The Border Route Trail passes through pristine wilderness areas, far away from all the urban stress and pressures of the civilized world. Hiking it offers the opportunity to reconnect with nature and explore a universe vastly different from our everyday experience. But the number and extent of these unique areas is decreasing due to pressures in part from developers and loggers and the impact of recreationist. Therefore, we ask you to reduce your impact on the environment while on your hike to preserve precious resources.

We strongly encourage you to become familiar with the Leave No Trace ethics for minimum impact outdoor recreation. More than just a set of rules, Leave No Trace is the recognition that a backpacker in a wilderness is merely a visitor and should do his/ her best not to disturb the natural circle of life and preserve the environment for future generations.

The Forest Service devised the following seven "Leave No Trace" guidelines:

1. Keep noise to a minimum and strive to be inconspicuous.
2. Pack it in, pack it out.
3. Properly dispose of anything that can't be packed out.
4. Leave the land as you found it.
5. In popular places, concentrate use.
6. In pristine places, disperse use.
7. Avoid places that are lightly worn or just beginning to show signs of use.

Keeping noise down and building an unconspicuous camp not only increases the sense of solitude for other people near your camp but also increases your chances to see wildlife, in particular Moose, which are common along the Border Route Trail. And remember that sound travels a long way over open water such as lakes and rivers.

Trash and human remains are probably among the most important issues to be addressed. In general, don't leave anything in the woods that you brought in: Pack out all your plastic bags, canisters, broken zippers, cigarette butts and uneaten food. Wild animals might try to eat your cigarette filter and choke, and bears are able to smell inadequately buried food and will dig it up. Use the latrines provided at campsites whenever possible, but if you have to go on the trail, go away from the trail at least 100 ft., dig a cat-hole at least six inches deep and conduct your business. Cover your cathole and pack out the toilet paper in a resealable plastic bag. Toilet paper degrades very slowly and burning it has started wild fires. You can always burn it in camp if you have a campfire later in the day.

If you have a campfire, use only downed wood and keep the fire small. Wood cut off from live trees damages the trees and does not burn as well, consequently leaving those half charred logs in a fire-pit that we all so dearly love.

To keep wildlife from becoming dependent on humans, and to save your own food supply, bring a bear-proof canister or hang your food when when not on the trail and keep a clean camp. Especially bears can be a problem if they get to your food and start to associate people with a food source. Incidents where people are attacked by bears are extremely rare (only one recorded death in Minnesota, despite hundreds of thousands of people visiting the BWCA every year), but a bear will love an easy meal out of your food supply. Black bears can climb trees and stretch, so hang your food bag at least 10 ft. high and at least six feet away from any tree trunks. Consider repackaging your food in two plastic bags to reduce food scent, which not only makes it harder for bears, but also for rodents to smell your food and examine the nutrient content of your food.

In general, use your common sense to protect yourself and the environment. If you would like to get more information, check out the Leave No Trace web-site or look in your local library for information on Leave No Trace. A handy companion is published by Falcon Guides in cooperation with the American Hiking Society:

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