Have you been paying attention to social media in the Southern Appalachians region in recent days? No doubt you have seen the disturbing photographs from Max Patch, one of the iconic hiking locations along the Appalachian Trail, and in all of the South.

Max Patch, and so many others of our favorite destinations, is being overcrowded to a slow, painful death. After any summer weekend you may find hundreds of pounds of trash discarded and left behind, spoiling the scenery for those that follow. It’s laziness plain and simple. Especially out west, vandalism is on the uptick as well.

It seems the problem has become exponentially worse this year of COVID-19. Those who can’t participate in their favorite indoors activities because of closed businesses and quarantines are discovering The Great Outdoors en masse. Many of these are outdoor recreation newcomers. Perhaps it isn’t their fault. They simply haven’t been taught how to behave when in Mother Nature’s house.

One of the first things I learned, and I’m sure many of you as well, when becoming attracted to outdoors adventure was the concept of Leave No Trace.

Of the hundreds of trail reports I’ve posted on Meanderthals since its inception in 2011, I have always included this simple phrase in the author bio at the bottom of every page, “Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.” Pretty straightforward, right? Easily doable, right?

It’s simple in its message, easy to follow, and to the point. But it’s becoming increasingly apparent that simplicity isn’t enough. So today I am making a commitment that Meanderthals will adjust its focus from education about trails and destinations, to education about conservation and the environment. Some changes are:

Telling you how to safely get to exciting and picturesque places that you have never been so you can camp and picnic and leave 30 pounds of trash behind when your weekend is over isn’t cutting it. So I will find a better way. I will significantly curtail recommendations for hiking trails on social media, very carefully choosing any exceptions. Posting location descriptions about my photographs will stop. Don’t bother asking “where is this?” I won’t answer. Perhaps I will offer tools for route finding and map reading. It may require a little more work on your part, but in the end you will be more satisfied.

Instead, the emphasis here will be on protecting our public lands. It starts with loving our wild places the right way, through stewardship. That stewardship is explained in The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace:

• Plan Ahead and Prepare
• Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
• Dispose of Waste Properly
• Leave What You Find
• Minimize Campfire Impacts
• Respect Wildlife
• Be Considerate of Others

Our future generations are counting on us now. These principles all work together to help leave the outdoors the way we found it. You can’t pick and choose the ones that work for you. The whole is one. If not, we end up with disasters like Max Patch.

Trained and Certified

When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.

—Cree Prophecy

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Overall, hiking is a relatively safe recreational activity – but when it goes wrong, the consequences can be severe.

Hiking is one of the greatest pastimes of the Great Outdoors and with so many magnificent views to be seen, there’s no question why. Some trails are far more difficult than others, while some offer maximum payoff with very little effort. Elevation, distance, and endurance all are factors that play into a hike but, surprisingly, none of these are what can make hiking trails so dangerous.

It’s not wildlife, either – although that is something to be aware of before hitting the trail. Rather, it’s common human error that can take a trip from a sunshine-filled day to one with devastating consequences.

Reading reviews about a trail is one thing, but setting out on one without having the slightest clue of what it entails is another entirely. With all the apps out nowadays, in addition to park guides and websites like Meanderthals available at a hiker’s disposal, there’s no reason this should even be a mistake. After all, Plan Ahead and Prepare is the first Leave No Trace principle for good reason.

Hiking solo, but without a locator device or leaving word with someone is simply dumb. The problem lies in not alerting people as to your whereabouts. The most common mistake is when experienced hikers head out, run into unexpected conditions, and have no way of rescue since they didn’t tell anyone beforehand. Think Aron Ralston and 127 Hours.

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  A scenic hiking destination in Thousand Oaks, CA has been shut down after visitors left behind large amounts of trash and human waste, authorities said.

Paradise Falls in Wildwood Park has been overrun with crowds “in the hundreds” in the past two weeks as the weather has started warming up and residents cooped-up by COVID-19 look to get outdoors.

According to Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA), rangers have collected “multiple truckloads of trash” left at the 40-foot canyon waterfall despite the presence of trash cans in the area.

The organization also cited issues involving human waste after “many used areas along the creek both upstream and downstream as a toilet.”

“COSCA has worked diligently to encourage visitors to be respectful of the environment and fellow visitors, and to obey posted rules, but many have not answered these calls,” a spokesperson said.

Paradise Falls will be closed starting Friday “until further notice.” The Thousand Oaks Police Department will be on site and will issue citations for anyone entering the posted closure area, according to COSCA.

Note: This can happen anywhere if we don’t behave. Please follow Leave No Trace principles. Be a good steward.

Cite…

The coronavirus pandemic is rapidly altering our daily life. It is important to be aware of the most current information from the CDC on these changes, and that goes for changes to the way we spend time outside as well. To keep ourselves, our communities, and our outdoor spaces safe and healthy during this time, please consider these recommendations.

Where COVID-19 is spiking, it may not be possible to get out at all, so pay close attention to guidance in your community before heading outside. Then follow social distancing guidance, meaning staying at least six-feet away from anyone you aren’t living with.

Many experts are recommending that you refrain from using public restrooms and other open facilities at all right now. Take necessary precautions like bringing extra food and water.

Pack all your trash and recyclables out with you all the way home and utilize your own receptacles.

Absolutely avoid crowded parks, trails and beaches. To avoid being part of the creation of large crowds and groups at popular outdoor areas, spread out to less popular spots, and avoid times of highest use if possible.

Our outdoor spaces will likely be receiving less attention from staff and volunteers right now. This means our shared spaces need us to act as stewards more than ever.

We are all in this together. Be considerate of others in the outdoors by ensuring that you practice social distancing. Be particularly kind to park staff during these challenging times.

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Panthertown Valley is one of 14 locations nationwide to be selected as a 2020 Leave No Trace Hot Spot.

Hot Spots identify areas suffering from severe recreational impacts that can thrive again with Leave No Trace solutions. Each location receives a unique, site-specific blend of programs aimed at healthy and sustainable recovery. Since 2012, Leave No Trace has carried out just under 100 Hot Spots in 35 states, with 14 more coming in 2020.

Located in the Nantahala National Forest near Cashiers, Panthertown Valley has 30 miles of public trails. Friends of Panthertown is an official member and partner of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, and the organization has a Leave No Trace Master Educator on staff to educate community members on the seven principles of Leave No Trace.

Those principles are: plan ahead and prepare, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife and be considerate of other visitors.

Impacts addressed by Hot Spot evaluation include user conflicts, undesignated trails, litter, pet and human waste, unintended trail widening, and removal of natural and cultural resources.

Many of us hike all the time, and so going out for an afternoon jaunt is not cause for long, detailed preparation. We take a water bottle and hit the trails. However, for beginners and those planning hiking trips in new locations, it’s important to put safety first.

“Depending on where you hike, if you’re not digging the trip because of weather or you feel tired, sometimes bailing isn’t as easy as calling an Uber,” says Liz Thomas, a record-holding professional hiker, speaker and author. “Learning some safety tips before you head out will give you tools in your back pocket to make smart decisions should things not go 100% as planned. It’ll also teach you to read the signs and avoid problems before they become issues.”

Hiking can be extremely exhilarating, but it can be dangerous for those who are not prepared. Elements, creatures, poison and health are common causes for severe injury or death while hiking. Be prepared, be safety-conscious and be smart. Don’t let pride cloud your judgment. Above all else, have fun.

Here are a few common hiking tips to keep in mind before you slide on your pack and pose for a photo in front of the trailhead.

The stacks look like small shrines to mountain solitude, carefully balanced at the edge of a precipice. But when Zion National Park posted the photo, in September, the social-media coördinators for the park included a plea: “Please, enjoy the park but leave rocks and all natural objects in place.” The post noted the “curious but destructive practice” of building small stone towers, and said, “stacking up stones is simply vandalism.”

The balancing of stones is an elementary kind of creation, not unlike the building of sand castles. Stone stacks, or cairns, have prehistoric origins. They marked Neolithic burial grounds in what is now Scotland, guided nautical travels in Scandinavia, and served as shrines to the Inca goddess Pachamama in Peru. Contemporary stone stackers, then, are taking up the mantle of an ancient and artistic tradition. In the past decade or so, though, there has been an explosion of cairns around the world—in national parks, in the Scottish Highlands, on the beaches of Aruba. Park rangers, environmentalists, and hikers have all become alarmed, to varying degrees. The movement of so many stones can cause erosion, damage animal ecosystems, disrupt river flow, and confuse hikers, who depend on sanctioned cairns for navigation in places without clear trails.

The posts found within the #RockStacks and #StoneStacking hashtags on Instagram range from amateurish (a couple of stones against the backdrop of the ocean) to seriously impressive (round stones balanced improbably, or a sharp rock standing on end atop a pebble). It is common for multiple stacks to appear in a single picture; they look like chimneys or gravestones or maybe the ruins of a lost civilization. Inspired by social-media posts, new rock stackers are taking up the hobby, and the piles of stones are proliferating along with the pictures of them. After all, replication is not only a side effect of social media; it’s part of the point.

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New Zealand has a message for the visitors drawn by its deep mossy forests, bubbling mud pools and magnificent peaks: clean up after yourselves.

A new campaign called the “Tiaki Promise” is telling everybody traveling to the country to take responsibility for looking after it. The country wants visitors to pick up litter and otherwise take care of their surroundings so that unsightly garbage won’t ruin the experience for others.

Tourists flying on national carrier Air New Zealand will see a 2-minute video showcasing some of the country’s stunning scenery and telling them that everybody traveling to the country should look after it.

“Tiaki” is an indigenous Maori word meaning to protect or care for. Tourism industry and government groups are also promoting the campaign.

“New Zealand is our home. It is precious. Everyone who lives and travels here has a responsibility to look after it,” a voiceover says on the video, adding that “While traveling in New Zealand, follow the Tiaki Promise.”

Tourism has boomed in recent years. Over the past year, about 3.8 million tourists visited the nation, which has a resident population of just under 5 million. The largest numbers of tourists came from Australia, China and the United States.

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Outdoor enthusiasts often prefer visiting different types of locations. Some love trekking high into the Appalachian Mountains, while others enjoy paddling through the river-carved rocks of the Southwest. Some may like to explore the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, while others enjoy ambling about aimlessly amid the grass-dotted dunes of the Gulf Coast.

You like forests; your buddy prefers prairies. One of your kids likes the beach; the other prefers the bayou.

But these various locations all share one uniting characteristic, one about which all outdoor enthusiasts can agree: They offer you the chance to spend some time in an unspoiled place, which has suffered only a minimal amount of human impact.

Whatever types of places you prefer for hiking, trekking, camping or paddling, you surely appreciate that these activities all give you the opportunity to spend time in untouched wilderness areas.

However, careless use of these places will quickly ruin them. After all, they’re becoming more and more popular by the day. If those who visit these pristine places aren’t careful, they’ll destroy the very thing that they sought in the first place – natural, untarnished beauty.

Fortunately, a lot of outdoor enthusiasts have already begun taking steps to protect these places, and you can join right alongside them. You just have to embrace Leave No Trace Principles.

In 1999, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (LNT) published seven leave no trace principles to “communicate the best available minimum impact guidance for enjoying the outdoors responsibly.” Today, these principles remain largely intact, despite calls for LNT to add responsible social media usage to the list.

Groups like Hikers for an 8th Leave No Trace Principle have gone so far as to pen the new principle themselves. “Use discretion when posting on social media and consider the potential impacts of creating a ‘buzz’ about specific destinations,” their suggestion reads.

The discretion they’re calling for is frequently cited in the issue of geotagging on Instagram. On the app, geotagging lets you share the location where a photo was taken. Tap on a tag — say, Yosemite — and you’ll see all the public photos associated with that locale.

But geotagging can also get specific, and that’s where the real issues start. “We’re having a lot of problems with people geotagging hidden or sensitive places,” adding that these places don’t always have the infrastructure to handle a lot of new visitors.

Ben Lawhon, the education director at LNT, said they’re waiting to see how social media evolves before responding to these demands. “If we were to jump at every perceived opportunity to add a new principle, we’d have way more than seven,” he said, adding, “nine out of 10 people who visit public lands are uninformed about Leave No Trace, so consistency is important.”

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