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NARRATOR: Far from the nearest city,
a place remains as it has for thousands of years,
starkly beautiful but unforgiving,
North America's great wilderness,
the Brooks Range of Alaska.
Much of the central Brooks Range has been
set aside and protected within the
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve.
Here, the untamed forces of nature still rule, weather,
predators and prey in a ritual of life and death
passed on through millennia.
Remarkably, though, this vast and overpowering wilderness
is surprisingly fragile and could be in danger,
for this place and the wildlife that rely on it
evolved knowing only the light tread of
occasional nomadic hunters.
Today, many more people come here than in ancient times.
Unless we tread lightly, very lightly,
this awesome-yet-delicate tapestry of soils,
plants and animals could start to unravel.
Leave No Trace is a set of principles and practices for
responsible backcountry travel and camping,
practices that will help keep this spectacular and wild place
pristine for future generations.
If you come here,
are you prepared to be totally self-reliant in this
beautiful-but-demanding wilderness?
Are you willing to make a personal commitment
to Leave No Trace?
Arching across northern Alaska
like a giant crown of stone, the Brooks Range
spans more than 800 miles of rivers and lakes,
plants and wildlife.
The Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve,
eight and a half million acres,
makes up the critical middle section
of the Brooks Range's fragile ecosystem.
Most of this region is only accessible by airplane.
This is what they've been waiting for:
solitude in the vastness of the Brooks Range.
Now they'll find out if they're prepared.
MAN: Where'd you guys get this map?
MAN: This one is from the Park Service office.
MAN: Oh, this is the one they, you've got...
NARRATOR: Planning your trip to the Gates of the Arctic
should start months before you arrive.
MAN: This river's good.
I heard, I did some reading and...
NARRATOR: This is when you need to assemble the right
clothing and equipment and to plan your route.
Take into account the skill level
and physical ability of everyone in your group.
Plan to bring extra food
in case you are delayed in the backcountry.
WOMAN: ...and let's not forget about the bugs.
MAN: And the bugs-- [Chuckling]
MAN: --God, the bugs.
Being prepared is, you know, from bugs to fish,
everything is really, really critical.
NARRATOR: Before entering the park,
register at a ranger station or visitor center at Bettles,
Coldfoot, Kotzebue, or Anaktuvuk Pass.
This can provide helpful information about how visitors
use the park and filing a trip plan can help in an emergency.
PARK RANGER: All these rivers rise and fall fast.
What we'd like to emphasize is that where you put in for
Leave No Trace camping principles,
we would like you to start floating and then camp,
just because of impacts accrued over the summer
and certainly over the years.
Avoid camping right where your put-in is.
And if you are camping and a bear shows up
and doesn't seem to be in any great hurry to leave that area,
remember that you need to move your camp rather than just
wait for him to decide to go--
[Chuckling]
PARK RANGER: This is the bear-resistant food canister...
NARRATOR: Park rangers can loan you bear-resistant
food containers that can reduce the risk of a
dangerous encounter with a hungry bear.
[Campers talking]
PARK RANGER: ...see you guys, take care...
NARRATOR: They can also show you more about safety
and Leave No Trace techniques.
However, once you're out here, park rangers cannot
keep track of you in such vast wilderness
or know when you've returned.
You are on your own in the backcountry.
NARRATOR: In the Gates of the Arctic,
certain areas receive a lot of use,
especially air-taxi access points.
Here, the wisest thing may be to use the existing trails
to keep impacts from spreading far and wide.
MAN: Oh, it looks like we've got
a pretty bad campfire impact here, folks.
MAN: There's some tinfoil here--
MAN: Well, it's sure a bummer coming over here and
seeing the fire ring and all the cashed wood right away.
It'll sure take a long time for this vegetation
around the area to come back,
especially with just being on the edge of the sand and all.
This grass here, you know, it could take years and years,
and I'm just afraid some other people are going to come
and probably use it and do the same thing.
WOMAN: Hopefully we've disguised it enough
so that won't happen.
NARRATOR: The paddlers are taking precautions
against possible river hazards.
If the canoe should flip over or get jostled,
anything that goes overboard could quickly sink or
be carried away in the current.
They are also wisely wearing
approved life vests whenever in their boats.
If knocked overboard, even strong swimmers
can succumb to the numbingly cold water and
potentially strong currents.
The canoers have found an excellent spot to camp,
a relatively high gravel bar
that will keep them well above the river.
Just as importantly,
gravel bars are durable surfaces,
places that won't be damaged by normal camping activities.
WOMAN: The sand and rock
of this gravel bar was great for camping.
It's a nice durable surface for everything we need,
not just our campsites, but getting to water and food.
I think it was the perfect spot.
MAN: Yeah, it's totally devoid of vegetation.
It leaves no trace that we were here.
NARRATOR: By contrast, camping on vegetated areas,
like tundra and brush, can mat and kill plants
or tear up the fragile soil.
In alpine tundra also, you need to take
special care selecting your campsite.
WOMAN: You try to find something that's more resilient
to people camping on it, you know, things like rocks,
some of the harder tundra that has maybe some gravel in it,
some of the more durable vegetation or grasses.
You try to avoid lichens and mosses and
any sort of really brittle vegetation,
as well as wetter vegetation.
NARRATOR: You can further minimize your impact by not
remaining in an area for many days,
or if you have to, by moving a few hundred yards
every couple of days.
MAN: Another way you can reduce the impacts around
your camp area is to change out of your hiking boots
and into a softer-soled type of footwear.
NARRATOR: Even in the pristine Arctic, Giardia
and other waterborne diseases can be present anywhere.
So always purify drinking water
by boiling or filtering and treating.
Use a filter that can catch particles
as small as two microns, the size of Giardia protozoa.
Human feces are a common source of Giardia and other diseases.
So, dig a cat hole at least 200 feet
from the nearest water source,
at least six inches deep in organic soil.
Bring a small trowel to do this properly.
You can also check with the Park Service for
approved methods for packing out human waste.
Paper products decompose very slowly in this
cold environment and are unsightly,
so always pack out toilet paper
and feminine products using plastic bags.
Be sure to fill and tamp down your cat hole.
Camp stoves are the most
environmentally friendly way to cook.
Camp stoves won't scar the land or
disturb driftwood and the soils they sometimes hold in place.
Campfires are for emergencies only.
When a campfire is necessary,
you can build a mound fire that minimizes impacts.
Protect the area with a heat-resistant ground cloth
covered with a mound of earth or sand,
or bring a fire pan.
WOMAN: No one will even know we were here.
NARRATOR: After you scatter the ashes,
the sand, and the unused wood, there is no trace of your fire.
The campers know they can reduce the chances of
dangerous encounters with bears if they always keep food
in bear-resistant containers and if they cook and store food
at least 100 yards from their tents.
MAN: These animal-resistant food containers on loan
from the Park Service are a great way
to secure food and garbage.
It's a great way to avoid any problem bears or
any loss of food early in the trip.
NARRATOR: Treat food scraps like any other refuse:
pack them out.
Remember, bears that get food from your camp may learn to
associate people with food,
becoming a danger to others and themselves.
Widely distribute, or broadcast onshore,
the gray water from dirty dishes.
Natural filtration through the ground
will help protect water sources.
MAN: He hasn't noticed us--
MAN: Oh, look, he's got his head under water, see that?
MAN: Yeah.
NARRATOR: Bears and the salmon they depend on
need clean water and pristine lands.
The campers can see the bears with high-quality binoculars
and telephoto lenses and not stress the animals
by being too close.
The campers are probably safe because, so long as there are
no food odors present, bears are naturally more
interested in salmon than people and their equipment.
You can almost always avoid dangerous encounters with bears
if you follow three simple rules.
Don't leave food scraps or food odors to attract bears.
Don't surprise bears.
Make plenty of noise in places
where brush obscures your vision.
Don't approach bears,
especially if they are feeding or with cubs.
Remember, bears are naturally leery of people.
Help the bear recognize that you are human.
Talk to the bear in a normal voice.
Wave your arms.
Bears are far more likely to see you as a threat than as food.
A bear may stand up to see you better or get your scent.
If you stand your ground or make eye contact,
the bear may feel challenged and become more aggressive.
It's better to avoid eye contact and back away,
but don't run.
A bear may bluff charge a short distance
just to test you, then back off.
However, if a bear continues
to charge aggressively close to you,
lay face down, flat on the ground,
covering your head and neck.
Bears usually lose interest in non-threatening objects.
Alaska law allows you to
kill a bear in defense of life and property,
if you did not provoke the incident
and if there is no alternative.
However, you will be held accountable for
your actions with firearms.
MAN: Firearms may be legally carried in
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
for personal defense.
It's important, though, that everyone be familiar
with the weapon and comfortable with its operation
and handle it in a very safe manner
while they're in the field.
Of course, it should never be treated as a false sense of
security for safety precautions in bear country.
NARRATOR: If a bear becomes a problem near your camp,
the safest thing is to break camp and move.
Despite our understandable concerns about bears,
remember that, in Alaska, many people are also
seriously injured and even killed by moose.
They frequent brushy places, where it's harder to see them.
Too often people get too close,
assuming the lumbering animals are slow or docile.
But a moose weighing 800 pounds or more can
stomp ferociously with its front legs,
and they can move surprisingly quickly
if they feel threatened or to protect their young.
Back on the river, natural erosion reveals
thin arctic soils, a nutrient layer
that's only a few feet, or even inches, thick.
The soil's depth is limited by river silt and sand
or by permafrost, frozen ground that never thaws.
Because the rock-hard permafrost
can't absorb rainwater,
it flows quickly into streams and creeks.
Rivers can rise dramatically from rainstorms many miles away.
Downriver, rain and rising waters have
created rapids and other hazards.
It's important to stop and take time to scout
the best path through any difficult water.
Pay attention to rocks and downed tree limbs.
They can sweep you out of your canoe,
or the current can pin your boat against the tree,
swamping or even sinking it.
Paddling a wild river requires the ability to read currents,
properly control your boat, and communicate clearly.
At the very least, you need a group leader
who has these skills and can teach them.
Always secure your boat, especially on a rainy day
when there is a good chance of rising water.
WOMAN: Actually, we had a friend going down
the John River and they were camping on an island
in the middle of the river, and it was raining upstream
and the river rose and they woke up in the morning
without their raft.
NARRATOR: If you truly anticipate rising water
and there's no suitable high ground on gravel bars,
it might be necessary
to camp on vegetated areas above the beach.
Minimize your impact by selecting
the most durable ground, dry areas with rock or
gravel mixed in with soils.
Sometimes brush or a high gravel bar can also
help disguise your camp from other boaters or hikers.
Preserving an uncluttered view is an easy courtesy.
So are not camping near others, respecting private property,
and keeping noise to a minimum.
NARRATOR: The Brooks Range is an inhabited wilderness,
with a long history of hunting, fishing,
and gathering by Alaska Natives,
the Aboriginal Indians and Eskimos.
Non-Natives also live in the region and depend on
park resources for food and cultural traditions.
MAN: So you're floating the river or...
MAN: Yeah. We put in a couple of days ago.
MAN: What do you have over here?
WOMAN: We just, out hunting, we got a bear...
NARRATOR: People out here can't buy food in stores
like other folks can.
They depend on subsistence hunting and fishing
for most of their food.
MAN: This is the left front shoulder off a grizzly bear...
NARRATOR: Congress recognized the special needs
of subsistence users who
live near national parks and preserves in Alaska.
It granted them unique hunting,
fishing, and gathering rights on protected federal lands.
Subsistence users must comply with regulations to
preserve the land and wildlife.
MAN: It makes it, in some sense,
more of a true wilderness, to my point of view,
because people are actually out there and
still surviving off the land today.
[Residents talking]
NARRATOR: If you should ever see subsistence users,
respect their rights and needs.
They'll usually welcome a visit,
but don't interfere with their activities.
[Residents talking]
MAN: Many of these folks have lived here all their lives,
have been brought up here.
This is their home.
And I think you need to remember to treat them
with the same respect
that you'd treat anyone else in their homeland.
NARRATOR: Leave No Trace means not interfering with
animals' natural behaviors, especially feeding
and caring for their young.
If wildlife alter their behavior
because of your presence, you are too close.
As a general rule, you should not approach
closer than one-quarter mile.
Another part of leaving no trace is to
leave things exactly as you found them,
including cultural artifacts.
MAN: Remember we found that
big trophy caribou antler just sitting there?
It was all bleached out and, a lot of people
like to take those things home, and I'm glad we enjoyed it,
we looked at it, but we--
We left them there so others can experience
what we experienced, the sense of discovery,
and they'll always be there for others.
MAN: All right, John, here's a pretty impressive bear dig.
MAN: Boy, look at the size of...
NARRATOR: In the vast Gates of the Arctic,
there seem infinite opportunities to explore
one more valley or plateau
or one more bend in the river.
With so much to see and do,
it's easy to lose track of time or even your place.
That's why it's so important to plan your outing with
topographical maps and to check your location
periodically with a compass.
Also take into account the skill levels and stamina
of everyone in your group.
Don't push yourself or others beyond their limits.
Exhausted or frightened people make mistakes and get injured.
MAN: The planning and preparing we've done
for this trip has worked out great so far.
The route we've chosen has been appropriate
for everyone in the group,
and everyone seems to be feeling comfortable.
NARRATOR: Your route may require crossing a river.
Arctic river currents can be strong,
the water numbingly cold, and the bottoms treacherous.
So, always try to find the shallowest and
slowest spots in the river, even if this means
walking a longer distance to reach them.
Be patient if the water is too high.
Arctic rivers can drop in a day or less.
There are several safe techniques for crossing.
First, unhook your waist belt and loosen your shoulder straps
so you can take off the backpack
if you are knocked down.
Otherwise, it may drag you under.
A single person can use a walking stick
for added stability.
Face upstream,
bracing yourself against the current.
Change from your hiking boots
into footwear you can afford to get wet.
Never cross barefoot,
as rocks can cut or injure your feet.
Groups can achieve added steadiness against the current
by using the inherent stability of a triangle shape.
Another way is to make a straight line into the current
with the stronger members at the top to
break the current for others below.
Using a cross-wise brace, such as a pole or driftwood,
can also add strength and support to the group,
especially if they interlock their arms to grip the brace.
In crossing rivers and everything else
in the backcountry, always use extreme caution.
MAN: Well, this international orange bandana is small but
it's a very bright color and pilots do like this...
NARRATOR: Any injury can become serious out here,
where help is a hundred miles away or more,
and where bad weather can prevent planes
from flying for days at a time.
MAN: ...and the smoke is a great way to signal either...
NARRATOR: You are on your own, so bring along basic first-aid
and emergency supplies and equipment,
and be prepared and
knowledgeable enough to improvise.
MAN: We have a number of things that we use to
improvise first-aid treatment, such as a Therm-a-Rest mattress,
the river straps, trekking poles,
which are excellent for splinting,
and a canoe paddle,
which is also excellent for splinting.
The area of a break, both above,
the joint above and below...
NARRATOR: Don't let modern communications technology
give you a false sense of security.
MAN: Okay, Larry, you are broken.
I'm going to try again.
NARRATOR: Satellite phones may not work in some
terrain and weather conditions,
and there is no cell-phone coverage
in the Gates of the Arctic.
Some air-taxi services may provide ground-to-air radios.
Still, you may be better served by simpler means.
MAN: ...how do you copy?
NARRATOR: A signal mirror or fire can be the best way
to get a pilot's attention.
STATE TROOPER: It's extremely difficult to pick out
objects on the ground.
Wear bright-colored clothing.
Try to stay in an area that's open and clear of trees.
If you're going to make a signal,
use a bright color that contrasts.
If you're going to make SOSs, the best ones that are
easiest to see are made out of white rocks.
Don't shoot flares in the day.
Pilots will not see them.
Save those for night.
If you're going to build a fire, build a real smoky fire.
Otherwise, the light smoke, if it's up through the trees,
is sometimes impossible to see.
We won't be able to find you if we don't have a place to start,
and it's very important that you start with a trip plan.
Be very detailed about that trip plan.
MAN: I think it's real important for people to
prepare for the worst conditions they might encounter.
It's often cold and rainy at Gates of the Arctic
during the summertime,
possibly even snowy in some cases.
NARRATOR: Hypothermia, the result of being
cold or wet too long,
reduces the body's core temperature.
It can be fatal.
You want clothing that insulates and
wicks moisture away from your body,
like wool, polypropylene, or other synthetics.
Avoid cotton.
Once it gets wet from rain or perspiration,
it will stay wet for hours, draining precious body heat.
MAN: It's just a real good idea to have several layers
that you can put on, you know, a real light under-layer,
something you can throw on top of that,
and then, if, you know, if it starts raining,
you want your rain gear easily accessible
so you can grab that and put that on.
NARRATOR: Dehydration and hunger can also sap you of
energy and lead to hypothermia, so it's important to drink
plenty of water when you're active and
snack on high-caloric foods.
Fixing a hot drink can make you feel and
perform much better on a cold day.
NARRATOR: During summer, the tundra
literally explodes with plants.
They provide important nutrition for wildlife.
Berry bushes galore, leafy plants,
mosses and lichens are just a few.
It's a delicate web of life and
soil that sustain each other.
Rending one will upset the other.
[Musical interlude]
NARRATOR: A few careful footsteps
usually causes no harm here.
However, walking in a single line on the tundra will
multiply the impact on fragile plants and soils.
These scars can remain for years or even spread,
as erosion accelerates on compacted soils.
WOMAN: They say that if you go out in a fan shape and
all walking next to each other in different places,
you're creating less of an impact in one certain area,
rather than going like single file behind each other.
MAN: There may be a few places where there is
an existing trail, and in that case,
you know, it might be better for the group to--
WOMAN: To use it.
MAN: --to stay on that rather than create new impact.
NARRATOR: For instance, where there is
an existing trail through thick brush,
a single line may make more sense.
Use your best judgment for the trade-offs between convenience,
safety, and habitat protection.
You'll almost always find the easiest going for you and the
habitat is to walk on hard, durable surfaces,
like rocky outcrops, river gravel bars, or on snow.
From a distance, the treeless tundra seems to
offer unlimited walking access.
In many places it does, but in others,
the vast open stretches are deceptive.
While brush may not be tall, it can catch your feet and legs,
making walking difficult.
Tundra often holds a unique obstacle to walking,
the tussock.
Tussocks are clumps of sedges, a grass-like plant whose roots
and triangular stems form a tight-growing bundle.
Tussocks are a foot or two wide and can look like grassy
stepping stones across the tundra.
However, they wobble and give way under weight,
sometimes catching your feet and twisting your ankles.
MAN: Typically people who are often used to hiking
10 to 20 miles a day on a trail system,
they'll get up here and they'll find that they're
only making five to 10 miles a day.
NARRATOR: So, plan on hiking only a half,
maybe even one-quarter, as fast as you could on a trail.
These campers have done their best
to plan ahead and Leave No Trace.
So if you come to the Gates of the Arctic,
you'll see it as it's meant to be seen:
undisturbed and full of natural beauty.
MAN: People come to Gates of the Arctic
because, in most people's minds,
it represents one of the last
real wilderness areas in the country.
I think it's appropriate that they leave that experience
for the next visitors who are coming.
NARRATOR: Those who visit Gates of the Arctic share a
common responsibility to preserve this wild place that
has been here since time immemorial;
a responsibility to tread lightly upon the land and
protect the intricate web of life it supports;
a responsibility to respect
its wildlife and leave them to live,
unmolested, the ancient patterns of life;
a responsibility to do all this so others may
someday be renewed by this wilderness,
unscarred and awesome in its solitude and beauty.
Coming to the Gates of the Arctic is
more than a vacation, more than an adventure.
It is a compact with the past and a promise to the future,
a promise to Leave No Trace.