_Pics]

Level 1 - don't burn your cheap, disappointing walmart tent in your too big bonfire and leave the remains behind deep in the backcountry of a national park.
1b - stop playing loud music in the backcountry, or shooting guns, etc.
Level 2 - stop throwing non-combustible trash in your too big bonfire, and then leaving it partially blackened in the fire pit.
Level 3 - stop throwing beer cans and soda cans and candy wrappers down when on a hike.
Level 4 - look around and say to yourself: "I like that I don't see any trace of a person here before, except maybe the paleolithic artist."
Level 5 - Pick up some of the trash you see at hot springs and on trails.
Level 6 - Stop going to established trails and seek out unused areas
Level 7 - start to "educate" people about LNT, whether they like it or not.
Level 8 - Be angry all the time when seeing careless people in the backcountry.
Level 9 - Wonder despairingly about the steady proliferation of people and technology.
Level 10 - To heck with it, I am just going to see what I can find that is untrammeled.

 

[craig333]

I grew up with Tread LIghtly, Ski with LNT but basically its all about caring for the environment. Don't trash your camp, If you can pack it in you can pack it out. I do my best to pass it on to others..

 

[ski3pin]

what was your biggest surprise?

My biggest surprise is that cat holes for human waste and toilet paper is still acceptable. Use of WAG bags and carrying out all your waste should be required. It weighs less than the food you transported in.

As mentioned above, it is required on most permitted rivers. It is also required in many backcountry areas. Lets get ahead of the curve for once and require it everywhere.

 

[fuzzymarindave]

Thanks for the tip. Took the course and will share it with other outdoors friends. This might be the year of outdoor education for me. Looking for good classes on wilderness first aid for me and my 20 year old son. We recently took Avalanche Level 1 course in the Sierras and plan to take Level 2 next winter in the Rockies.

 

[ski3pin]

Thanks for the tip. Took the course and will share it with other outdoors friends. This might be the year of outdoor education for me. Looking for good classes on wilderness first aid for me and my 20 year old son. We recently took Avalanche Level 1 course in the Sierras and plan to take Level 2 next winter in the Rockies.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

But I thought that "Smokey the Bear and Woodsy the Owl" were the ones to clean up after the campers.

At least that's what some people think.

Frank

 

[ntsqd]

Thanks for the tip. Took the course and will share it with other outdoors friends. This might be the year of outdoor education for me. Looking for good classes on wilderness first aid for me and my 20 year old son. We recently took Avalanche Level 1 course in the Sierras and plan to take Level 2 next winter in the Rockies.

A good friend of mine was a Wilderness Travel Course instructor for a few years. To do that she had to train up herself and a couple of those classes were Wilderness First Aid. I recall that she came back from one class really enthused about the quality of the training that she received. I've asked her for their name and I'll post it here if/when I get it.
I also passed along ski's link as I know that she'll be interested in it (although I doubt it's new to her).

 

[LuckyDan]

Those interested in topics like Wilderness First Aid, Leave No Trace, and have some cash. National Outdoor Leadership School, (NOLS) offers courses, among other vendors. I am neither an Alumni nor hold a financial stake, they’re actually non profit but have been exposed to some of their training. If you’re curious, below is their link:

https://www.nols.edu/en/