Go Beyond
As Lord Byron said, “There is pleasure in the pathless woods.” The highland streams are not easy to get to. That’s what makes them pristine and productive. The entire experience has a curative effect on the mind and soul. The stream is your path. The pursuit is primal. It is effect is therapeutic.
Conserve and Preserve
It is imperative to steward this treasure and preserve it for posterity. Gifford Pinchot defined conservation as, “The wise use of the earth and its resources for the lasting good of men.” When walking up the stream, try to stay out of the water as much as possible and walk on the tops of larger stones. Fish and other aquatic life lay eggs on the stream bottom. Trudging through the stream haphazardly can annihilate future fish populations in native streams and upset the delicate balance of the natural ecosystem. A true outdoorsman is genuine conservationist.
Leave No Trace
If you camp in a remote area, do your best to leave it in a manner that those who might come after you can’t detect that you were ever there. If you build a fire, carefully dig out an area and build the fire in the divot. Before you leave, cover it over so that it is undetectable. Black soot from fires last thousands of years. The same goes for human waste. Dig a cat hole and cover it up. Be sure to carry out anything you bring in. Learn to use a map and a compass, rather than marking trees, putting up stone cairns, or flagging. Good campsites are found, not made. It is not necessary to alter nature to find a good spot.
No comments :
Post a Comment