Leave No Trace!

How sad it is to be flying through the woods, high on the oneness of you, your beautiful bike, and the amazing nature surrounding you, only to have the bright glare of the tab from someone's GU or Clif Shot catch your eye? Lots of people start out mountain biking as a way to escape from trash and pollution and for those people the sight of trash out on the trail can be really be a heartbreaker. And, as the equation goes, the increasing popularity of mountain biking means more people on the trail, and therefore more trash on the trail, because for some reason where you have people, you will have trash. In response to an increase in riders and hikers, Paris Mountain State Park is hosting a Leave No Trace Workshop, to be held on Saturday, March 8 at 1pm at the Park's Main Building. This 2-hour workshop is free (with Park admission) and will use slideshows, games, and a verbal dialogue on outdoor ethics as a means for teaching park goers how to become Leave No Trace stewards. People who don't respect the trails are a drag for anyone who loves getting out into the woods, so come one, come all, because if you treat the trail right then the trail with definitely treat you right. For more information about the workshop and to sign up, call the Paris Mountain State Park office at 864)244-5565 or email parismountain@scprt.com. To learn more about the Leave No Trace organization go online to www.LNT.org. See you there!