The final Leave No Trace principle, number seven, is “Be Considerate of Other Visitors.” This should be common sense for most people, but referring back to Planning Ahead and Prepare, we need to ensure our actions will not negatively impact others or the environment. [More]

The sixth Leave No Trace (LNT) principle is Respect Wildlife. This principle is important when encountering animals both in the wilderness and around town.  The best policy when dealing with wildlife is to observe from afar. Observing wildlife from a distance minimizes the disturbance to the animals, their habitat and reduces the chance of an altercation. Unfortunately, YouTube is full of instances when people thought that getting a little closer would be a good idea.  Instead of getting close to wildlife, bring binoculars and/or a camera and watch/take pictures from a distance.  Another easy way to avoid disturbing animals is to travel quietly and give them wide berths so they can continue along their normal path.  If possible, you want to avoid making animals flee and never pursue one that does flee. Even though a hike may be just a stroll for you, all of the animals are fighting for survival and wasting energy fleeing from noisy hikers may hinder survival of the animal down the road. The only exception to traveling quietly is if you are traveling in bear country. If you suspect bears may be around it is advised to make some noise to avoid startling a bear. Consulting the local Ranger Station, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, or other local authorities is a wise decision if you are unsure about the wildlife you may encounter. Some animals may be curious about you and may give you the chance to get very close. In these situations one should never touch, feed or attempt to pick up any animal. Being handled may stress the animal, the oil or sun screens may react negatively with the animals skin (amphibians especially) and all animals are wild and could inflict harm to us. Most animals have some kind of defense mechanism that could end up making you smell horrible, give you a disease or inflict physical harm. Also, young animals contaminated by human scents may be abandoned by their parents. The other LNT principles come in handy here as well. Wh... [More]

The fifth Leave No Trace (LNT) principle is Minimize Campfire Impacts. This principle is important when it comes to protecting the environment; many forest fires are started in the summer when campers don’t control fires appropriately and in many areas the appearance has been degraded because of the increasing demand for firewood. [More]

Winter weather is slowly but surely making its way to the Palouse and since we have already had our first snow, more is likely on the way soon. While the snow and cold conditions make it difficult to do some of the outdoor activities we have all been accustomed to over the past half a year, it’s time to transition into winter activities. Being centrally located here in Pullman, we have a lot of opportunities to get outside and enjoy the winter while it’s here. [More]

Today we will be going over the fourth Leave No Trace Principle: Leave What You Find. While this principle may seem like an easy one to adopt, actually putting this into practice can be more difficult than one would think. All too often we pick something up that looks unique or cool and after a little while, it ends up in a box or tossed in the trash. Although this happens all too often, it’s these little things that are slowly changing the wilderness for the worse. [More]

I had the opportunity to go to Leavenworth this past weekend with some of my more experienced climbing friends for a personal climbing trip. Although it felt a little intimidating to go with people who are way better than I am, I had been asking for months to go on a climbing trip with them, and was not going to pass up the opportunity. [More]

The third Leave No Trace (LNT) principle is Dispose of Waste Properly. Disposing of waste properly is all about a simple idea, pack it in - pack it out. If you carry something in with you, it should come back out with you as well. Usually when people do not follow this principle the most obvious signs are trash and debris. However, many people do not consider the effects human waste, food debris, or water contamination can have for years to come. [More]

As expected, the sunset paddle was amazing! Talk about a perfect evening for a paddle, temp in the mid-70, not a cloud in the sky and the river basically to ourselves. [More]

The second Leave No Trace (LNT) principle is Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces. This principle is vital to the preservation of the environment you are planning to travel through during your next adventure. When roaming outdoors, damage occurs when vegetation or other communities of organisms are trampled. [More]

Starting out on this trip I was feeling a little nervous and excited. I think what I felt is normal for most people when they are about to try something new. I didn’t know how my body would handle kayaking everyday but was looking forward to a challenge, I had never been camping in the backcountry, but was ready to step out of my comfort zone, and I was worried about how the dynamics of the group would work. [More]