Читать книгу Backpacking Washington - Craig Romano - Страница 17

I grew up in rural New Hampshire and was introduced to hiking and respect for our wild lands at a young age. I grew to admire the men and women responsible for saving and protecting many of our trails and wilderness areas as I became more aware of the often tumultuous history behind the preservation efforts. When I moved to Washington, I joined The Mountaineers, Washington Trails Association, Conservation Northwest, and other local trail and conservation organizations so that I could help protect these places and carry on this legacy to future generations.

I believe 100 percent in what pioneer guidebook author Ira Spring termed “green bonding.” We must, in Ira’s words, “get people onto trails. They need to bond with the wilderness.” This experience is essential to building public support for trails and trail funding. Write a letter to your congressperson or state representative asking for better trail and public lands funding. Call your local Forest Service office and let them know how you feel about converting wilderness trails into motorized trails.

If you’re not already a member, consider joining an organization devoted to wilderness, backcountry trails, or other wild-country issues. Organizations like The Mountaineers, Washington Trails Association, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and many others help leverage individual contributions and efforts to ensure the future of our trails and public lands. Buy a specialty license plate for Washington’s national parks and let everybody on the way to the trailhead see what you value and support.

And while I am well aware of the dilemma of getting too many boots on the ground, instead of discouraging people from hiking, I encourage everyone who cares about trails to become good stewards and defenders of the land and promoters of healthy lifestyles and responsible conservation. And perhaps some hikers will seek out less-explored places, dispersing our impact. This book highlights several trails that get very little use—check them out.

Many challenges face our trails and wild places. Outdoorsy folks today view wilderness differently than in the past. Some want to open up wilderness areas to mountain bikes. People have a lot of gadgets in the twenty-first century—and they take them into the wilderness. The loud blast of wireless speakers and annoying buzz of drones violate other hikers’ privacy and peace of mind and are growing affronts that need to be addressed. The explosion of social media has sent mobs of inexperienced hikers—folks lacking knowledge of conservation ethics, wilderness regulations, and wilderness values—onto the trails. Yet through education and enlightenment—and perhaps by asserting a little self-control—we can all have quality trail time and foster a healthy environment with strong wilderness protections. I trust you will do the right thing.