Craters of the Moon National Monument is fast becoming one of our favorite public land areas! Lot's of history, hike levels for everyone and scenery unlike anything else. Go see it and Adventure Responsibly!
Over several years of visiting Zion and especially exploring The Narrows, it has become clear that popularity of a hike does not diminish the need to prepare, or take away its challenges. After my last visit and running into some ill-prepared folks, I thought I’d put some thoughts down on what can help make an already incredible hike in The Narrows even better.
Wilderness Preparedness should be common sense. Sadly, they are not. Be sure to have a great wilderness experience by being prepared with the 10 (or 11) essentials!
...On our hike, we came across a camp that had been used the night before littered with all sorts of trash. Despite our complaints of fatigue and hunger, our scoutmaster made a point to give us a teaching moment. I remember his words well; “boys, I know you’re tired and want to get to our camp, but first we need to leave this spot better than we found it.”
While I may not be able to change the minds of those who simply don’t care, I have worked hard to spread the message of Leave It Better, which encourages those who do care and who are responsible to take a proactive approach to help combat this problem.