Gabrielle Orsi
Are you familiar with Leave No Trace? These tips are more than just picking up trash. In fact, the seven principles of Leave No Trace offer a framework for making decisions as you recreate outside. Leave No Trace's seven principles help guide you toward choices that have a lighter impact on the outdoors. Given how many folks are outside recreating on our shared public lands, the cumulative effect of our efforts to be good stewards can be tremendous!
Wintertime presents a variety of challenges, such as cold temperatures, short days, snow, and precipitation, all of which mean that preparing well for winter adventures is key. These Leave No Trace principles have been adapted for winter and snow sports and offer a way to help you prepare for winter adventures and stay safe.
Here are the seven principles:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
- New! Not an eighth principle, but the Leave No Trace Center has issued new guidance around social media use.
PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE
What do planning ahead and preparing consist of? Since I believe that this is the most important Leave No Trace principle, I'm going a little deeper into this principle. Here are some pointers:
Transportation
Is your vehicle winterized (e.g., snow tires are on or tire chains have been checked and are in the car, tire pressure has been checked, and the gas tank is at least half-full)? Do you have an emergency kit in your car in case you are stranded? WSDOT has recommendations for an emergency car kit.
- Note: If you are visiting Mount Rainier National Park between November 1-May 1 you are required to carry tire chains. This requirement applies to all vehicles (including four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive), regardless of tire type or weather conditions. Tip: you can rent tire chains in Ashford, Morton, or Eatonville.
Winter accessibility
Determine if your intended route is accessible in winter. Not all summer destinations are winter destinations. Are roads plowed? Are there any road closures? Is there a plowed parking lot? Is there sufficient parking or will you need a plan B if the parking area is full at your intended destination? Often when parking lots have snow, the overall number of parking spots shrink.
Avengers assemble!
Just kidding, but being with a group of three or more people is best. Avoid solo travel in winter. While having a group of at least three is a smart idea, avoid exceeding group size limits for the public lands you're visiting. Typically the group size limit is 12 people in Washington state. Travel together and don't split up. Know your own and your group’s skills, interests, and limits in order to plan effectively for a safe, fun outing for everyone. This means staying within everyone's fitness level, skill/ability level, and risk tolerance.
Route research
Here are some questions that your route research should attempt to answer:
- Fundamentally, what are you intending to do and does that goal match the reality of the weather, your group's abilities and interests, the route's current conditions, and so on?
- Does your proposed itinerary pass through or near avalanche terrain? Is there an avalanche forecast that covers this area? (There are many places where no professional avalanche forecast is available.)
- How much physical exertion is reasonable for your group? Is this route on a well-maintained and frequently traveled trail… or cross-country travel through possibly pristine, deep snow? If the latter, do you expect to be breaking trail through the snow (a very strenuous and slow undertaking)? How far is your route, and equally important, how much vertical gain is there?
- Are there recent trip reports available on our Mountaineers website or at websites such as wta.org or AllTrails.com, or a trip report from a similar time of year in a previous year?
- What is the snow depth? Gaia offers snow depth and satellite imagery layers to help you determine how much snow is on the ground. Ski areas' conditions reports are valuable for getting an estimate of snow depth. You can also check out this interactive government snow map. The Office of the Washington State Climatologist has a snow depth map updated twice a month, November-May 15. NWAC also provides snow depth information.
- Are there natural hazards, like cornices, cliffs, or streams now buried under snow, to watch out for? Was the area you plan to visit impacted by wildfires in the last few years? If so, there may be dead trees dropping limbs and posing a hazard, especially on stormier winter days.
Passes & permits
Do you need a sno-park permit or another pass? Some access points require a Washington State sno-park permit from November 1-April 1 annually. Other trailheads require a Northwest Forest Pass, and of course the three national parks in Washington require an annual pass or charge a fee. Note: Washington's sno-park permits are not accepted in Oregon, Idaho, or California. However, Oregon, Idaho, and California all recognize each other's sno-park permits.
Avalanche safety education
Where should you begin with such an important topic? I'd suggest the free avalanche awareness seminars led by the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), The Mountaineers free, self-paced online Avalanche Awareness course, and Avalanche Canada's free online avalanche awareness tutorial, Avy Savvy. For more advanced avalanche education, folks usually move on to the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level 1 course. At a minimum, the free avalanche awareness seminar will help you read and understand the avalanche forecast from NWAC or avalanche.org. The avalanche.org US map also shows you which areas receive a professional avalanche forecast. Because not every place has an avalanche forecast, you may opt to only recreate in a zone where a professional avalanche forecast is provided. If recreating in avalanche terrain, everyone in your group should pack an avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel, and know how to use them. AIARE's blue books provide a good script for groups to use to make decisions while traveling in avalanche terrain.
- Note: There is no correlation between ease of access in winter and safety. For example, the Alpental valley near Snoqualmie Pass, WA, is easy to access in wintertime since the roads are plowed and the Alpental ski area's parking lot abuts a backcountry access point, but avalanches have occurred in this valley on multiple occasions. Likewise, you are allowed to ride a chairlift and then ski out of bounds from some ski areas through designated gates, but you do so at your own risk.
Forecasts
Always check the avalanche forecast and weather forecast prior to departure. What time does the sun rise and what time does the sun set (i.e., how many hours of daylight will you have)? Prepare for the worst weather conditions predicted by bringing extra layers, spare batteries, and extra food that you can consume without cooking.
- For trips to the north, the Avalanche Canada website offers weather forecasts, links to educational and other resources, plus a map of Canada showing which areas receive a professional avalanche forecast.
Navigation
Be familiar with how to use a map and compass to eliminate the need for tree markings, rock cairns, or flagging. Navigation apps like Gaia are useful, though cold means that electronics can fail and battery capacity is reduced so be sure to bring extra power and keep your device warm (a premium version of Gaia is offered as a Mountaineers membership benefit).
Emergency preparedness
If things change while you're outside and you can't do your full intended itinerary, or if you need to exit the area as soon as possible, what will you do? Where are possible turnaround and/or bail-out points? Modify your Ten Essentials by bringing a sleeping bag (rather than just an emergency blanket), adding a stove with fuel to melt snow for water and make hot drinks, and carrying a larger insulated pad in case someone needs to lay down.
TRAVEL AND CAMP ON DURABLE SURFACES
This one is simple: the snow is your durable surface! As much as possible, stay on deep snow cover. In muddy spring or fall conditions, travel on the snow or in the middle of the trail to avoid eroding the trail and damaging vegetation. Camp on snow, rock, or mineral soil instead of on tundra or fragile vegetation. Avoid camping on popular routes and trails and set up camp at least 200 feet (70 adult steps) from recognizable lakes and streams.
DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY
Trash
When it comes to garbage, your mantra should be "Pack it in, pack it out." I like to repackage food into reusable containers so that I don't accidentally drop wrappers, and I don't have to remove my gloves to get a snack. Pick up all food scraps and pieces of litter. Don't turn your gear into trash by mistake: stow your gear securely. If something is dangling outside your pack, it can easily fall off and be lost in the snow... and turn up as garbage in the spring when the snow melts. A higher volume pack is often necessary for winter trips.
Snow camping
If you're snow camping, naturalize the area when you leave by dismantling all snow structures and wind breaks. If you need to wash dishes or pots, use small amounts of biodegradable soap for dishes. Strain dishwater into a sump hole and pack out any food scraps from dishwashing.
Human waste management
It's okay to urinate on the snow, just aim to do so 200 feet (70 adult steps) from a body of water and far from where anyone might be gathering snow to melt for drinking water. Digging a cathole in frozen ground is often impossible. If there is not an outhouse or bathroom nearby, it is best to pack out all human solid waste and all toilet paper, feminine products, and Kleenex with products like the WAG Bag, also called "blue bags." You can make a DIY blue bag or "Poop Tube." Repurpose a container like a Pringles can or milk carton, or follow the Leave No Trace Center's instructions on creating your own Poop Tube out of PVC pipe or The Mountaineers tips on creating your own backcountry poop kit.
Pet waste management
It's simple: pack out your pet’s feces.
LEAVE WHAT YOU FIND
Personally, I'm less tempted in winter to add to my pack's weight by picking up and removing any plants, animals, or rocks. But I do try to be mindful of not destroying, say, a large, glistening icicle or picturesque pillows of snow resting on boulders that others might enjoy.
MINIMIZE CAMPFIRE IMPACTS
Campfires can have long-lasting impacts in the backcountry and are not allowed in some places or above certain elevations, depending on the area. Use dead and down wood for a campfire; do not cut or break limbs off live trees. Put out all fires completely and scatter ashes that are cold to the touch.
It's often warmer to wear insulated clothing and create or find shelter than to stand by a campfire. Challenge yourself to learn how to create an emergency snow shelter.
RESPECT WILDLIFE
Animals are more vulnerable in winter, a time of increased energy expenditure and stress, so it's best to observe them from a distance. Do not follow or approach them. Have you heard of the "rule of thumb"? In this case, it means that if you hold up your thumb at arm's length and it doesn't cover the entire animal in your field of vision, you are too close.
Protect your food, personal items, and trash (anything with an odor, like toothpaste or a bar wrapper) from animals and don't feed the animals. If your dog or pet is joining you, keep it under control and do not let it harass wildlife. Please pack out your pet’s feces. Consider leaving pets at home.
BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER VISITORS
Share the trail and yield to downhill or faster traffic. Move off the trail if you are pausing. Avoid post-holing - it's not only exhausting for you, it creates booby traps in the snow that pose a danger to others. If you are recreating by practicing your snow pit digging skills or your igloo construction skills, dismantle your creations and fill in any holes when you're finished.
If you're on a groomed cross-country ski trail and you're not skiing, then aim to hike or snowshoe along the edge to avoid destroying the grooming (the two parallel grooves for classic Nordic skiing or the smooth surface for skate skiing.)
Choose your uphill skinning route with care when you are backcountry skiing to preserve a nice downhill route and spoon your downhill turns so everyone can enjoy fresh snow.
The Leave No Trace Center suggests monitoring the noise level of your group so that everyone can enjoy the sounds of nature.
Leave huts, warming shelters, cabins, fire lookouts, and other backcountry structures in better shape than how you found them. Be considerate of other users and observe any rules or instructions related to the shelter. Do not leave food behind (I frequently have to pack out food left behind by others in cabins, which attracts hordes of mice)!
Social Media Guidance: the Eighth principle
I aim to be mindful of how I share my experiences with others. Studies of outdoor recreation in Oregon and of US national parks show that places with photogenic "Instagram-able" features tend to receive increased traffic, sometimes at a level that's to their detriment. The Leave No Trace Center offers these guidelines:
- Tag thoughtfully
- Be mindful of what your images portray
- Give back to the places you love
- Encourage and inspire LNT in social media posts
For instance, if you post a photo to social media, consider using a general geotag, like "Central Cascades" instead of a specific one like "Lake Valhalla," to help preserve the sense of discovery for others. Additionally, consider what your posts portray: are they in keeping with Leave No Trace principles, or could they accidentally reinforce detrimental habits?
Resources to continue your learning
- Take The Mountaineers Low Impact Recreation Skills eLearning course.
- Check out the Leave No Trace Center's information and classes.
- Mountaineers winter camping courses often cover how to build a snow cave or other types of snow shelters that are intended to be built quickly in an emergency. Here are two articles on emergency snow shelters for your reference:
Avalanche Safety Education
- Try The Mountaineers free, self-paced online Avalanche Awareness course.
- Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) offers free avalanche awareness seminars each winter.
- Check out Avalanche Canada's free online avalanche awareness tutorial, Avy Savvy.
- For more advanced avalanche education, tackle the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level 1 course. This standard curriculum is offered by many providers across the US.
