When to share, and when not to......

[Warren]

We may be overly concerned here. My guess is that the same hikers who trample the vegatation on Algonquin are NOT going to be the ones to attempt a bushwhack, at least, on purpose.

But if you're bushwacking up Algonquin you will be treading on fragile vegetation at some point before reaching the summit.

Mavs could give exact GPS coordinates and compass headings, and I bet 95% of the population wouldn't have a clue as to how to follow that. The 5% that could, I would have faith in to properly respect the environment.

True, but the 5% will following a route that will be increasingly the same as that followed by others, especially with GPS coordinates. As this progresses the way will become easier and more appealing to the remaining 95%. In time, herd paths.

Besides, the only fun in bushwhacking is in the routefinding. If I want to hike a marked trail, then I'll hike a marked trail.

Amen.

As for what the Joe Dodges and Marshalls would have thought, well, they would have likely cut a bunch of boughs, made a comfortable place under the just made lean to and in front of the fire, thought about it. Our standards and ideals in this regard are those of our times and our woods, not theirs and then.

I've been thinking about this topic for over a year now, since several friends tried to convince me to write a book/guide on interesting/off beat hikes many that would have been bushwacks. I did have a microbiologist friend of mine strongly declare that any bushwacking was an extremely bad thing when presented with this idea. I'm still out to lunch on it- the key piece of info is how long does it take an off trail route to fully recover from the passing of a group. When I go bushwacking through the thick stuff, I leave a trace in the form of broken branches and shoved aside blowdown as well as little bits of flesh.

 

[arghman]

hmm, several unrelated comments...

silverback:
Mavs could give exact GPS coordinates and compass headings, and I bet 95% of the population wouldn't have a clue as to how to follow that. The 5% that could, I would have faith in to properly respect the environment.

if geocaching takes off, I wouldn't bet on respect and knowledge keeping pace with GPS ability.

re: vegetation trampling -- I think it has to be kept in perspective w/ natural processes. You have moose/deer/bear/etc. out there as well, which are stepping on the ground, maybe wind-blown sticks or ice; if the human impact is smaller than that, and if the area in question is large, it's probably not worth worrying about. On the other hand when you have popular open-ledge sites, I can see the point.

Whoever mentioned stewardship here was right on, I think. If you care about a special spot, you are by definition a steward, even if you don't own the land in question or have the ability to set policy on it or whatever; part of that stewardship involves considering the impacts of publicizing information to unknown audiences.

I went on a group hike this year to one of the WMNF peaks with open ledges; a WMNF forester was there, & the alpine vegetation issue was discussed, which was great (several people there didn't know to avoid stepping on lichen, even though most people there were pro-environment). Something else that was mentioned was that on many spots with ledges, there were formerly glacial boulder fields; the small boulders have been pushed off the ledge by unthinking hikers, so you don't find them much anymore, just the large ones that are too heavy to move. (not an environmental issue, but an aesthetic one since the experience of seeing them is gone) The forester also mentioned (and this surprises me in retrospect) a nearby trailless peak with a boulder field that's relatively intact since it doesn't get visited often. Evidently he trusted that those few people who were on the hike and would consider a bushwhack would also have the ethics to leave the boulders alone. I've got mixed feelings about that; on the one hand I may now end up enjoying a peak I wouldn't have considered visiting, but on the other hand maybe it would have been better not to know.

 

[carole]

Do unto others...

Sometimes I share, sometimes I don’t. I keep in mind the golden rule, ‘do unto others…’. I have shared with others and they have in turn shared with me. I have been asked to not disclose something and have honored that. I could have asked for information and found my destination easier but chose to find it on my own and was happy with that. Sensitive information I would not post on a website (if I had one), or in a public forum or other public media, but would discuss in person, email or PM.

 

[mavs00]

Upon further reflection, I probably shouldn't have shared and won't in the future, cept amonst a smaller trusted group.

[removed all references from this server and photos from mine]

Thanks for the thoughtful debate on this obviously important topic.