I spent a few months recently exploring in the lower mainland of British Columbia and was disgusted by the amount of trail trash everywhere. Sure, I’m in the most populated area of the province, but still does nobody respect their environment or care about either the next people to visit or perhaps even their very own return visit?
I try to pick up a few things and leave an area cleaner than I find it, but seriously, some of this stuff is way out of hand and just far too drastic to load up into a personal vehicle – especially when on the road for days at a time.
Doing your “paperwork” in the middle of a hiking trail? Seriously? WTF is wrong with people?
You have got to know that metal rods and cans just don’t burn, right? Stop tossing them into the fire and pack that stuff out when you leave! Also, keep a handle on your fire pit size. You don’t need a massive fire raging for comfort, cooking or heat. Keep your camp fire small and manageable – it’s cleaner and cozier!
Enough of a rant, however. Let’s focus on educating with programs like #treadlightly. If you’re at a location where you’re able to clean it up, then do so. If you’re able to even just take one or two trash items out of the trail then at least do that. Anything is better than making more of a mess.
