Sunday Morning.
I stopped to sign in on the radio, and looked suspiciously up and down the trail. I had spoken to 326 people the day before, and every part of me felt it. I jumped as I heard voices up ahead, worried about the aftermath from Saturday’s numbers.
The voices got louder, it was 7:45 in the morning. Three people, bear canister in hand, were happily bounding down the jumble of rocks. I instinctively pulled up my mask and stepped to the side.
“Good morning! Where did you folks camp last night?” I asked
“Oh on Marcy”
“You camped up there?”
“Yes! We found a great spot”
I was a little taken aback, over my three seasons of stewarding it has been a rare occurrence to find people camped above tree-line, let alone readily admit to it without the slightest inclination that they had done anything wrong.
Stumbling a bit I turned to face them
“Oh okay, well we do have a lot of really rare plants up there that are incredibly sensitive to being stepped on. Just a few footsteps is enough to kill them, that’s actually why I work up here – to protect those plants. That’s part of why we have regulations against camping both above the treeline and above 3,500 ft.”
Their bounce vanished and they eyed my radio and patches suspiciously.
“We had no idea, I’m so sorry.” one of them said, looking genuinely alarmed. I continued to give them more information on the plants, emphasizing their slow growth rate and how many of them are endangered in New York State.
One member of the group was less than convinced. Scoffing he hoisted the bear can he was carrying into his other arm and said with a knowing tone
“Oh I think it’s okay, we found a nice patch of grass to set up on”
I stared at him. This was going to be a long day.
Further up the trail, I was still thinking of if I could have handled the situation better, and if I should have reported them when I turned a corner and came face-to-face with two tents and four men in jeans.
Damn it.
“Hey how’s it going?” I said a bit too forcefully, my heart sinking at the newly scorched patch of grass where they had clearly had a fire the night before.
Startled, one of them dropped the tent stake they had just pulled from the ground.
I asked where they were from and where they were headed, how their hike had been the day before. They relaxed significantly when they realized I wasn’t hostile.
It was their first time in the area – ever – and one of the first camping trips they had been on.
I began talking about how much I love the Adirondacks, and what a special place it is. How the High Peaks is the largest wilderness area in New York State and how few places exist that are anything like it.
They all nodded in agreement. I took a deep breath and pressed on.
“It’s hard, I want everyone to be able to experience this beautiful place like I have, but it’s been so busy recently I’ve been seeing a lot of resource damage from people just not being aware of the regulations in the area.”
“Oh I’m sure, that’s terrible.” One of them said looking around and nodding furiously.
“Yeah.” I continued “We do have a lot of regulations in the High Peaks but it’s all to protect our resources so others can continue to love and experience this place. You know I believe it’s everyone’s responsibility to research an area before going there to make sure we aren’t hurting our wild spaces or making them less beautiful for other visitors.”
They continued to agree, appalled that anyone would even think of hiking somewhere without doing their research.
“One way we are seeing damage is people camping above the legal elevation, which is 3,500 ft. it’s hard to dispose of human waste up here because the soil is so shallow, and before the regulation went in place we were seeing a lot of water contamination.”
Their nods slowed as they realized where I was going “Wait are we above 3,500 ft?”
The summit of the 5,344 ft mountain loomed less than a mile away behind him.
“Yes, very”
After a brief pause he shot back: “I don’t think we are”
Deep breaths. “Oh we definitely are.”.
“I don’t think so”.
I wondered if my male colleagues deal with this as often as I do.
I informed the gentlemen that I had worked here for 3 seasons, and that this happened to be my 63rd ascent of Marcy, and I could assure him they were well above the legal camping limit, but if he needed to see a map I would be more than happy to pull one out and go over how to read the contour lines.
Their eyes widened and I caught some more glances at my radio. “Yes Ma’am”
They began apologizing, but justified the camping by saying that one of the men had heat exhaustion and was overly dehydrated and couldn’t make it any further.
I kept up the conversational tone “Well, you know, that’s part of being prepared. Bringing enough water and water purification so that you don’t run into a situation where you need to damage a resource to prevent injury is our responsibility. This wilderness has to be here a lot longer than we do.”
I began the same process with the fire regulation, launching into a spiel about how many forest fires we have had this year, and how the use-level we see in the high peaks cannot support everyone burning things. They caught on quicker this time, but challenged me again.
“Fires are allowed on this side of the mountain aren’t they? A guy told us we couldn’t have one at Lake Colfax but this side of Marcy we can.”
My patience was dwindling fast. Deep breaths. I pushed the sarcasm back down my throat and looked him squarely in the eye.
“You mean Lake Colden. I work here, I know the regulations. The man who told you that was wrong.”
His chest visibly deflated, “Yes Ma’am.”
I looked again at the pile of ashes, then at the flattened vegetation where the tents had been.
I met the eyes of the men standing before me, disheveled – clearly out of their comfort zones.
“Do you need to write us a ticket?” One of them asked.
I sighed, wondering again what good reporting them to a ranger would do at this point.
“I’m not going to call you in, but I want you to do me a favor.”
I asked them to google Leave No Trace when they got home, and spend some time on the organization’s website. I watched as they put the website link in their phone, and thanked me. I made sure the ashes of the fire were cool to the touch, and instructed them to disperse it so other hikers didn’t get the same idea. They stumbled over each other’s apologies, saying that they hated to think they were part of the problem. They vowed to pack out every scrap of trash they found on the trail.
I wished them a good hike, and stared in disbelief at the summit of Marcy where I had just noticed yet another tent clearly staked out in the alpine.
I took off, hoping to catch up to the illegal campers before they packed up. When I got there I was too late. I walked over to where the tent had been, saw another pile of ashes from a fire, fresh blooms of toilet paper, broken glass, and several wrappers hanging off the bilberry.
Putting that cleanup off for the next day, I pushed onward, hoping to catch up with the culprits.
As I crested the last ridge before the summit a familiar buzzing sound filled my ears.
The drone flew obnoxiously in front of my face, and I pushed back frustration as I approached the two young men flying it.
I was soaked in sweat and wheezing from running up the mountain after the illegal campers. It took me a second to compose myself, and I asked where the two people were from.
They looked at me with contempt, exchanged glances, and sarcastically said “here” with a shrug of the shoulders, I swear I saw one of them roll their eyes as they continued to fly the drone over the summit.
I glanced at my watch, it wasn’t even 8:30.
“Where is here?” I asked, and listened as they reluctantly told me Plattsburg and Chazy.
“Oh you guys must be familiar with our wilderness areas then?”
More shrugs.
“Well, less than 2% of the lower 48 states is designated as wilderness. You happened to be in the largest one in New York. It is one of the few places where motors aren’t allowed, including drones.”
They glared at me.
“That’s not true, I’ve never heard that before”
I glared back. Completely exasperated at being questioned for the third time in less than 30 minutes. I knew I needed to step away from this situation before my patience disappeared.
“It is true,” I said evenly. “And I’m going to need to get some information from you if you don’t stop flying the drone.”
That earned me the fourth, however sarcastic, “Yes Ma’am” of the morning as they grumpily packed up.
I don’t like resorting to that tactic, but sometimes it’s the best I can do.
I continued up, approaching the sign that asks hikers to wear masks. The summit came into view, and I just stopped and stared. Someone had painted rocks on the Cairns, and the only two people up there were taking naps in the alpine vegetation. Worst of all, there was no sign of anyone with large packs, for the second time I was too late.
I was shivering from the combination of sweat and wind, and my throat was on fire from the last two days of talking.
I turned my back on the summit, and gazed out over the Great Range. I watched the grumpy drone flyers make their way down, sure they would pull the drone out again as soon as they got out of my view.
I looked at my watch again. 8:42. I bent down to fix some scree wall, and took a few moments to give myself a mental pep talk. I believe it was the singer Beans on Toast who penned the lyrics “Try your Fucking best”, which had become my mantra for the weekend.
Another deep breath. I stood up and walked towards the painted cairn, removed the colored rocks to pack out and turned some of the large ones so the paint wasn’t visible.
I changed into a dry shirt, put on a sweatshirt, pulled out a caffeinated cliff bar, then took several more deep breaths before approaching the couple sleeping in our mountain flower watch site.
My tone was a little too nice, as I did my best to talk to them as I would if they were the first folks I had seen that day. Thankfully they were kind and curious about the plants. They immediately moved to solid rock.
I then went to the far side of Marcy, out of site from the summit and trail, hugged my knees to my chest and braced against 35 mph wind. I stayed that way for 20 minutes just staring at the Deer’s Hair Sedge and watching as the clouds rolled over Algonquin.
A cascade of thoughts flooded my head. Three seasons of stewarding, and the past two weeks had been the hardest days I had ever experienced. I understood that things were busier due to COVID, but numbers have been increasing every year. Was this the future of the High Peaks? Pandemic or not, what will summit stewards be dealing with in five years. The rush of hikers seems like a glimpse into the future, one that the hundred year old plants and the character of the wilderness simply can’t sustain.
I spoke to 700 hikers in five days. Many people accidentally step on the vegetation above the treeline before I can talk to them. 700 people means 700 pairs of feet on the trails. Just five footsteps will kill the plants.
We need to take action now to protect the High Peaks Wilderness. Resources need to be invested into more public education, infrastructure, and data collection, especially if limits on use are to be considered.
Thank you for your service in protecting our wilderness and for your account. Speaking with stewards such as yourself is one of my favorite experiences when I’m fortunate enough to escape to the High Peaks. I hope we can work to find a solution to this growing problem together.
Thank you Nathan! I hope so too, it’s encouraging that many people truly do love the peaks and want to see them protected
My family had a house in the central Adirondacks for about 80 years and the Trailside horticultural lessons from my grandmother and summers spent in the Adirondacks were likely part of my decision to become a landscape architect. Recently some friends of mine posted a photo of their initials carved into a beech tree and I was saddened but also heartened by a friend who contacted me to see if I was annoyed with it. I work for a DOT, so I can very much understand the frustration and burnout that can come from trying to educate people not to destroy our natural places. if I had a dollar for every tree I’ve unsuccessfully tried to protect, I’m sad to say that I probably have a significant amount of money. That said, your efforts are extremely important. I’ve personally been surprised by the colleagues and occasionally members of the public I’ve been able to educate and influence for the better. I hope that some of the people you’ve had to correct or even chastise will change their behavior. It seems very unlikely that I’ll be able to make it up to the Adirondacks his year but I’m glad that at least a small part is in your capable hands.
Thank you for your dedication. I admire your patience. I’ve found out in my old age of 67. I practice being kind but direct. Nothing seems to work better when dealing with ignorant humans. Ya, I think that is kind And direct. Have a wonder day. Your admire. Kind, Vicki
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area has a self-issuing permit system at all entry points. Each permit sets forth the BWCA regulations pertaining to recreational users. I wonder if such a system would work in the ADKS High Peaks.
I applaud you. You have a difficult job in these times. It is sad and disheartening to me to see what is happening to our mountains.
I believe we have reached a point where ALL who climb the Adirondack High Peaks must read and know the regulations, sign a consent form, and be held accountable.
I’m sorry you had these encounters. I’m thankful for your service and all you and your colleagues do to protect the Adirondacks and the delicate plant life that can’t fend for itself ❤.
Thank you Eric!
I feel deeply sorry for your experience. I have been hiking for a while now and I try to share the little knowledge I have to preserve all the beautiful I have been lucky to hike. But it is a waste of energy. Unfortunately, humans will never learn, they’re selfish ingnorant and entitled. There must be a permit system it has worked in many other places Chile Torres del Paine Argentina California something drastic must be done to ease the damage already done and prevent more from happening. Again I am truly sorry for your horrible day.
They can take that course before they buy their $25 hiking permit. They will know what they need to know and we will have money for rangers and trail crews.
Agree. Inform and educate.
I feel deeply sorry for your experience. I have been hiking for a while now and I try to share the little knowledge I have to preserve all the beautiful I have been lucky to hike. But it is a waste of energy. Unfortunately, humans will never learn, they’re selfish ingnorant and entitled. There must be a permit system it has worked in many other places Chile Torres del Paine Argentina California something drastic must be done to ease the damage already done and prevent more from happening. Again I am truly sorry for your horrible day.
Michaela, I am so sorry you all are dealing with this, this makes me so sad. I think the work you do is extremely interesting and thank you for doing your best! Staying on solid rocks on summits should be common knowledge for someone in the area, you guys even have signs! That’s ridiculous. Wishing you all the best.
Thanks Sara! The good news is once I speak to people about the plants 99.9% of them respect staying on the rock. It’s just hard to keep up when so many folks who haven’t heard the message before are up there at once.
Thank you for everything you do to protect our wilderness. I’m sure every contact you make helps to educate those who don’t care the way they should.
I love the patience you have..I was a NYS Guide…taught hundreds about leave No Trace..Every time it was well accepted and soaked in…every….time..I also created for credit college courses on hiking..backpacking..at ..Education is the way to go!.i have a suggestion…At EACH trail head.. Posters with the main top ten important rules of this trail, a trail map, phone number, with a link below it to follow with other information.Make sure they are clearly easily able to understand..it won’t finished up tomorrow ..but will be eventually.thank you..Laurie Smith
Thanks for your thoughts!
That was incredibly well written and incredibly sad. I’m out there every week, but frequent areas where I don’t see many people as I just get frustrated from many of the interactions. I know it’s part of your job and I thank you for doing it, but I’m sorry that you have to deal with the disrespect elicited by confronting people to enforce the rules that will protect the Adirondacks for future generations.
Thank you for doing all you can to protect the majestic high peaks region. It does seem like every year is busier than the one before…visitors should have to learn and practice how to be good stewards and leave no trace principles in order to have the privilege of hiking in the high peaks … it sounds like Marcy is beyond beyond carrying capacity for daily hikers, and you, as a summit steward, shouldn’t have to be shouldering the weight of that alone.
I would love to see more Leave No Trace education in the park! We definitely need a new system. Things are unusually busy now due to the pandemic, but I do worry that these numbers will be normal in a few years.
Thanks Keven! This day was one of the hardest I’ve ever had stewarding, thankfully there are many good interactions that happen as well! The past two weeks have just been noticeably more busy, and with more novice hikers who aren’t aware of LNT.
Dammit. I’m sort of glad I moved away from NY in 2011, so I don;t have to witness my beloved dacks getting loved to death in this way. Power to you and your strength in the face of ignorance. Here in SoCal the graffiti and trash is not atypical for most areas, but definitely gotten worse these past 4 months. Trailheads are packed to the gills., and maskless crowds continue to dominate.
The good news is there are a lot of people who love and care about the Adirondacks and are working hard to protect them!
Thank you for all that you do for preserve the area the we’ve all come to love. It’s true that a few bad apples can spoil the bunch, but now it seems we’re dealing with an entire crop of rotten fruit. I don’t have the answers, but I wanted to express my appreciation for your ongoing efforts and for sharing your experiences. You won me over from the start, but the Beans on Toast reference REALLY brought it home. Keep fighting the good fight.
Thank you! I’m glad you appreciated the Beans on Toast reference, great music.
This makes me very sad. I have made a point during the pandemic for my family and I to be socially responsible and make short local hikes. I long to visit the Adirondacks and many other places, but out of respect, I choose to be responsible. I certainly agree people need more education, however it is with heavy heart I must agree with limiting access. Even with these measures, I fear people will not learn and behave responsibly without more constraints. Maybe we need education training, testing and signed waivers … anyone committing obvious illegal behaviour without a signed waiver should be held accountable for their actions.
Thank you for staying local! And well said, limiting access is an option that also makes me sad, but if we don’t I fear that the experience of being in the High Peaks will be less wild for everyone.
Limiting access is a challenging proposition but I hope that folks might consider other parts the Adirondacks where more people could be accommodated on trails and waterways with needed benefit to the economy.
Thank you Michaela! Keep up the good fight, we appreciate all you are doing!
I too stay local to hike and canoe and have been rewarded seeing very few people where I go…it would be difficult to keep my tone civil faced with the “guests” that stewards meet and to face noisy and littering crowds in such natural settings.
such a shame. More education is a must. I do not know if you have signs posting the proper respect for the plants and where you can and cannot camp. Also, is it possible for everyone who enters the park watch a short video before they go on the trails.? So many people have no idea about respecting the forests , they don’t even know about native and non native plants , it is really just ignorance for most of them. restricting the number of people could also be a sound action to take. good luck.
Education is so effective! It’s something I witness the power of daily as a Summit Steward, there just aren’t enough of us (Stewards, Assistant Forest Rangers, Trailhead Stewards, Rangers) to keep up!
Issue more tickets.
I say, restrict access to those who purchase and earn a pass. In order to earn a pass for a specific trail you must watch and read material about the area and then pass an exam to test their knowledge. Then increase the fines for breaking the rules in the area. Hopefully the final result is awareness and funding for further conservation
I agree that more education is a must!
Besides being an excellent Writer (I’m a former College Writing Instructor), you have the Patience of a Saint. Thank you for all you are doing. I will be petitioning His Holiness Pope Francis to Canonize you while you still alive.
Thanks so much! I’ll be keeping an eye out for that Canonization….
This makes me so sad. Then again, every time I go even part way into the woods, I see something that makes me sad, or alternatively, makes my blood boil, and it’s always the left-behind evidence of thoughtless, callous human activity. The dramatic increase in “bushcraft” videos on YouTube is not helping, and neither is the dramatic increase in toxic masculinity associated with the current age.
Real bushcrafters Leave No Trace.
I had to beat a hasty exit from a well-known “bushcraft” online forum when I suggested that although traditional skills are a valuable and important thing to know, a gas canister stove was the most appropriate means of cooking for the vast majority of people, because Nature simply cannot support the level of impact traditional means would entail. The angry responses and ridicule I received from men (and yes, it’s *always* men) were frightening.
It’s not the 1880s, anymore, it’s 135 years later, and the population (not to mention our industrial impact) has exploded in the meanwhile. I’m all for reenactment and understand how our ancestors lived, but we are not our ancestors and we are not living in their times.
Grew up in the ADKs originally and have been visiting for over 40 YEARS. Visitors must act responsibly and maturely to preserve places like this. Anyone not respecting the rules after being approached by a “Ranger”, should be heavily fined and banned from parks for a period and publicly posted for their indifference and effects on our prized wilderness. Stay home if you cant behave properly! We do NOT want you there! Dont screw it up for everyone else you jackasses
I know technology can’t solve every problem, but I feel like an app that incorporates an educational requirement that can’t be bypassed could be part of the solution. An online virtual trail register that shows how many people are hiking a particular route each day could deter hikers from overcrowding individual routes and opt for less popular hikes.
Thank you for performing what sometimes is a thankless task.
For everyone you educate, some of the learning stops there but for others, it is appreciated and passed on as well. In the long run, it does make a difference!
I have been a visitor of the Adirondacks for the last 2 decades.
It has indeed changed since I was a kid, and it gets worse every year.
This breaks my heart. I’ve avoided my beloved High Peaks this summer because of this. I don’t want my footsteps to be one more set eating away at the trails, even if I do follow all the LNT rules. And I don’t think my heart could stand to see all the thoughtless people abusing one of my most loved places. Your patience is amazing; my own fuse runs too short when I come across such blatant disregard for our remaining few wild places. We need more folks like you, to educate people and protect our mountains from those who seek to damage them (whether intentional or not).
I deal with a lot of clients where I work and lately I’ve noticed people’s attitudes have become atrocious. The burn-out is real. I hope you hang in there, and keep fighting this good fight. So many of us support and need you out there, so our woods are there to escape to when we need it.
Harry Karstens was the first superintendent of Denali Nat’l Park, and he said something that always resonated with me.
“There is much to learn by those who understand the language of the Great Silent Places.”
THANK YOU for helping the High Peaks remain one of these Places.
We can only hope more people learn to listen.
Thank you for all you do! I’ve been going up to the backcountry in ADK for a long time and am actually apprehensive about my trip in a few weeks because of having to witness issues like the ones you depicted, especially regarding over-crowded trails and evidence of people who haven’t done their research into Leave No Trace. I think another commenter said it best, in how it’s hard seeing the dacks’ “loved to death.” One part of me is glad people are realizing that a few nights in the woods is good for the soul, but it’s simultaneously heartbreaking to see abuse and over-ruse of the areas that many of us have used as an escape for years, particularly in the destruction of alpine habitats. I’ve always looked forward to talking with the trail stewards, so thank you for persevering and know that there are many of us who are cheering for you!!
It is that way every place and I just shake my head. We live very near the Battenkill River and the disrespect for the river and land is overwhelming.
I can appreciate your trying to educate those who don’t understand what they are doing when they don’t follow rules, but quite frankly most don’t give a rat’s rump.
I think that there should be an online class that people have to take before hiking in the Adirondacks. They they can’t log summits until they have been registered. That the cost of this class helps to educate more people, pays for upkeep and preservation. Proof of their certification has to be carried with them (can be on phone) and match their ID. If they don’t follow the rules after taking the course it is willful abuse assessed with a heavy fine and a LOT of community service working on preservation.
Okay, I know this may be thinking aloud and may be out of the question, but , hey….we gotta start somewhere!
Thank you for this hard work. Just when you are at the end of your rope you will find that like-minded soul who makes the day worth while. Keep the faith. Joanne
Thanks for your service Michaela, and for sharing your experiences in this piece. Is there anywhere in specific we can donate money to support the work you do and the Adirondacks?
Hi Ben, thank you for the comment, and absolutely! Here is the link to the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Summit Steward Program page, there is information at the bottom on how to donate or volunteer. Thank you!
https://www.adk.org/protect/summit-stewardship-program/
Thank you! If we just keep chipping away at this problem perhaps it will entice like minded folks to speak up. We are on your side, you are not the only one
Some are idiots, most are just uninformed, and reckless. I hope you don’t take it personally. Their weaknesses reflect on them, not on you. Deep breaths, and keep on going. And keep in mind that even if they can’t admit to being wrong in the moment – you know, young men – many will actually learn from your interactions once their defenses are down. Strong work!
Thank you for all that you do to protect the Adirondacks! I don’t know if I could be as calm and composed in the face of stupidity. I applaud you!!🌞
Thanks for your Spot on View Point. It helps us keep things in perspective. I have been in the High Peaks and lakes since 1961. It is a continual education.
Thank you for your service and sharing your accounts. Thanks for protecting our wonderful natural resources.
Your honest, heartfelt account brought tears to my eyes. I hear you, and feel for you, and the future of our mountains. I was a shoulder-season / substitute caretaker on Camel’s Hump and Mansfield 20+ years ago and have a hard time going up any mountain these days if it’s likely to be busy: no weekends or middle of the day, as I have a hard time containing my anger. The irresponsibility is a symptom of the “me” attitude that prevails in our culture right now. The other day I hiked Mt. Abe and was unfortunately at about the same speed as some young women blaring their phone. They carried no water or snacks on a hot and sticky day. For so many people, going for a hike is just entertainment and exercise and pretty views, not a soul-filled love for nature or wilderness. It’s anther form of consumerism. You are doing good work and your patience is admirable. Stay strong!!
As all those above have said, thank you so much for a hard (and alas, thankless) task of constantly having to “educate” people on what should be mostly common sense. One of my proudest moments though came in the Catskills leading a backpacking for four of us in the Slide Mountain area. In the morning a ranger came up to us and asked if we had camped in this location. We said yes, wondering if we had somehow done something wrong. He said, “I was on patrol all night long and had to wake up several groups of campers and had them move their tents to appropriate areas. You’re the first group that was at the proper elevation, off of the trail, and away from water sources. I can’t even tell where your tents were and everything is clean–thank you.” He was thanking us! Ever since then I made a point of not only making sure the people in the groups I lead had the proper gear and hiking knowledge, but to emphasize the respect that the wild places need and deserve. You have taken it a step further by volunteering to be a trail steward–so take comfort that you are making a difference and that there are many of us who appreciate your dedication and perseverance! Again, a big THANK YOU!
Thanks for sharing your experiences and all you do. I know it can be very frustrating. I am a caretaker and trail maintainer for 8-10 yrs now. I have seen how the popularity of hiking has changed. I am probably a culprit of spreading the beauty through social media myself.
A tuff battle for the purity of the wilderness and LNT principles.
Note: I just thought of something that might help with all our National treasures: require that people take a Leave No trace class and obtain a patch or whatever to show they know of the regulations of the area. Violating the rules would require to get this class which could be just a pamphlet etc. next violation would be a fine. I hate fines myself and all too many regulations; however, as you point out where will be at in a few years…?
Build a wall around the high peaks and charge a steep entrance fee. Then patrol inside and fine. That will get the message across.
Thank you for your work and doing the difficult job of communicating environmental messaging to a diverse and sometimes unreceptive group of people. I couldn’t do it.
Thanks for sharing your feelings about the situation, too. It was a relief to know others experience the same thoughts and emotions as I do when I come upon another site in the Catskills that has been devastated by human impact. Remember that there are lots of other women in this field, across the state and the country, working to change the way that people interact with our wild areas and that you are not up there alone!
I was born and grew up just south of the Adirondacks in Saratoga County. Those mountains are still a part of me at age 80. I never got a chance to climb them since we moved away in 1960. My husband did get to climb 4 of them in the 1990’s when we returned to live for several years. Respect for all our natural resources has eroded, especially in the last few years. I urge everyone to think about the great gifts that Mother Nature and God have given us with the idea that we owe it to our descendants to protect it for them. One great way to see the Adirondacks spread out at their finest is to drive up into Vermont and take the Ferry across Lake Champlain.
We appreciate you and your co-Stewards Michaela. Although what you are doing can feel thankless, you ARE making a difference. I believe I ran into you on Marcy a couple weeks ago and thanked you personally, but in the event that wasn’t you – THANK YOU! The swarm of people damaging the wilderness in the ADK’s this year has been difficult to comprehend. With the pandemic-culture and people staying closer to home, I’m afraid it’s been worse than ever. Unfortunately, this same type of article is being written all across the internet, about all too many natural resources. We, as nature lovers, must do our best to supplement your efforts in educating those who do not know, or do not understand. I too have received the eye-rolls and sarcastic retorts, but if we are getting through to the majority, I would like to believe we are helping the cause.
This was a beautifully written piece, and heart-breaking as well. I’ve been hiking there since the 1980’s, and it’s hard to watch the changes due to over-use. Sadly, I must agree that a permit system or other method of limiting access and implementing some type of accountability may be necessary to preserve the heavily-trafficked High Peaks. Thank you for taking your job seriously, protecting our beautiful ‘Daks, and educating the careless with such grace.
Excellent article and well written. Thanks Michaela!
I hope people will look beyond just wilderness and look at our whole world and what we are doing to it. “How much is too much?”
Humans are consuming twice as much in resources as our world can supply us each year. The Earth is big and can absorb overspending for a while but it is not infinite and the bill will come due. COVID-19 is an early warning and a very mild one at that. It will likely result in several million deaths before we find a cure. Climate change will cause a lot more deaths as will plastic pollution, our overspending of resources, and other damage we are doing to our world.
Here is a cold hard equation to contemplate, if we are using twice as much as the world can sustainably supply, then we must either cut our human population in half (3.9 billion people) and keep that population down OR we cut our resource consumption per person in half OR do some of both OR nature will be a harsh mistress and make much more painful cuts for us. There is no easy out. We need to live within a sustainable budget. Deficit spending cannot be sustained forever. Spaceship earth is a closed system with just sunlight coming in.
Let’s all do our part to tread more lightly on our world. Here is what my household is doing. We cut our income to 1/3 of what it would be otherwise and cut our spending by over 1/3. Our house is now all electric and generates more electricity from solar panels than it consumes. Our transportation is by bike and electric car. In normal times we created about a quart of trash a month but COVID-19 has forced more waste on us and we currently generate about 2 gallons of trash a week. We greatly reduced our recycling by reducing and reusing first. For more see https://www.zerow.org/. Thanks for reading!
I’ve been limiting my own access because I know how busy it has been and I don’t enjoy crowded trails. It makes me sad that I can’t enjoy what I grew up in. Thank you for educating so patiently, I can’t imagine having to do your job. As an engineer you brief touch on the difference between you and a male colleague approaching hikers sounded familiar, and annoys me.
Thanks for all you do, and sorry for the crapstorm you have to deal with. I don’t know the answer, but the current scenario sure isn’t working. The answer is going to be very complex. The Adirondack’s local economies need tourists/hikers dollars to survive. There has to be some solution that can balance things out. The high peaks get too much traffic is such a concentrated area, yet other spots may never see a pair of boots all season. Better hikers (ethics and education-wise) would be a good start- but there doesn’t seem to be any inroads happening in that area.
I’m an avid hiker, but I gave up on the high peaks region twenty years ago just because of too many people. There are plenty of other great destinations that I get to enjoy and not have to deal with the large crowds, exactly the reason that I seek time on the trail. Good luck and keep up the good fight.
Michaela, your efforts are so appreciated. My partner and I hiked part of the GR – Lower WJ to Saddleback, – last weekend. We summited Lower WJ around 800 AM and caught an out-of-state duo packing up camp. I gently asked if they’d camped there and they responded affirmatively and enthusiastically. I proceeded to mention DEC regulations and vulnerable alpine vegetation. They were somewhat apologetic, but also defensive (I have no doubt they’d have responded differently if my partner, a man, had spoken first). This weekend (7/31 to 8/1), we camped at Colden (which was full up, as I’m sure you know) and hiked Redfield, Cliff, and Marshall. We were aghast to find TP strewn all over the Cliff summit, along with orange peels. We’re going to start carrying something small-scale with a few Leave No Trace references/resources that we can hand out when engaging with folks like the summit-camping twosome. Would love any suggestions you have for any ways in which we can support your work and efforts.
These are the least expensive and most informative pieces from the Leave No Trace Center which can be shared with people to help explain the seven Leave No Trace principles and how to practice them: https://shop.lnt.org/collections/reference-cards/products/individual-ethics-reference-cards-tags
Thank you for your stewardship and your article. Keep up the good work!
I hope a way to educate the hikers before they leave traces can be found. Our parks are such a treasure.
I feel your pain…
This is so discouraging to read. I live in the southern Adks and it’s happening here as well. People everywhere, trash, toilet paper, etc. I would be all for a permit system, and before you hike you need to watch a video about LNT (reading materials would just get ignored). They have a video when you get a permit at Grand Gulch Nat’l Monument in Utah, and other places. NY state has no money to increase ranger presence. A paid permit system would help.
My first college advisor was Dr. Ed Ketchledge, the original summit steward! He would be so disheartened to see this treatment of the alpine vegetation in the mountains he loved.
Education is needed! People are clueless. Just go to some other countries and you will see that. Several years ago a new trail was put up Moxham Mt. here in the southern Adks, and though it’s a delightful trail, I have watched over the years as the reindeer lichen has been more and more trampled and is now almost gone entirely. It will never return. Could have been largely avoided with education, even if it means signs.
Thank you for your hard work – I would not have had the patience!
I commend your use of Authority of the Resource. It seems that having a radio on your hip gives you a little boost as well. There have always been too many unprepared people in the Adirondacks (and the Catskills). Even those who have great intentions come expecting these places to be just a bigger version of the town park. The problem today is that their numbers are so much greater. Keep up the good work and make copious use of the sedge and clouds to recharge.
In California our high use wilderness areas and parks (Federal and State) require permits, reservations, fees, and acknowledgement of understanding of regulations; not only for overnight stays, but also often for day hikes.
Thank you for your hard work. I live in Idaho and we are experiencing the same situations in the Sawtooth Wilderness and the White Cloud Wilderness. Many first-time campers. Many fires not completely out. Human excrement on trails. Garbage everywhere. My heart hurts for all of us who value the outdoors. We are approaching fire season here. We are scared and sad. Way to keep your cool and carry on.
Just caught this , late in the game –
It’s so trying…we’re seeing the same patterns at Poke-O, where Ivy Cerro , who trained w Kayla, is the Steward.
Luckily, it’s front country and just a day hike, but all the same dynamics are in play: inadequate prep for food and drink, clothing, footwear , and little sense of the woods. Many of the folks are complete novices.
But we can only keep at it. The Friends of Poke-O-Moonshine enthusiastically salutes and thanks you deeply!
Ugh I’m so sorry you have to experience people not taking you seriously! Thanks for all of the work you do – summit stewards are critical to the much needed education efforts in the High Peaks. Imo the most power is in social media. I think more so than ticketing people, folks should feel social pressure for damaging irreplaceable plants and other resources. We don’t need to name, but sometimes juuust a little shame is the key to changing behavior.
A couple of years ago on Mt Jo, I found a pair of dirty underwear on the summit! I really wanted to show every hiker i saw that day. I don’t have a social media account, but some place to send the photo would have been good. Other people online who care about the ADK seem to be successful with this strategy.
You are to be admired for your patience and fortitude while trying to educate and inform hikers in the Adirondacks. Part of the problem is that many today believe that they are entitled to do as they please without rules, regulations etc. or even, any acknowledgement to common decency. In the current times we are living in, these attitudes are only heightened. One of the first things I learned from my father was that “Fools names, (as in carved initials, graffiti etc.,) as fool’s faces, often appear in public places”. He was an avid lover and hiker of the ADK’s and always aware of his responsibility to protect this place. I was so fortunate to learn, from him, what was the proper way to conduct yourself in nature as well as in daily life. Few young people get that kind of parenting. It seems that more drastic solutions will have to be employed. I liked the idea of signs at trail heads. Another possibility would be to literally shut down the trail to Marcy, at the junction of Marcy Dam, for instance. On those signs at the trailhead, a listing of violations, fines etc. would be appropriate. Trying to get people to take online courses sounds like a great idea but totally unenforceable. Anyway, good luck as you continue throughout this summer and fall. Thanks for what you do.