Always Check For Ticks

One thing I have learned living on the east side of the Cascades is when in tick country, you need to check for them thoroughly. I just had an absolutely horrifying experience at the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge. 

It's a flat 2-ish mile hike. I never did find a good map, but once you are there you can follow the signs that will lead you in a loop out past the maintenance shed. The "trail" is basically a wide road mowed in the field. There is tall lush grass in the riparian lands around it, but I felt pretty confident I was safe as I was walking in the middle of the wide cleared path.

Then I got home and was doing some training with my dog in the yard, and discovered a tick on my shirt. Then another one. Then inside I found one on my neck. I went out to my roommate and asked "are there any more on my neck?" They were like "um...yeah" and picked on off my bra strap.

Cue me running back into my room and stripping down where I found one in my sock and two more in my bra. I was screaming as I went into the shower!

I thought I had them all. I went over to my boyfriend's house and while we were cuddling I ran my hands through my hair....and found four more on my scalp!

EWW! EWWW! EWWWWWW!

I don't know how they got up on my torso/head area as I was only walking through low grass but alas, use my horror story as a warning. In hindsight I think some bug spray would have helped. (My old bottle exploded/expired and I have neglected to replace it yet.)

The best thing to do in tick country is to do a tick check before you head home. Which I apparently did not do diligently enough.

I was lucky that none of the ticks on me had embedded yet. If they do, you want to use tweezers to apply firm pressure but don't squeeze! You don't want the tick to throw up in the wound as it could be carrying pathogens like Lyme disease.

Try to save the tick in a small sealed container like a pill bottle if it embeds so you have it for the doc if you need to go in. If you catch it in the first 24 hours, your chances of getting Lyme disease are slim. Keep an eye out for a classic "bullseye" rash and if you see it get to urgent care...that's a big clue you might have gotten Lyme disease!

The ticks I found on me were dog ticks, which don't carry Lyme. In Washington State, black-legged ticks are the Lyme disease carriers (though it's uncommon...0-7 cases are believed to originate in our state each year). While the ticks that were on me aren't known to carry Lyme, they can carry other nasty stuff, most notably Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Fortunately in Washington State, only 0-3 cases are reported each year, so my risk was minimal. 

Even if the risk is low, ticks are still just GROSS! So check yourself before you wreck yourself! Or your roommate will have to put up with your screams coming from the shower!

If you'll excuse me, I need to go burn all my hiking gear now...

LNT Seventh Principle: Be Respectful of Other Visitors

Honestly, this principle is the entire reason I wanted to do this series, so this post will probably be the longest. On every hiking forum I am on, I see so many arguments that really center around being respectful of others (or not) that I feel we need a lesson on it.

Who has the right-of-way on the trail?

Just as the rules of the road dictate right-of-way for vehicle traffic, there are guidelines for right-of-way for trail traffic.

• Downhill traffic should yield to uphill traffic. This is to avoid disturbing the momentum an uphill hiker has carefully cultivated and needs to maintain.
• Mountain bikers should yield to both hikers and to equestrians/pack animals.
• Hikers should yield to equestrians and other pack animals.

Some uphill hikers may choose to step out of the way to let downhill hikers past. This is their prerogative. Unless you see them giving up their space, try to follow the guidelines to avoid a faux pas.

The sound of music

If you want your post to be locked down by an admin in any hiking forum, bring up music. The hiking world is clearly divided on this one.

Generally I hike without music, but I've been known to pull out headphones a time or two so I completely get it. Music can make a steep climb go by easier. I don't use a Bluetooth speaker though because I know others probably don't want to hear my music. However, headphones present a safety issue, and sometimes the speaker is a safer option. 

So here is my suggested compromise: on the trail when you're passing people in transit, a Bluetooth speaker is OK as long as you keep the volume to within 20-30 foot audible radius. You're just passing someone for a few seconds and then you aren't disturbing other hikers, so I think it's perfectly acceptable. Once you reach your summit vista or wherever people are congregating for a prolonged amount of time, put the speaker away and let everyone enjoy their experience without your soundtrack. Please, we neither need nor want it. 

I will give one notable exception to the Musical Mountaineers or anyone else who wants to go through the trouble of lugging musical instruments into the backcountry for a live music performance. If you want to put in that amount of effort, then you get to reap your reward! Live music is a go any time. It's a unique experience to add whimsy to an adventure, and I am 100% down with that!

Stop the gatekeeping

There is a massive issue with gatekeeping in the hiking community right now. Hiking is experiencing a renaissance largely fueled by Instagram and other social media. Hipster hikers who were in the backcountry "before it was cool" will share their opinions on who should...and who should not...be allowed in the wilderness, and we need to talk about why this is a problem. 

Public lands belong to the public. That means everyone gets their share at using public lands. This means that hikers need to learn to share with mountain bikers, hunters, ATV users, dogs, equestrians, etc. I have heard all of these groups bashed in hiking forums as not belonging on the trails. The woods are large, and there's room enough for all, so why the hate?

Some Leave No Trace purists feel that leaving any impact on wild lands should not be permitted. The way they talk, we should just wrap the backcountry in giant bubble and not let anyone in! Well, except for them of course, because they have dubbed themselves worthy. Give me a freaking break! I have this crazy, novel idea: we can have spaces for natural wilderness conservation AND still provide a variety of recreation options on public lands! 

Look, the truth is that funding for public lands is on the decline even as the number of visitors steadily climbs. The more visitors are welcomed into outdoor spaces, the greater awareness can be spread and the easier it will be to fight for funding to maintain these spaces. So instead of bashing people with an elitist, holier-than-thou attitude, try some education. That's what I'm trying to do with this series of posts. I'm trying to keep the door open.

Leave No Trace is about minimizing impact in order to allow space for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. Whether you're a mountain biker, an ATV user, a rock climber, a day hiker or a multi-day backpacker, there's room for you. Be considerate of your impact and of others, and we can all get along.

Just be considerate

Really, that's all that LNT boils down to. Be considerate to land managers, considerate to nature, considerate to others, and considerate to your own needs. If you can follow that, then you don't need to memorize seven principles. Just be considerate.

LNT Sixth Principle: Respect Wildlife

When you're hiking in the backcountry, it's important to remember that all the critters out there consider it their home and you are the guest. In order to preserve the ecosystem, you better respect them. This goes for your safety and theirs.

Don't feed the wildlife

This should be common sense, but you should avoid feeding the wildlife either intentionally or unintentionally.

If animals become too reliant on people for food, this can interfere with their natural migration patterns and their ability to survive harsher months. Depending on what you're feeding them, it could be ultimately unhealthy for them. Also, lots of the adorable little alpine mammals can carry hantavirus, which while rare is very unpleasant if you're unfortunate to contract it. The symptoms range from fatigue and muscle aches to nausea, abdominal pain, and respiratory distress.

Look, I get it, they're cute and you want to lure them in for a picture, but it's just not good for them. If you must feed animals, stick to the birds at an urban municipal park (but feed them seeds, not bread).

In addition to not feeding the animals intentionally, it's important not to feed them unintentionally either. I am specifically considering bears here. Bears are very, very food motivated. The day they associate humans with food is a bad day for the bear; if they become a nuisance or become aggressive it is highly likely that animal control will put the bear down. Relocating doesn't work; a bear associating people with food is too dangerous for people and will be killed. Keep food in a bear canister or hanging up on a line, and keep that food at least 100 feet from wherever you are camping. Some regions require bear canisters while backpacking, so check the regulations where you are going.

This little golden mantled squirrel thinks all people = food, and boldly approaches my pack while I'm resting.

Give them space

Speaking of bears, don't approach them! Or any alpha predator for that matter. I mean, they could eat you! If you get too close and stress them out, their "fight or flight" instinct could kick in and if they choose fight, you probably won't come out ahead. So many, many times I hear about people who saw a cute little baby bear and were like "daww, let's get closer for a picture!" only to be mauled when Mama Bear came charging. Don't approach them!

Exact distances may vary by land manager (Yellowstone has specific rules to stay 25 yards away from large wildlife, for instance), but for large predators 100 yards (1 football field) is a good rule of thumb.

In fact, you can use your "rule of thumb" to measure if you're too close: Hold your arm straight out and stick up your thumb. If you can completely obscure the animal with your thumb, you are a safe distance away. If not, then you're too close and should back away when reasonable. Sometimes the animals have other plans, but don't move yourself closer.

Don't interfere with their environment

Avoid camping within 100' of lakes or streams to avoid cutting wildlife off from water sources (some land managers require a 200' buffer zone).

Also, consider putting the Bluetooth speaker away. I'll talk more about that in the next post, but making too much noise can disrupt wildlife. A little noise is fine to ward of predators; bells or just talking to your hiking companions is typically more than enough. Consider your noise impacts when hiking. The quieter you are, the more wildlife you are likely to see, no food lures required!

LNT Fifth Principle: Minimize Campfire Impacts

In recent decades, the number and size of wildfires has been steadily increasing. While several factors can start a fire, you can avoid becoming one of those factors by following the fifth principle of LNT: minimize campfire impacts. Not only can you avoid starting a wildfire, but you can also protect the environment from impact and invasive species.

The first thing you think of is preventing wildfires.

It's hard not to with this principle with all the recent major wildfires. So we'll start here.

The first thing you need to consider is, should you even build a fire? Check the fire risk before you head out and find out if there are any burn bans. You might be able to get by with just a camp stove as a safer option.

When building a fire, try to use an existing fire ring. Mound fires or fire pans are also options for containing your fire. Burn everything to white ash, soak with water, and scatter. Feel the ashes to make sure they're cool before you leave them; on many hiking forums I see multiple pictures each year from people who discovered smoldering ashes left behind and had to scramble to put them out before a large fire started.

This principle is about more than fire prevention.

Remember, LNT is all about minimizing our impact overall, so we have a few other things to consider.

If you're in the backcountry, make sure you aren't building your fire over delicate flora. Harvest firewood in a dispersed manner to minimize your impact, and if you're in a high alpine or a desert environment be mindful if there's sustainable firewood available for harvest. Once your fire is out completely, disperse your impact so the next person wandering through won't be able to tell there was ever a fire there. If there are established fire rings, use them instead of building your own.

Don't move firewood.

Many states have laws that prevent bringing firewood across state lines. This is to prevent the spread of invasive species that might be hitching a ride in the firewood. A pest that would likely be limited to a small area can travel hundreds of miles via firewood, causing a fresh outbreak.

If you buy sealed firewood with a USDA APHIS heat treatment seal, you're generally good to transport it as long as it stays sealed until you get to your destination (important note: this is not the same as a "kiln-dried" label). Otherwise, look to either forage your own or purchase firewood locally, preferably within 10 miles of your intended campfire when possible.

LNT Fourth Principle: Leave what you find

Every year, the headquarters of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is flooded with mail containing sand, rocks, and other artifacts tourists collected from the park. The volcanic rocks are interesting and tempting to take, but according to the mythology of "Pele's Curse", bad luck will befall anyone who removes objects from the island. Hapless tourists have been hit with strings of bad luck after chancing removing a rock, and many try to break the curse by returning what they took via the US mail system.

Not every place has a curse, but it's important to always keep in mind Leave No Trace's fourth principle: Leave what you find. The scope of this principle is interesting and isn't exactly what you think, so let's take a closer look.

What are we finding and leaving?

There is a certain about of judgement we need to use with this principle. What we want to do is leave the natural environment more or less how we found it. This means no digging trenches around tent sites, no hammering nails into trees to hang your hammock, no picking delicate trillium flowers, etc.

However, it also means we need to leave some impacts. A fire ring at a dispersed campsite is not a natural phenomenon, but if we dismantle it, it will just be rebuilt, so it's better to use it and leave it. Cairns should not be randomly built just for the glee of it, but we also should be leaving pre-established trailmarker cairns so other hikers can locate and stay on the trail.

Cultural artifacts also should be left alone. The Archaeological Resources and Protection Act protect these artifacts and removing items like pot shards or arrowheads is actually illegal. Plus, if you take them then other visitors won't be able to enjoy them.

We don't want to add anything either.

I was recently in Lave River Cave near Bend, OR, and I had to plan my outfit carefully to avoid introducing a fungus that causes White-Noise Syndrome to the local bat population. Everything I wore into that cave could not have been used in another cave, and now I can never take that gear into a different cave again, as the fungus has a 100% mortality rate.

Part of leaving the environment the way you found it means not introducing any invasive species or pests. Make sure you regularly clean your hiking boots to avoid spreading seeds, be very aware of caves and what gear you're bringing into which cave, and don't move firewood beyond local regions are all methods to avoid adding unwanted contaminants to wild areas.

Exploring a cave, but being mindful of the health of the bats while doing it

Are we really not allowed to take anything at all?

"But what about people who forage for berries?" you might be protesting. "What about the mushroomers?" Be cool, man. There are cases where we can forage on public lands. These include foraging for berries, mushrooms, rockhounding, and even firewood or Christmas trees. Typically, it's illegal in national parks and wilderness areas but allowed on BLM or national forest lands. Often, there are foraging limits and/or special permits needed, so check with the land manager before you head out.

The most important thing is to consider the impact you are having, and make sure that while foraging you are minimizing your impact and only taking what you need. Will you have to trample delicate alpine grasses to get to that huckleberry patch, or is there another more accessible patch you can forage from with less impact? Foraging is fine as long as you're responsible and conscientious about it!

LNT Third Principle: Dispose of Waste Properly

Don't litter. Pack it in, pack it out. Take only pictures and leave only footprints. That's probably the first thing people think of when they consider "Leave No Trace." We're taught before we even start school that littering is wrong, and how to use a trash can. However, some people still seem to struggle with this concept. I often pick up at least one piece of waste each time I head out. When I went to Boulder Cave, it was mere days after opening and I ran into trash everywhere...I packed out a whole bag and could have packed out more if I had room.

Pack it in smart to pack it all out

The best way to avoid littering is to avoid bringing in waste to begin with. Look at your food packaging. Is there a way you can reduce it? The less you load your pack with, the less you have to pack out.

We live in a world of water bladders and collapsible water bottles, so consider those options instead of a disposable plastic bottle. Also, consider having a dedicated space in your pack for waste. I try to compress all my trash together to both save space in my pack and to make it easier to clean out later.

If you get to the trailhead and the trash is full? You get to pack it all the way home! Don't cram your junk in an overstuffed trailhead trash bin. This should be common sense, but it's a problem I see all the time. Just take it home and throw it in your own trash bin. Or hit up a rest stop on the way and chuck it in their bin, whatever. Just make sure it ends up securely in the trash and off the trails.

Let's talk about dog poop

I've written about this before, but it serves a brief mention again. Pick up after your dog. Dog poop doesn't decompose the same as wildlife scat, so it needs to come out with you. On a recent hike on Cowiche Mountain, I noticed several piles of hard, dried dog poop trailside that definitely wasn't decomposing quickly. So make a plan to pack it out. I have a dedicated outer pocket on my pack for used dog bags.

Also, can we please stop with the bagging of dog poop and leaving it behind? You're just adding dog feces and plastic litter. It's worse than not bagging it up at all. I don't understand why people do this, and it needs to stop.

Let's talk about human poop

"Dispose of Waste Properly" means all waste, not just bits of paper and plastic litter, so let's talk about it. I've been fortunate enough to not encounter used TP and human feces trailside, but it seems to be a common issue in some areas based on the complaints I read in various hiking forums, so we need to learn how to shit in the woods (that link leads to some suggested reading).

Typically, you can dig a cathole and bury your shit. You'll want to find a space 200' from any water source, and 100' off the trail, and you'll want to dig your hole at least 6 inches deep. Make sure you also stay away from any poisonous plants...you should be staying away anyway but when exposed ass is at stake you want to be extra careful!

You can bury your shit, but you must pack out the TP! Same goes for tampons. A ziplock bag will do; you can double it up for extra peace of mind.

If you're on snow, rocks, in a narrow river canyon, etc., then you'll need to pack your shit out too. Most ranger stations for alpine areas offer "blue bags" to pack it out. You can find "wag" bag systems with absorbent gelling powder to help with sanitation, and it's usually a double-bag set-up. When done properly, you should be able to pack it out without contaminating the rest of your pack.

Whatever you do, don't just leave your shit lying around. No one wants to see your shit. Figure your shit out.

LNT Second Principle: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Do you know what's under your feet? It might be more fragile than you think. In alpine meadows, tiny grasses and plants are prone to trampling and can take a long time to heal. In desert environments, cryptobiotic crust aka "living soil" is crucial for containing moisture and is easily damaged by boot prints. Paying attention to what you're hiking or camping on is important to protect maintained trails and the surrounding environment.

What's a durable surface?

Generally, you want to stay on the maintained trail. Trails are designed with the environment in mind including drainage, local flora and fauna, and erosion. Cutting a switchback can lead to erosion and damage not only the environment but the trail itself. Heading into a seasonally closed trail can disturb the wildlife. Stick to open listed trails as much as possible.

When camping, look for surfaces with dirt, rocks, sand, gravel, or snow. Avoid crushing flora, especially in sensitive alpine regions. Most areas prohibit camping near water as human presence can cut off wildlife from their water source, so you want to stay at least 100' away from lakes and streams (LNT.org suggests 200' is even better). If you can use an established backcountry campsite, even better as this is already impacted so you aren't really exacerbating anything.

When you can't avoid vegetation when camping in a pristine site, make sure you try and "fluff" it back when you're all done. Your campsite should look as it did before your arrived; no one should be able to tell you were there!

Car-camping at a developed campground is always a safe bet

What are the exceptions?

Sometimes, you just have to leave the trail, such as when nature calls. When this happens, try to disperse your impact. If you see an area where impacts are forming, avoid it. Walk on solid ground as much as possible, and try to find the path of least impact.

When might you need to head off-trail?

• To find privacy to relieve yourself
• To forage for firewood or camping resources
• To go hunting

If you're with a group, spread out to minimize and disperse your impact in the area.

What are not exceptions?

Come on, don't do it for the 'Gram. Unless you're really, really far in the backcountry, consider what impact that pic is going to have. If everyone else crowds in and takes the same off-trail path, it's going to become eroded and damaged. Promote good trail stewardship on IG and other social media. Let's use some common sense here, please?