by Casey McGuire

As Earth Week comes to a close, I hope we all understand that the beginning of the next Earth Week is the day after this one. It is great to celebrate things on certain days, and take time out to recognize and appreciate the things that we simply regard as a part of every day life, but it is only better to carry those thoughts, and ensuing actions, with us year round.

As trail runners, we understand the value of the unpolluted trail, clean, and untainted by the hand of man. Yeah, alright, you can call me a eco-friendly guy, or a nature lover, or a tree hugger, or just damn good looking, but I’m not writing this to preach. I’m merely explaining that if there is anything I “escape” when I trail run, it is the sights and sounds of civilization. A great percentage of the reason I run trails is to get out into nature and away from that dog barking out my window right now. With the exception of the dog maybe, I’m guessing you may feel the same way.

I ran on this trail yesterday morning (this morning, but yesterday by the time you read this, and if you read this Saturday, it will have been 2 days ago, and if you’re in Germany, it is a 9 hour difference and you’ll just have to do the math yourself), and I noticed that a large part of the trail I took is pretty much maintained by me. I mean, it is rather unpopulated for the most part, aside from wildlife crossing it, and an occasional horse. So, as I run it maybe three times a week, I keep it a trail.

As it continues, there are little branched trails that begin meeting up with mine, similar to tributaries with a river. The trail begins to widen, and the noticeable signs of slightly more traffic reveal themselves. I don’t mind footprints at all (certainly not if they’re mine), or bike tracks or things of the sort. Things such as litter need be shoved down peoples throats though. It’s just much more pleasant to stuff trash in a pocket for a little while than to leave it in my desert for years. I carry a stapler with me at all times, and when I see someone drop something on my trail, I pick it up and staple it to their forehead. It relieves my frustration almost immediately. They make those really little staplers that fit right in your inside pocket. Also, use a quick striking motion rather than press it. Skulls are pretty tough, and people who litter are pretty thick headed.

Now, I will be purely petty with what bothers me, but stick designs and stacking rocks are peeves of mine. I stumbled upon a bunch of cute little stick drawings and squiggles (I haven’t used that word in years) on my trail the other day. There were a lot of arrows, that almost bothered me one way, but really bothered me coming back. I’m easily confused and wasn’t sure what to do when I ran across an arrow pointing the opposite direction I was going. Either way the arrow bounces, I just don’t care for the symbols of humanity some people need to leave to prove that they’ve been somewhere. Crayola makes a great product for people with such burning desires, who can sit at home and do this without marking my trails.

Stacking rocks, who needs to do that? It demonstrates to me that humans just can’t leave well enough alone, and with nothing more than rocks, still have urges to reconstruct nature. I’m certainly not impressed by the IQ of a 4 year old at work, stacking largest to smallest rocks upward. They make colorful blocks for that now, which keep certain people off my trails. I know this is very petty of me, but I enjoy the “natural” part of nature. If you want to let people know you’ve been wherever it is you’ve been, take a picture!

Well, that’s enough griping about trivial matters. I would just like to leave you with a few simple rules. I am well aware that trail runners typically abide by these, and I am not demanding, commanding, or ordering anyone to follow them, but I am encouraging you to continue to take care of our trails, and perhaps teach others how important it is for us to maintain the beauty in which we stride toward seeing each day on our runs.

- Stay on the trail - Plants and animals depend greatly on their natural habitats. Just as a simple example, in my desert, most animals are burrowing creatures, and to stray off trails is to step all over their homes.

- Do not litter - Need I really explain this?

- Do not disturb the nature or your trails - This is what I mean about stacking rocks and so on.

- Be friendly to others - You’re all out on the trail enjoying nature and health. Be courteous. This includes animals, both domestic and wild. Respect others!

- Keep your dog on a leash - If you run with a dog, unless they always remain at your side, keep them leashed and close, so they don’t disturb nature either.

- Let others know - I am really not much of a proactive person who goes about pushing my beliefs, but as with this article, I do share how I feel about things from time to time. Just let people know how important some issues are to you (just make sure that they are the same issues that are important to me).

- Try Walmart First - I’m guessing the cheapest place to get that little stapler is at Walmart, though I’m not a huge fan of the place. I’m just trying to save you some cash.

Peace!

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