The Olympic marmot, a rodent endemic to the Olympic Mountains
Zero-Impact Hiking and Camping
One of the aims of this book is to encourage people to heft a knapsack or backpack and stride out on any of the wonderful trails in Olympic National Park and the surrounding national forests. But many of these same trails already receive moderate to heavy use, and they’re showing signs of wear. Erosion is a problem where an army of boots has shortcut switchbacks; litter seems to beget more litter, especially near trailheads and at backcountry campsites; and unofficial trails have proliferated across some high alpine meadows, marring the otherwise wild scene.
Fortunately, all of these problems are avoidable—as are most impacts caused by backcountry visitors—if a few simple guidelines are heeded. Remember: The goal is to leave no trace of your passing.
Advanced Planning to Minimize Impacts
Much of the wear and tear that occurs in Olympic National Park could be reduced by careful planning before the trip. Visitors should contact local authorities (see appendix D) to find out about areas that are particularly sensitive to disturbance or receive heavy use. Since the goal of most wilderness travelers is to visit pristine and untrammeled areas, the avoidance of the most popular sites can only enhance one’s wilderness experience.
We encourage travelers to plan their routes using established trails whenever possible, as these travel corridors are least susceptible to damage. Alpine habitats above the timberline are particularly fragile, and travelers who lack thorough training in minimum impact techniques should cross them only on designated trails. Backcountry visitors can also travel more lightly by moving about in small groups. Small groups stress the landscape to a much smaller degree, especially around campsites, and they also lend themselves to greater flexibility in route choice and on-the-spot problem solving. Groups of two to six are optimal, while groups larger than ten hikers have a much greater potential for environmental damage and should be split up into smaller components.
The proper equipment can also help visitors reduce their visual presence and trampling effects in the wilderness. Dark-hued or muted clothing, tents, and packs help make you less conspicuous to other travelers. One bright-yellow or orange shirt can be carried to attract attention in an emergency. Hiking shoes with a shallow tread design are gentler on plants and soils and also won’t clog with mud. Backpackers can also carry a pair of smooth-soled camp shoes—sport sandals, boat shoes, or moccasins. These feel terrific after a day on the trail, and they greatly reduce wear and tear on plants and soils around camp.
On the Trail
Please stay on established trails. Cutting switchbacks or crossing previously untracked ground leaves behind footprints and trampled plants—signs that may invite the next person to follow in your footsteps. Eventually enough footsteps lead to damaged plants and soils, erosion, and unwanted “social” trails.
Try to avoid travel when trails are saturated with rain or snowmelt. When muddy conditions are unavoidable (as is often the case in the Olympic rain forests), resist the temptation to skirt around puddles or boggy spots in the trail. This only widens the tread, and your feet will likely get soaked from brushing against ground plants anyway.
If you must travel off trail, look for trample-resistant surfaces: sand, gravel, snow (if it’s not too steep), glacial till, or a streambed below the high water mark. Parties traveling cross-country should spread out in a line abreast rather than travel single file. This reduces the potential for creating new and unwanted trails and erosion in pristine areas. Leave your route unmarked—no blazes, cairns, flagging, or arrows scratched in the dirt.
As you hike along, always be conscious to reduce short- and long-term disturbances in the environment. Making loud noises can be helpful in avoiding encounters with bears and mountain lions where visibility is limited, but it also disturbs the less dangerous wildlife as well as other travelers. If you do spot wildlife along the trail, be careful to stay outside the animal’s comfort zone. If an animal changes behavior as a result of your presence, you are too close. You may also chance upon sites of historical or archaeological significance as you travel on the Olympic Peninsula. These sites are an irreplaceable treasure of national importance and are protected by federal law. Enjoy them without rendering any changes to the site. Be especially respectful of local cultures, and ask permission before entering tribal lands.
Be courteous and considerate to people you meet on the trail. Downhill hikers should yield to those going up. Motorbikers yield to all other trail users, mountain bikers yield to pack stock and hikers, and hikers yield to pack stock. Take the opportunity to say hello and exchange news of the trail. Remember—we are each in our own way pursuing the same goal of having fun in the backcountry.
Selecting a Campsite
Plan your route so that you can camp in established campsites that are officially listed in this guide. Pitch your tent in the center of the bare ground so as not to trample vegetation. Snow and river gravel bars, as far as possible from the water, are good choices, as are dry meadows of sedge and grass. Shorelines of lakes and stream banks are particularly sensitive to disturbance. Keep all campsites at least 200 feet from the nearest lake or stream. Alpine meadows are also very fragile and should be avoided by campers, especially heather and huckleberry communities. And camp well away from travel corridors—this will increase your own seclusion and help other parties preserve their wilderness experience.
On the coast, camp on the beach above the high tide line rather than in the forest. Sand and cobbles are probably the most impact-resistant surface found anywhere, and storm tides eventually erase nearly all trace of human activity. If you have a campfire, it should be built well away from driftwood piles and below the high tide mark. This way, all traces of your campfire will be erased by the next incoming tide.
When leaving any campsite, be sure that the area is returned to its natural state. Make an extra check around the area to be sure that you don’t leave any belongings or litter. Leaves, duff, and twigs should be scattered about to camouflage your tent site and any high foot-traffic areas.
Campfires
Even where campfires are allowed, consider doing without one. The torrential rains found in this part of the country often make dry firewood a scarce commodity. A lightweight stove is a far superior alternative for cooking, and light can be supplied by a flashlight or candle lantern. If you build a fire, do so only where downed, dead wood is abundant. Use sticks small enough to be broken by hand, and gather only as much as you need. Keep the fire small and brief. The fire should be built in an existing fire ring or a fire pan (a metal tray or scrap of flame-resistant canvas under a 6-inch mound of dirt). Do not build new rock fire rings, and dismantle those that you find outside of designated campsites.
A fire should never be left unattended, and once it’s out make sure the ashes are cold. The cold ashes should be scattered; leave the fire ring clean and pack out any unburned trash.
Human Waste Disposal
Many people are surprised to learn that human waste, even when properly buried in a “cat hole” under ideal conditions, requires a year or more to decompose naturally. Any fecal bacteria present will remain viable (that is, ready to infect) for that length of time. The decomposition process is slowed even more when waste is concentrated (as in a group latrine) or deposited in excessively dry, wet, or cold conditions.
Once the traveler understands these facts, it is easy to see that natural composting can’t always keep pace with the amount of human waste that is deposited, particularly at heavily used backcountry campsites. The problem is compounded when the site is near a lake or stream (as are many popular campsites) because runoff or groundwater can easily carry fecal material and disease to the surface water. Wildlife—and other campers—then rely on the same source for drinking water. This can result in disastrous consequences.
Many of the camping areas in Olympic National Park are provided with old-fashioned outhouses. Use these rustic facilities whenever nature calls, and practice minimum impact disposal techniques where they are unavailable. Increasingly, land managers are asking (and in some places requiring) people to pack out human waste. Boaters on many western rivers have been doing this for years, and mountain climbers, including those on Mount Olympus, are now handed plastic bags for this purpose in several national parks. Thanks to the staff at Yosemite National Park, all backcountry visitors now have a clean, easy, and secure way to join the ranks and pack out waste. It’s called the “poop tube.”
The Olympic marmot, a rodent endemic to the Olympic Mountains
You can make your own poop tube from a piece of 4-inch-diameter PVC plastic pipe, the kind used for plumbing. Cut the pipe to length as needed for the number of days you’ll be in the backcountry; a 2-foot section is enough for five to seven days for most folks. Then glue a cap on one end and a threaded adapter for a screw-on plug on the other end. Some travelers duct tape a piece of nylon webbing onto the side of the tube so that it can be strapped onto the outside of a pack.
To use the tube, defecate into a paper lunch bag. Then sprinkle in a handful of kitty litter to absorb moisture and reduce odors. Shake the bag to distribute the kitty litter, then roll it up and slide it into the tube. Used toilet paper can go in the tube as well. Screw in the plug and you’re done. At the end of the trip, empty the contents into a non-flush vault or “pit” toilet (ask land managers beforehand to recommend a specific outhouse). The paper bags will quickly decay (use only unwaxed bags to ensure that they do) and won’t clog the pump used to clean out the vault. Never put human waste into trash cans or Dumpsters—it creates a health hazard and is illegal.
If you decide instead to use the cat hole method and bury your waste in the backcountry, follow a few simple guidelines:
Washing
The key to cleaning up in the backcountry is to keep soap, oils, and all other pollutants out of the water. Mountain lakes and streams have a delicate balance of nutrient inputs and outputs. Soaps and dishwater dumped into alpine waterways encourage the growth of microbes that can deplete dissolved oxygen in the water, making it uninhabitable to many species of fish. In addition, aquatic plants and fish are extremely sensitive to soap (even the biodegradable kind) and can die from contact with it.
To wash cooking and eating utensils, carry water in a clean bowl or pot at least 200 feet from water sources. Use little or no soap—water warmed on the stove will unstick most food and grease. Use a plastic scrubbie and a little muscle for stubborn residues. Scatter wash water over the ground in an out-of-the-way spot at least 200 feet from surface water and 100 yards from any likely campsite. In bear country, pick out food scraps before scattering the water and pack them out with other garbage.
For personal bathing, a good dousing and scrubbing with a soapless washcloth will suffice for all but extended trips. Again, carry the water at least 200 feet from surface water. There are also rinse-free soaps and shampoos on the market that are designed specifically for backpackers.
Regulations and Guidelines Specific to Olympic National Park
Regulations Specific to National Forest Wilderness Areas
For more information about zero-impact techniques, pick up a copy of Wild Country Companion, available from The Globe Pequot Press at www.globepequot.com or by phone at (800) 243-0495. And contact the National Leave No Trace Skills and Ethics Education Program at 288 Main Street, Lander, WY 82520, or phone (800) 332-4100.