While I hiked the trail in 2016, I had many opportunities to reflect on what lnt meant to me. I think the principles inspired me to be aware of my place on this path I followed. The longer I hiked, the clearer my mind became, and though I didn't always follow these principles to the letter, I became to know the difference.

That is the best explanation of leave no trace I’ve heard. I will use your wisdom when I teach others. We have a local park one-mile hiking trail. Some homeschooler parents have been bringing their kids on the trail and they are bringing all manner of toys to set up little vignettes in the woods. We’re talking toy fairies, gnomes, Barbie dolls, GI Joes, and all of their accessories. I don’t find these cute, nor funny, nor inspirational and least of all educational. I do find it intrusive to other hikers and dangerous to wildlife and this plastic litter will eventually find its way into the watershed. I find this to go against leave no trace principles, and I wish these parents would adopt them and teach them to their children. If I could figure out when this occurs, I’d be happy to help them learn about this. I am all for kids playing in the woods- we need more of it!

A very informative video that I wasn’t expecting. I see whatcha did there - well done, my friend

Joe, this was just beautiful! You always elaborate on the subject perfectly! 👏

Really love your channel. Keep going. Never change

My belief is to leave things “as is” for the next generations to enjoy!

Another great video Joe. You brought up some good points. Enjoyed it.

I recently hiked from Three Forks to Long Creek Falls. I hiked the side trails to see the other waterfalls downstream of Long Creek. I shared the photos on Facebook and was quickly scolded by a lady for hiking those side trails. I was told I was breaking LNT principles and contributing to trail erosion by hiking those side trails.

I would be a pass every blaze guy too. With that said, one thing that bugs me is people cutting switchbacks short. They are there to make the climb easier. Another great video UJ, well said and put together.

Glad I stumbled across your channel with this topic. I was an avid hiker up until oct, 23'. Hiking practically every day for some 5 years. However at this moment in my life Im away from being able to do it, and indeed it has taken anegative toll mentally, physically, and spiritually. Hopefully, in due time...ill be back again on the trail, so to speak. I plan to edit this comment to give my 2 cents in regards to your topic, b/c indeed I have pondered it quite a bit during my travels in nature. Its a bit of a doozy, and "conspiracy theorist" to a degree, but will most definately have logic behind why the govt(s), people in power, org, etc push such apon us ....to condition us to be obiedent, compliant "people" (aka peon)

Well,it's just common sense and decency I try to leave a place as good or better than I found it and don't care much what folks think about it,lol. If I wanted a small stone from each state that sure ain't no sin and folks can get way carried away with some things. Great hike by the way!

I agree and always a great video.

Earlier, I mentioned CARING, but hopefully we do not become Karens, and in a punderful way we can segway to cairns!

Good conversation. OMG! I can't believe you stacked those three rocks on that log! How dare you😂 I can see the problem with cairns if everyone builds their own on the trails and it causes people to get lost or confused. I think they need to be strategic. I was helped by a cairn when hiking years ago in Australia. The trail was hard to see and then I spotted the cairn someone had placed and did some investigation and saw that it indeed was the trail I was supposed to take. If i were to bet, I would think the cairn was placed by a fellow hiker on the trail and was not placed by parks workers. I was grateful for that cairn that day. I think fire rings, in areas that are frequently camped, are a good thing. Let's just have one that everyone uses rather than people creating their own all the time. It stops people from moving rocks all the time to make them in those areas. It lessens the disturbance to the environment. Just don't leave garbage or any other garbage in the fire ring when you leave. Lets drop the illusion that we're the first person there. Now if you are in the backcountry and somewhere remote, then I can see removing the ring and burying the left over coals so it looks like no one was ever there. I think instead of castigating someone for something they did on the trail, why not chat to them about it and explain why you think another way may be better. Too many people hide behind keyboards and throw insults instead.

Isn't the whole shebang about CARING about those who follow in our footprints later, and hoping their experiences are not diminished!

Any law, rule, principle or school of thought, when taken to extremes, can be just as harmful as the lack of such.

Really well done, Joe. If we were all purists, then we'd all be hypocrites: by merely hiking a trail, we're leaving a trace, however minute. Tradeoffs everywhere. The Jeepers' code of "tread lightly" seems more accurate. My solution is to bring a bag to pick up litter and pull/remove invasive plants, particularly prevalent in local parks (ivy and privet here in Brookhaven).

I enjoyed your thoughtful presentation. What do you think of the 'tree of shoes' at Neel Gap? That is certainly not in accordance with LNT, which it predates, but the ATC leaves it undisturbed b/c tourists like it. I feel sorry for the tree, having the weight of all those shoes and boots slung on it.

Does improving the designated trails violate principles?

Great video I totally agree enjoy watching it

Could your dissertation, along the hike, be transposed to America as well? It seems to parallel being a good neighbour to even those whom we lack understanding with and possibly from!

Being a rock hound , an avid hiker , etc. I collect rocks from all over, lnt has become annoying and causes issues where there are none to be had.

Good convo on sticks and stones.

Wild animals and plants have to survive where i hike for my pleasure my objective is not to bother them as good as i can. I may consider the reasons for man made rules but they are not my standard. LNT is a good habit and also to practice leaving no footprints behind so others do not know your ways.

Hey Uncle Joe! I hike and camp in the North Georgia Mountains all the time. I also try to leave the campsite in great shape. The only thing that I don’t like to see is litter and graffiti on the trail. Other than that I’m ok with taking a rock, building a cairn, burning a log on the fire, hunting, fishing, camping next to a stream, etc. Great video. 👍

Just a quick wrench, I had a girlfriend who used to collect rocks from hikes and beaches and would mark them with dates and locations with a sharpie and place them in a jar, After a few years we stopped dating and I had a jar of rocks that I needed to get rid of....But now they're garbage because they are covered with graffiti right? but I didn't want to throw them in a dumpster because they are billion year old rocks and deserve a better fate....I cleaned them with a toothbrush and some lite solvent and left them on a gravel road. Kind of a twist on leave no trace. lol Love your vid. keep up the good work.

Title suggestion for this video, and I'm not denigrating it...Cains, Karens and Carin'!!

Stayed with you till the end Joe, but didn't enjoy it as much as usual. LNT boiled down to me means leave it as you found so the next person can experience the same beauty that you experienced. The internet is full of Karens. How ever I agree wholeheartedly we need more compassion and understanding in this old world.

I am watching you walk down a man made nature trail lined with machine cut wood to a manmade shelter, numerous manmade markers so the idea of leave no trace is honestly ridiculous and most of these parks were inhabited by native Americans and half the time you are walking on top of pillaged burial mounds with trees that have overgrown on top. Since the Europeans came in 1565 there are numerous human native made landmarks that half of you think are untouched landscapes lol. That land is indeed the historic land of the Yuchi which before colonization made up culture group that extended from western Kentucky to eastern Georgia so you have a chance of finding anything from a Native Arrowhead or a musket so if I pick one up is that not leaving a trace as well?

I believe in good stewardship of the land, but LNT is unrealistic. Human beings are consuming things and changing things, and I have as much right to do that as any wild animal and as any other tax paying citizen.