Or this:
There are a lot of grey areas with Leave No Trace. How tolerant are you?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tolerance levels
When you're on the trail, how tolerant are you of certain Leave No Trace-ish issues that aren't always black and white for all people? A great example is orange peel or apple core droppings. Some people feel that since they're natural, they're OK left on the trail. What about about this photo:
Or this:
Or this:
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8 comments:
I find most all modifications to the environment off the trail a little bothersome, and really would like see what was there before someone thought it would be a good idea to intervene. Thanks for raising the awareness!
some impact is obviously over the line. but those rocks in the creek probably won't be there for long and what is the real impact anyway? probably not much if any. besides, if the people/person who built them has a deeper connection to nature as a result, then it's actually a good thing perhaps. if LNT tries to keep people from having fun outside and is too much about rules, people are just going to tune out.
although I prefer not to see anything left behind, something that's biodegradable is way better than seeing a cigarette butt or plastic or trash. And cairns are made from materials that are already there, so lighten up on that one. The previous poster is right - people want to enjoy the outdoors if that means making a pretty picture with natural elements without destroying those natural elements, I say let it go!
"something that's biodegradable is way better than seeing a cigarette butt or plastic or trash"
You have to ask yourself - "would this [insert item] be here if I weren't?" The answer is usually no. Biodegradable or not.
Pack it in, pack it out!
"You have to ask yourself - "would this [insert item] be here if I weren't?" The answer is usually no. Biodegradable or not."
Don't get me wrong - I fully adhere to the pack it in, pack it out rule. However, the question was what is my reaction - and that would be my reaction.
If I saw someone throwing a fit because someone else left an orange peel (instead of non-biodegradable items) - I would roll my eyes and walk away.
You have to pick your battles, or no one will want to follow your team.
I am pretty strict when it comes to LNT. I would knock all of the cairns down in the creek there and have been knocking down unnecessay cairns on front country trails for years!
"I would knock all of the cairns down in the creek there"
Why? What is the ecological harm of the carins??? Leave No Trace and dogma should never mix. Fastest way EVER to turn people off to the concept.
I guess you'd really have a problem with Andy Goldsworthy...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Goldsworthy
I went back to the same spot where the cairns were built in the creek about a week after I took the picture and they were gone. They did not offend me and in fact, I thought they were pretty cool looking. A little like contemporary river art. But I understand also that they weren't exactly "natural" sculptures to that area. Good things to contemplate!
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