Leaving Only Footsteps?

[Greg Mihalik]

Leaving Only Footsteps?

"The uncomfortable fact is, we’re all complicit. In a not-yet-published review of 218 studies about recreation’s impacts on wildlife, researchers found more evidence of impacts by hikers, backcountry skiers and their like than by the gas-powered contingent."

[John S.]

Kind of a rambling article to me. I wonder which lobby he works for? Their definition of "evidence of impacts" seems extremely broad when they imply walking down a trail and scattering animals is harmful. The gas powered contingent is much less in number than non-motorized travel (accounting for their impact stats), thank God. And he left out the "carbon footsteps" of the gas powered contingent on "nature".

[Billy Ray]

“There’s something about the presence of humans and their pets when they go on hikes that causes a bit of a ‘death zone’ of 100 meters on either side of a trail,”

Count me among the 'impacted' wildlife… I try to stay off trails and certainly camp away more than 100 meters from the trail.

Billy

[Billy Ray]

"But cross-country skiers can sneak up on an animal without warning and then linger. Worse, animals “don’t know where the skiers are going to pop up next,” leaving them on edge."

I would question this interpretation of whatever data they did not present. You can hear people coming for miles… unless they are solo, there is a constant stream of mindless chatter. I know I can hear groups of people coming for quite some distance… and I find it disturbing too.

billy

[HkNewman]

constant stream of mindless chatter

Yeah, imagine the critters are like "not a rehash of last nights Kardashian episode … again". If out on a wildlife viewing hike, silence is enforced. Humans are also a bit clumsy hikers but we gotta be somewhere (… get to that campsite before the big party), so using a stalking step isn't in the cards. If solo, silent, slow/stalking, or still, there are plenty of wildlife viewing oppurnities even on trail.

Just to add, the Natives used soft footwear to coexist with North Americas critters, so if the trail shoe manufacturers would refrain neon offerings. Of course they did this for dinner, though sometimes the tables were turned and they became the main course. I'm for more wilderness for a myriad of reasons (freshwater, genetic health of wildlife/game, and finally hiking/recreation), but let's not over-romanticize it.

[Billy Ray]

If solo, silent, slow/stalking, or still, there are plenty of wildlife viewing oppurnities even on trail."

Indeed. Being a solo hiker I am 100% sure that I see about 1000% more wildlife than people that hike in groups… even on trails. And oddly, I meet more people when I hike alone on a trail. When in a group the group chatter does not leave much room for meeting other people.

Billy

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