Show of Hands

[IGO]

Let's have it. A show of hands.
How many hikers give back to the hike? Let’s see a show of hands.
Do you care about emissions? Do you know what #2 plastics are? Have you given up the V-8? Do you know what a water bar is? Have you even walked out with somebody else’s cigarette butts in your pockets? Do you belong to any conservation societies? How many green votes have you supported when it the results might be painful for you in the long run?
I love you people but other than some folks joining Shawn in his efforts, I almost never hear anything about giving back to the mother earth.
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"Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous microbes - all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them." John Muir

[bigfoot]

I have picked up cig. butts many times and candy wrappers - this stuff is lying around only on the corridor trails. The more adventerous trails are always clean - something to say about the more conscientious hikers in the backcountry vs. turons on the corridor trails.
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Do onto others as you would have others do unto you.

Do not compare yourself with others; you will end up bitter or vain - for there will always be people better or lesser than yourself.

[RedRoxx44]

I've picked up trash here and there, put out smoldering campfires, and done some cave conservation. I have an issue with some of the "green" groups, and I tend to side on the side of ranchers and miners as to what to do on THEIR land, repeat, THEIR land. Not that they are all perfect and nice. Some of them aren't. But a lot of the roads and trails we use were made by these people way back when. So certain "green" folks can drive their cars there to get to the hike.
I support conservation efforts, sure, but usually by smaller local groups, who truly care about a local issue, and not some political power maneuvering.

I don't do a lot of it because I usually go places where I don't see trash, the trail is not that maintained, and I think that's great. Let it deteriorate, then no one will walk there, not me or the others that will come after me. Because the trail will be gone, and other more glamorous places will draw all the folks. And it's all good because people will have places that suit their style, and hopefully we won't destroy it all.
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You can rest when you're dead

[azbackpackr]

I do most of the above and always pick up trash. Have done lots of trailwork, belong to several conservation groups.

As for the V-8, we went to see about getting rid of ours on Sat. We found out it may be very hard to sell it! What do you do with it, use it for a chicken coop? See, here's the dilemma: if we sell it then someone else is going to be driving it, right? We are only going to sell it to suit our own desire to have a car less costly to drive, in order that we can drive around more, right? See the hypocrisy in this? I do. Due to the cost of gas, right now that Trailblazer spends most of its time sitting in the driveway--where it's causing no harm! I bike to work, he uses 4 cyl Jeep to trailheads.

Our raging battle on this mountain has to do with ATVers and their vandalism, law-breaking, destructive activities. They ride on most of the hiking trails that are clearly posted "non-motorized" and vandalize all the signs and gates. Maybe gas will get so expensive they won't come up here as much. The FS has their hands full and no budget. Hubby and I are breaking with family tradition and voting a greener ticket this time. Trouble with most pols, they are often super-urban types, don't deeply understand wilderness issues.

[fairweather8588]

[azbackpackr]

Water bar is either a cafe for teetotalers or.....it's a device of some kind used in trail building to prevent erosion. Sometimes earth, sometimes rock, sometimes a log, even sometimes cement, sometimes an actual unit manufactured just for that purpose. It's installed at an angle to allow water to drain off to the side.

[sbkelley]

Water bars?

Built 'em. Worked on a trail crew for a year repairing trails around Los Alamos, NM after the Cerro Grande Fire. Came home covered in soot every day dog-tired, but the most rewarding job I've ever had. Lots of trail work with my dad's mountain bike club, too.

Jeep?

Nope. Ride a bus to work or bike. I do own a station wagon that gets 27 mpg

Cigarette butts?

Yep. Had to in Boy Scouts whether we wanted to carry them or not. We carried 8 full gallon bags of beer cans and cigarette butts from local caves, canyons, trails, highways, you name it. Boy Scouts really keys in on all of these questions you've posed. Carried lots of wrappers, cans, and bottles off 14ers and plenty of other trails.

Conservation Societies?

Donated to and support the Colorado 14er Initiative. Member of American Association of Geographers. I think most conservation organizations are well-intentioned, but some are more symbolic than anything. And I don't think that energy developers and ranchers are always evil either, but that's a whole different topic

[PageRob]