Hiking
HikingIn Canada we are blessed with huge areas of open space, numerous parks, conservation and protected areas; where we can explore the wilderness. Hiking or bush-whacking, whatever you like to call it, is a common favourite past-times for Canadian's, and is one of the most basic and enjoyable outdoor activites you can do.
It is ironic that as hiking becomes more and more popular, and hikers seek more beautiful natural areas in which to hike, they can often be damaging these environments. The effects of hikers on mass, for example, gathering wood, walking off a trail, leaving litter, can have a huge negative impact on the environment. Years of gathering wood, however, can strip a forested area of valuable nutrients.
Generally, protected areas such as parks have regulations in place to protect the environment. If hikers follow such regulations, their impact can be minimal. Such regulations include forbidding wood fires, restricting camping to established camp sites, disposing or packing out faecal matter, so may impose a limit on the number of hikers per mile.
Many hikers follow the Leave No Trace philosophy: hiking in a way such that future hikers cannot detect the presence of previous hikers. Even where there are no specific regulations hikers should attempt to "take only pictures and leave only footprints" (on the trails).