Skills & Techniques

14 Winter Recreation Tips

Guest - February 12, 2015
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Ogden, UT: Snow is covering the country! It is time to get out the skis, snowboards, and snowshoes to go out and enjoy the resorts and backcountry areas we love. Whether it is a day at your local slopes or a backcounty trip spent skiing to a hut there are always Leave No Trace considerations to keep in mind. So when you spend time outside in the winter remember how the Leave No Trace principles can help you out there. Use our 14 points to minimize your impact this winter.

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  1. Check snow conditions and the weather before going on you trip.
  2. Check with land managers about high risk areas and regulations.
  3. Educate yourself about traveling and camping in the backcountry. Carry an avalanche beacon, probe, and shovel.
  4. Stay on deep snow whenever possible and in muddy spring conditions try to stay in either the middle of the trail or on snow.
  5. Avoid avalanche routes, cornices, and unstable snow.
  6. Consult your map to make sure that you are camping 200 feet away from water.
  7. Pack it in pack it out. Pick up litter, food scraps, and wax shavings.
  8. Pack out solid human waste. If you are unable to pack it out, bury it in a snow cathole 200 feet away from trails and water sources.
  9. When leaving camp dismantle windbreaks, snow caves, and igloos.
  10. Keep loud voices and sounds to a minimum.
  11. Share the trail and yield to downhill and faster users.
  12. Separate ski and snowshoe tracks. Avoid hiking on ski or snowshoe tracks.
  13. Observe wildlife from a distance and never approach them.
  14. Control your pets and follow leash rules.

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Thanks for reading and remember to be like Bigfoot and Leave No Trace!

Pat and TJ

Leave No Trace’s Patrick and Theresa Beezley are part of the 2015 Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Program that provides free, mobile education to communities across the country. Proud partners of this program include Subaru of America, Coleman, Hi-Cone, and Smartwool.

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