The second of the Leave No Trace principles is all about minimizing our impact on the surfaces of the areas we pass through on our adventures.  This would seem to be the most obvious of considerations when thinking about reducing our mark on the land.  Often there is actual visible evidence that is left behind, but there are a lot of other things to keep in mind which you might not have thought about before.

Preparation before you go is as always important and it plays a big role again here.  Knowing as much as possible about your intended route, what environments you’ll pass through both generally and any especially sensitive, will help you plan ahead to minimize your impact.   You’ll definitely want to be aware of any local regulations.  The gear you bring and how you use it come into play so you need information to make the right choices.  I guess that is why the first LNT principle was Preparation.

Impact while traveling is important to think about even on a day hike, but when backpacking becomes even more important.  The heavier load means every step has greater potential to do damage.  If at all possible it is better to follow existing trails.  By concentrating activity to a smaller area the over all impact is lessened and can be mitigated.  Conversely when a trail is not available it is better to spread out and disperse your group’s impact.

When on a trail you should stick to the trail as closely as possible.  Things like cutting corners on switchbacks or walking on banks to the side of a trail to avoid a wet center not only create damage as you pass, but the trace of your passing will encourage others to follow you off trail.  If bog boards are available they should be used even when the ground is dry unless a well worn path exists beside them.  Even when hiking on rock above the treeline sticking to the trail is best as lichen and other organisms living on alpine rocks grow very very slowly.

Only when an area does not already have trail access should you consider traveling off trail. If you are hiking off trail you now have an extra task to be mindful of.  Being off trail means making an effort not to create a new trail.  Your goal should be to leave so little sign of your passing that another person would not be drawn to follow your path. If traveling in a group dispersing and avoiding following the same exact path helps.  Never slash or paint blazes and if using so called “eco” tape to mark a return path take the time to remove it on your way out.

Impact when you stop needs to be considered as well.  This includes breaks along the trail, nature calls and overnight camps.  The same basic  concepts above apply here.  If there are existing areas of high impact use them.  If there are none then leave so little trace of your use that another passing by would not be drawn to choose this spot over any other.  High use areas often have designated campsites and while they are often less than pristine they do focus the damage in areas that can best be maintained.   Some areas require you to only camp in designated sites for this reason and if such rules exist should always be followed.

Again, if you are camping in totally unimproved areas your goal should be to leave no sign of your campsite when you leave so that others would not be drawn to use the same spot.  This starts with choosing a good spot with more durable surfaces preferred.  If rock, dirt or sand are available such surfaces should be your first choice.  If you must camp on vegetation, grasses are usually the most resilient.  When staying in an area for more than one night it can help to relocate your camp each day.  As you break camp a fallen branch or trekking pole can be used to help flattened vegetation start standing back up.

In lesser used areas you’ll really want to consider how you use your camp, especially as group size expands.  Nature calls, wood gathering, water collecting and just general puttering around camp can lead to a lot of footsteps.  Dispersing again is very useful so try to spread your impact out.  Try not to take the same path each time you are headed to the same place and think about how you can reduce trips.  Water collection is a good example.  You can make one trip and fill a large reservoir rather than multiple trips for smaller amounts or if making multiple trips then try taking a different route each time.

So much depends on exactly where you are headed that these basics are enough to get you started, but if you really want to get serious about LNT expect to do a little extra research before you head out on a day hike or extended trip.  Some places are so fragile that a footstep’s damage can take 100 years or more to repair so knowing whats out there before you go is vital.  Get out there, enjoy all nature has to offer and give a little thought to leaving your path looking a little less traveled by

Preparation is the first of the seven principles of Leave No Trace for a reason.  What you do before you head out into the wilderness sets the stage for what you will do when you are out there.  This extends far beyond LNT.  All aspects of an adventure are impacted greatly by what we have or haven’t done before we left home.  Being prepared leads to having a better and safer experience so even if you aren’t that concerned about LNT it’s still a pretty good idea.

Preparation begins with knowing the area you will be traveling in.  That knowledge needs to extend far beyond just the trail names or camp site locations.   Only by knowing the details of the terrain, elevation and water courses can you determine what equipment will be needed, what pace can be expected along with primary and alternate camp sites.   Being aware of who controls the area and what regulations are in place is a must.

Another very important feature of a location is its weather.  While you can’t bank on a long range forecast studying up on what is considered normal and recent history will give you some insights into what you may run into.  It is a good idea to also get some idea of the possible extremes because weather is rarely normal heh.

Knowing your gear on a detailed level is another cornerstone of preparation.  It helps you decide what to bring on a trip and how to use it when you are out there.  You don’t want surprises in the back country and certainly not in the form of broken gear or worse, injuries.  Being very familiar with your gear has other benefits as well.  If you read about my recent overnight in the snow you may have noticed that I made it through the entire night without breaking out my lantern.  I knew where all of my gear was stored, how to unpack it and set up my camp and get ready for bed all pretty much by feel.  When I go to get something out of my pack I rarely use my eyes even in daylight as my hands know where to “look”.

The semi-official Leave No Trace folks over at lnt.org include concepts like smaller group sizes and trying to travel during off season dates in their preparation focus.  I don’t travel with large groups and am always trying to get away from where the people are so these don’t really come into play for me, but they may for you depending on who you go with and where you go.  More people traveling the same area means not only more impact on the land but less time for it to recover.

One thing they don’t seem to stress enough I feel is fitness though they do mention assessing skills during planning.  No amount of research and planning can make up for a body that isn’t up to the requirements of a trip.  If you’ve got money to throw around you can always get better gear but that doesn’t work for fitness.  The only way to be sure your body will be ready when you need it is to train it in measure with what you expect to ask of it.  This becomes ever more important as you age, trust me heh.

Now other than the obvious part about group sizes you might be wondering what all of this preparation has to do with Leave No Trace.  Yes, it is all good common sense advice but how does it lessen the impact we have on an area?  By being prepared for what you encounter you greatly reduce the risks of making mistakes which can lead to  damage to vegetation and terrain, injuries or perhaps worst of all a search and rescue operation.

When people are cold, wet and/or hungry they can make poor choices which can result in needless damage.  Harming vegetation to create emergency shelter and fire damage are big noticeable forms of impact but there can be many smaller ones as well.  Once people begin to lose control of their situation they are less likely to focus on their impact as survival becomes the imperative.  Being prepared is a big help for both staying in control and surviving with the happy by product of helping us to keep our impact to a minimum on the path less traveled by.

I have added a “Leave No Trace” category to make it easier to locate posts in this series via the menu at the right.