Thought I would start this off.


Please Keep Portage Landings & Trails Uncluttered
As a courtesy to others trying to use the same portage, please keep landings and trails uncluttered of people and equipment.



May not be the best wording, feel free to improve on it.





Barbara

A few more:

- Yield the "Right of way" to quicker travelers, on portages and narrow streams, (especially important for larger slow moving groups)

- "Police the area", the last thing trippers should do before leaving a campsite or portage put-in/takeout is police the area to be sure no gear or litter has been inadvertently left behind.

- "Leave a blank slate", allow future visitors the opportunity to create their own camp experience, Remove all lines, unofficial "camp improvements", litter, etc. from your campsite before you move on.

Keep your campfire proportionate to your needs - when you are finished with the fire, there should remain only ash (no partially burnt logs, charred materials, trash, etc.) Keep it large enough to burn completely, but small enough to burn out) - of course then drowned it before retiring for the evening or leaving camp.

We have all experienced poor etiquette at portage landings and on trails. I don't think it is ever malicious, or intentionally rude. But it is annoying and potentially dangerous. Fortunately I recovered from meniscus surgery on both knees that were damaged when I tried to walk into the water while carrying a canoe and heavy pack when a fleet of canoes was left nosed onto shore with only one narrow slot left open. Turned out that the river bottom was slick clay, and I barely recovered from losing my balance and escaped the damage to me and gear that might have resulted by doing a dance on one leg.

My main point is that proscriptive signs, such as "Posted--Do Not Trespass," invite disobedience and create a negative atmosphere. What if that sign said instead, "Visitors Welcome, Please Introduce Yourself at the House." Likewise on a portage, what sign would make you feel your consciousness has been raised in a compassionate way? Any of these?

Welcome to This Portage / Always Room for More

On a Portage We Are All the Gracious Host

Welcome to This Portage / Is My Gear in Your Way?

Basically it boils down to promoting and using Leave No Trace Principles: http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles.php

I've run into people through the years who were indifferent and also some who were obnoxious at a landing or portage trail. The best way to disarm them is to start up a conversation, make some small talk and correct their behavior by example. If the landing is crowded with canoes, as your bring the canoe in ask for some space as you proceed in. My huffing and puffing gives them a verbal clue that I'm tired and need to get the canoe down - most of the time someone offers to help, but I'll ask to get some space on the water due to bad knees, etc... They get the hint.

Upon parting I wish them well.

I teach portage etiquette to scout troops who attend our summer canoeing program in Algonquin. I take them from proper landing, portage etiquette, to carrying, to policing the area. I think it's an important part of our program. Usually, on the first portage a gently remind them of what I covered and that's all it takes.

I'd also like to have folks police the portage for candy wrappers, plastics, and other debris.

Carl

I also teach scouts, and find a very effective way to get the message across at portages is to loudly say "remember, guys, keep all your stuff together and off to the side so others can land too"
It usually causes a "deer in the headlights" look and quick shuffle by the offending party

I was hoping that folks might come up with short, "positive action" messages to communicate the different facets of "camper's etiquette".

My example is about one of my pet peeves, but I didn't want it couched in negative "Don't..." language. And I wanted to keep it short and to the point. Figured that's the easiest way to get a message across.

Are there some other "camper's etiqette" rules that need to be stressed in a "positive" way?



Barbara

Barbara, just now I asked my wife Liz what is the worst kind of bad manners she has seen in the Park. Right away she answered, "Toilet paper!" Meaning--those folks who find an outbox repulsive but are too lazy to go back into the woods and dig a cat hole, so they leave soiled toilet paper scattered everywhere. On one trip we stopped to consider camping on the island in the middle of Sunbeam, only to greeted by the inescapable smell of feces--and no outbox. What poster could confront this problem?

Put Your Toilet Paper
Where You Want Others
to Put Theirs

Or the angry, ineffective approach:

Bum Wad Litter:
Only *******s Don't Care

While we are discussing "posters", it should be mentioned here that John Winters (park superintendent) has informed the ABR that while we are allowed to place our posters on access point and trail-head notice boards and to place our pamphlets in the East and West Gate office pamphlet racks, he doesn't want us to either post in the interior (campsites or portages) or to leave piles of flyers in the actual access point offices.

So currently, our opportunities for educating campers are .. the notice boards (posters), the racks within the offices (pamphlets) and our personal encounters within the park (canoe-stickers, bumper-stickers, handouts).

The last thing we want to do is have the backcountry landscape marred with posters and discarded flyers.

Barry Bridgeford
Executive Committee
Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists
http://www.ABRweb.ca

Have you considered developing a canoe routes guide or had a chance to sit with the rest of the ABR exec's to disscuss direction? I agree that although a nice idea to post at interior sites, theft, and litter would accompany the initative and this would be counterproductive. How goes the cartooning? any plans to post your ideas?

chris

In 1984, the production and distribution of the Canoe Routes Map was given over to the Friends of Algonquin as part of the downloading of functions from the MNR in the 1983 formation of the FOA.

The ABR recognizes that the Canoe Route Map is an integral part of both the FOA's existing arrangements with the MNR and of the FOA's own fundraising process. The ABR Executive Committee is in the process of preparing access-point-posters for this coming summer, to address the void that exists in outreaching education of backcountry campers. The members of the ABR EC meet monthly and communicate regularly on its various efforts.

This particular forum is an effort to draw the public into discussions pertaining to the ABR's concerns.

Barry Bridgeford
Executive Committee
Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists
http://www.ABRweb.ca

Protect Algonquin's Water Resources -

Dispose of waste water properly (either by scattering well away from lakes, streams and tent areas or by depositing in the thunder box). Don't do dishes or personal hygiene directly in lakes or streams, use a wash basin or bucket away from shore. Never allow soap (even the biodegradable kind) to get in the lakes.

Dishwashing waste water should definitely NOT be disposed of into thunderboxes.

Although the smell of sewage is overwhelming to us humans, it isn't necessarily so to wild creatures. Their noses can distinguish quite well between food and 'poop'. A hungry creature will think nothing of checking out the enticing smells of food.

The prospect of 'poopy' mice tracks across a thunderbox seat, a curiously racoon-opened thunderbox lid letting in the early morning rain, a hungry and confused beasty guarding its source of food smells, or a porcupine-chewed thunderbox .. well, the prospects aren't pleasant!

Needless to say, the habit of some people of disposing of leftover food in the thunderbox increases the chance of problems even further!

So, if we can make a point of keeping 'poop' smells and food smells far apart, we should be able to keep the animals' interest in thunderboxes to a minimum.

Thanks to all.

Barry Bridgeford
Executive Committee
Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists
http://www.ABRweb.ca

Never, Never, put greywater or food in a t-box. I've seen the end result of this practice- smashed box (biggest piece 6x6) crap and paper everywhere, and 1(I think) small plastic bag shredded like it had gone through a log chipper.
The stench and mess was so bad, I had no choice but to find a different site or risk loosing my dinner. I'd really like to find the previous camper and put HIM in a t-box

Hey Rob. That sure sounds severe. Imagine first setting up camp and then checking the TB, only to then find a demo'd TB!

The lesson out of this is to include the TB reconnoiter in your initial campsite checkover .. before committing yourself by setting up camp.

Barry Bridgeford
http://www.AlgonquinAdventures.com
http://www.ABRweb.ca .. Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry

Please don't feed the animals, even the "Cute ones." It's bad for them and bad for me. Most people know better than to feed bears, but it is equally important for deer, raccoons, squirrels, chipmonks, etc. People food (no matter how "natural") is not intended for wildlife, think of it as junk food. If they fill up on junk food, they won't be seeking out their natural food sources. If they start to associate people with food, they'll start foraging for it in our gear, if it's not offered as it was by the last guy. Finally, I may respond more harshly towards an unwanted encounter with "Chippy and his friends" than you, and if you teach him it's ok to come close, my poor aim becomes less of an issue.

So unless you plan to take the time to teach him how to tell the difference between me and you, feeding "chippy" is sealing his fate. "A fed bear is a dead bear" Substitute bear with deer, raccoon, squirrel, or chippy and the phrase still holds true.

Now why's it bad for me? Damaged gear isn't cute.

If you want to hand feed the animals, do it at home or don't do it at all.

It was, I could smell someting was wrong as soon as I walked up the hill to check it out- It instantly reminded me of the old bathrooms at ML gardens.
Guys; Please only do your business in the T-box, and burn your food scraps in the pit. A little trick- pile some leaves in the pit, pour your waste water through the leaves, then build your campfire on top. That way the leaves trap the food scraps, the water filters through the charcoal and soil in the pit, and you burn off any particles.