Climbers, skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers alike are delighting in the recent storms in the Sierras creating that absolutely delicious playground of snow. With the opportunity to revel in the winter backcountry comes the responsibility to leave the places we explore as pristine as possible.

I, for one, have been chastised for not being “Leave No Trace” for not swallowing my toothpaste or some other violation, despite my best intentions. I was on the verge of believing that there were LNT police lurking behind every tree to give me a ticket for violations.

Therefore, I decided to set out on a fact finding mission to ensure I never received one of those LNT violation tickets, and I discovered a few little know facts about LNT. Even those who can be the quickest to criticize may not know what LNT really is…let alone how it may apply differently to the winter backcountry.

Myth #1 – LNT is not simply a set of ethics that were created recently by tree hugging anti-government environmentalists. LNT has a long history starting back in the 1960s when the original concept that comprises LNT today was conceived by the USDA Forest Service. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service joined the Forest Service to co-author a code dubbed “Leave No Trace Land Ethics” in response to increased recreational land usage. NOLS joined forces to create a minimum training impact program which led to the ultimate incorporation of a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is:

“The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide.”

Today the LNT provides educational materials, holds training workshops, and even has a mobile LNT force that will visit your organization.

Myth #2 – LNT is not a strict set of guidelines that must be followed to the letter of the law. Rather, many of its principles are best followed exactly but knowledge of the seven principles provides a strong framework for effective decision making in the backcountry. Having the building blocks of LNT gives the backcountry enthusiast the understanding of impact and tools to consider how to lessen their impact.
I began to realize that the fellow that once gave me a hard time for not swallowing my toothpaste was not necessarily being patronizing, but he had thought about the impact that all that an accumulation toothpaste waste may have, and he made a personal decision that the harm that might be caused by swallowing it was less than the harm caused by spitting it out.

Being a leader in the Sierra Club snowcamping section, I wanted to take a step beyond the seven principles of LNT and make sure I was thinking through how the environment and impact could be unique in the winter. I mused on the seven principles and their applicability to the traveling and camping in the snow:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare – this is one of the tenets of LNT…if you are prepared and have been diligent in planning, you are less like to need to travel cross-country to cut trails in quickly diminishing daylight or avoid the desperation that might cause you to camp outside of designated camping areas or break limbs off trees to make an emergency campfire. In the winter, this goes further to prepare for extreme conditions such as bad weather, hazards like avalanches, or emergencies including hypothermia. Planning ahead also includes repackaging your food into reusable containers to eliminate potential waste left behind. In the summer, rocks and cairns are discouraged over map and compass proficiency, and in the winter, wands may be used to mark your way but should be removed once no longer relied upon.

2. Travel and Camp on Safe, Durable Surfaces – This may be the easiest of the seven principles to which you can abide as all snow is considered a durable surface (except of course for dangerous areas such as cornices or avalanche paths). As the snow melts, however, you’ll want to be aware of sensitive vegetation beginning to poke out from under the snowpack and favor deep snow or hiking trails. Finally, even in winter, you’ll want to be cognizant of water sources beneath the snow (creeks, lakes, etc) and camp at least 200 feet away to avoid polluting the water.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly – “Pack it in, pack it out” is the mantra for this principle and it’s no different in winter than in summer. You’ll want to carry out your own food scraps and trash, and ideally, any you may see that others have behind. Sumps are holes that you may use to strain dishwater – focusing this liquid waste (that isn’t drinkable) into one concentrated area lessens the visual impact that would occur if you tossed your waste water out across the snow. Packing out solid human waste has become standard in many managed areas such as Mt Shasta and Mt Whitney, and is strongly recommended even where not required by park rangers. Finally, snow shelters are also evidence of your presence and should be destructed so that no unsuspecting skier comes over a hill and falls into an old snow cave or trench site.

4. Leave What You Find – This principle is most applicable to the summer, as there are no flowers to pick and fewer rocks to hoard. Lest you feel like taking a bag of snow with you to share with the folks at home and logic is lost on you, then let this principle be your guide.

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts – Contrary to a few personal debates I’ve had, it’s not against LNT to build a campfire…however, it’s strongly recommended to only do so in designated fire pits to minimize scarring of the land and reduce risk of wild fires. In the winter, the primary obstacle is finding downed or dead wood that is dry enough to burn – breaking live limbs off is a definite no no!

6. Respect Wildlife - One area I had not pondered was being extra considerate to animals during the winter as the hibernation period is a time of vulnerability for them. Be careful not to leave any food behind that could encourage animals to become dependent on their human neighbors.

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors – Similar to other seasons, winter enthusiasts should be respectful of other users. Snowshoers will want to be kind to skiers by avoiding ski tracks. Large groups will be appreciated for moving off trail when they take a break and faster traffic will be thankful for slower traffic that yields. It’s much harder to fight gravity than it is to step off the trail. Finally, LNT recommends that we all keep our voices down a bit so that others can have the opportunity to enjoy the serenity of the back country.

I was feeling pretty good about my winter LNT intuition until I got to number 7 – Be Considerate of Other Users. I wonder if my group last year woke any unsuspecting hibernating animals when we proceeded to have a four hour dance party under the stars fueled by an ipod, battery-powered speakers, flashing headlamps under blue and red plastic bowls, and maybe a tad bit of alcohol smuggled in by one of the campers. It’s a good thing the LNT police weren’t around that night!!!

The official LNT website is www.lnt.org and the official story on winter LNT can be found here. Safe travels!