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As someone who loves being out in the wilderness, this has been fairly depressing to me. The more time I spend out there, the more I damage it. I didn't feel gu
by jniedrauer 7y ago
As someone who loves being out in the wilderness, this has been fairly depressing to me. The more time I spend out there, the more I damage it. I didn't feel guilty during the winter, because I was always moving on snow, and I was generally the only one out there. But as it gets warmer and the snow melts, hoards of people from Seattle descend on the wilderness and trample it to death. And I'm one of them.
- jcroll 7y agoWait, walking outside is a sin now
- jniedrauer 7y agoIt is when 10,000 people want to walk in the same place
- etrautmann 7y agoNo - stay on trails in high traffic areas and know the basic Leave No Trace principles: https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/ https://lnt.org/why/7-principles/
- jniedrauer 7y agoHave you ever hiked the AT? Or certain sections of the PCT? The trail is cut 2-3 feet into the ground in some places. To stake out a tent, you have to drive stakes into fragile alpine soil, which then runs off down the mountain the next time it rains. Leaving no trace is easier said than done.
- etrautmann 7y agoYes, of course it's impossible to literally leave zero trace, but with education and the intent to respect nature, it's possible to radically reduce ones impact to the point where no one should feel guilty about enjoying the natural environment. In many areas (such as delicate alpine areas) that's managed through permitting and restrictions on the numbers of people, though of course it still requires those permitted people to follow best practices and attempt to minimize their impact.