Enjoy nature to protect nature
The Great Divide Trail travels through some of the most popular areas of the Canadian Rockies, as well as across untouched wilderness where you are unlikely to see another hiker. It is our responsibility as GDT hikers to preserve the wilderness experience for future generations, and to model good behaviour for others on the trail. Leave No Trace (LNT) ethics are only a small fraction of this responsibility.
Permits
Getting all of your permits and sticking to them is an important part of a GDT hike. Parks Canada uses permits to control numbers on trails like the Rockwall and Skyline trails, which are some of the most popular backpacking trips in Canada. Permits are also used to limit hiker numbers in sensitive areas like caribou habitat, and to help with evacuations if necessary due to wildfire or extreme weather.
Getting every single necessary permit and sticking to the dates on those permits can be a challenge if you are thru-hiking, but it one of the most important things you can do to ensure the protection of the trail, and to make sure that future hikers are still allowed to hike the GDT.
Animal Interactions
Bear interactions are one of the most common hiking fears, and we discuss how to avoid them on our Backcountry Safety page. However, did you know that encounters can be just as dangerous for wildlife as for hikers? You’ve probably heard that a “fed bear is a dead bear”, and this holds true for everything from squirrels to grizzlies along the trail. Storing your food correctly (either in a campground bear locker, or in an approved food storage container like a bear canister or Ursack) is one of the most important things you can do to protect wildlife along the trail.
Trail Communities
Responsible recreation doesn’t just take place on the trail. Hikers are ambassadors for the GDT in every trail town, and it is our responsibility to foster good will. Always obey local business rules, whether that’s not cramming more hikers than you paid for into a hotel room, or buying something at the coffee shop before you charge your phone. Other long distance trails like the Appalachian Trail have seen behaviour that threatens the hiker-trail community relationship. It’s important to stay respectful in town so that the trail and trail communities are open and welcoming to everyone.
Leave No Trace Principles
(from Leave No Trace Canada, Outdoor Ethics)
Minimize your impact on the trail and its surroundings. Always practice Leave No Trace principles when travelling on the GDT.
To retain the high quality of our wilderness experiences, we must accept responsibility for minimizing our impact. Leave No Trace Principles are utilized by the Great Divide Trail Association. Obviously performing trail work can result in “leaving a trace”, these principles are designed to help us minimize our impact on nature. Please do your part by reviewing and applying these principles whenever you are traveling and staying outdoors.
1. Plan ahead and prepare. Outdoor users can increase their level of safety and comfort as well as minimize damage to nature by planning ahead and being prepared for the terrain and weather conditions that will be encountered. Users need to be prepared for all weather conditions and have adequate gear including clothing, boots, shelter, water, and food.
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces. A primary, identifiable trail provides a route that concentrates outdoor users and minimizes the impact to the area. Trampling can occur when users depart from this trail. The resulting barren area can lead to erosion and with consistent use the area will be unable to recover. When traveling, users should avoid shortcuts and walk in a single file in the middle of the marked trail even when wet or muddy. Choose the most durable surfaces such as sand, gravel, rock, dry grasses, or snow when traveling and camping. Protect riparian areas by camping at least 50 metres from the edge of a stream or lake.
3. Dispose of waste properly. Be informed about proper waste storage and disposal. A good rule is: pack it in, pack it out. Leftover food needs to be properly sealed and stored away from the tent. If latrines are unavailable, human waste will need to be disposed of in catholes 15 to 20 centimetres deep in the soil and at least 70 metres from a water source. Toilet paper and hygiene products need to be packed out. To wash dishes or yourself, water needs to be carried at least 70 metres from the water source. Strained dishwater should be scattered. You can also practice “negative trace” by picking up trash that others may have left behind.
4. Leave what you find. Preserve the present and the past. Leave rocks, plants, natural objects, and historic and cultural artifacts as you found them. Take pictures instead! Do not dig tent trenches or hammer nails into trees. Replace rocks and twigs that you may have cleared when setting up your campsite. Avoid introducing or transporting non‐native species by keeping your boots and gear clean of hitchhiking seeds.
5. Minimize campfire impacts. Natural areas have become increasingly degraded with overuse of fires and increased demand in firewood. Alternatively, a lightweight stove can be used for cooking and a candle lantern or headlamp can be used for light. If fires are permitted they should be limited to fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires. They need to be kept small and made from sticks found on the ground that can be broken by hand. Campfires need to be extinguished completely and the cool ashes scattered.
6. Respect wildlife. Wildlife need to be quietly observed from a distance. Users should not follow, approach, or feed them. During sensitive times (mating, nesting, raising young, winter) wildlife should be altogether avoided. Storing food, scented personal items, and trash in secure locations can help protect the user and the local wildlife.
7. Be considerate of others. All users have the right to an enjoyable outdoor experience. Courtesy and respect toward fellow‐users help protect the quality of their experience. Yield to other users on the trail, step to the downhill side of the trail when pack stock are passing, and camp away from the trail and other visitors. Let nature’s sounds prevail by avoiding loud and obtrusive voices and noises.