The Daily Snap – October 22
©Darwin Wiggett
A common sight in the Canadian Rockies is the shoreline of lakes and rivers trampled and eroded. All these great places are just being loved to death, everyone wants and deserves to visit and experience these places, but there are just too many bodies pounding hard on the land. These places simply can not sustain visits by millions of people each year. The more we disconnect with the land on a daily basis, the more intensively we try to reconnect when the have the opportunity.
Darwin Wiggett 
October 22, 2010 at 6:11 AM
Yes have seen that in Algonquin, one of it’s famous photo spots has lost one of the 2 giant pines….it was sad to see the death of that gentel giant…the area I’m talking about is on Smoke lake just before you would turn to go to Arrowhon Resort….
October 22, 2010 at 8:45 AM
Great shot to illustrate our effect on nature’s places. I often walk what used to be a small footpath through the forest to a small cottageless lake deep in the forest near Parry Sound, Ontario. Since the dawn of ATVs, it is now a 10-15 foot wide mud-trail with massive ruts throughout.
October 22, 2010 at 9:28 AM
We have the same problem here in Barrie, ON. My dog and I go out hiking the trails in the local conservation areas, nature areas, woodlots and other wild places every day. Snowmobiles, ATVs, motorcycles and even bicycles tear up the trails through our lands and forests with no regard to the impact they have. Most riders stay on the trails but whenever they encounter an obstruction like a newly fallen tree they simply head off the trail and carve a new one for themselves.
October 22, 2010 at 9:39 AM
That is one of the things I am always careful about when photographing landscapes.
Staying on the pathways and not trampling weird looking plants.
BTW ATV’s, ban those things. I was south of Calgary not to long ago and people drive these things even in the middle of the night! Bunch of rednecks
October 22, 2010 at 9:41 AM
@Susan:
I know the spot you mean. Trees die off, new ones are born and eventually take their place. The landscape is always changing.
Several of the day-hiking trails in Algonquin Park need to be shut down to give the land a chance to regenerate from the heavy usage.
October 22, 2010 at 10:18 AM
Reminds of many trails in the parks. I tripped over roots all the way up to Moose Lk. in Jasper this summer because I tend to walk looking around instead of watching my feet.
October 22, 2010 at 10:55 AM
I feel ashamed of myself, actually. A park ranger mentioned in the bus up to lake O’Hara that she did not want to photographers come to lake O’Hara because we are the WORST ones not to stay on trails to take UNIQUE images. I do remember this issue was presented at the SNAP in Canmore. Since I attended the seminar, I’ve been trying to stay on trail, at least making efforts not to step on plants. But when I get excited, breaking the rule and “move only one step… maybe one more step”
So how do you balance between achieving UNIQUE images and impacts of photographers on nature? I have been thinking about this.
October 23, 2010 at 4:06 PM
Great to see this image and your comment, Darwin.
Even over as short a time as the last 5 years I’ve noticed an escalation of damage to sensitive areas in the Rockies (eg. lots at Opabin Basin, some at Bow Lake shoreline). Of course horse use in another great discussion…
Solutions? A strategy that seems to work in places is to develop footpaths, benches, campsites, etc. – which serves to concentrate the damage. Personally, I just visit some areas less, and do not promote them. Those little signs that Parks Canada has (the ones with the crossed-out bootprint) seem to get my attention. Of equal concern to me is the effects of our use that we can’t see.