[Paddlewise] Tour Groups - was Commando Camping

I won't try to defend MITA much because as I said I'm ambivelant, but to my
knowledge they have always been anti squatting in the woods and anti fire
ring and they have become more so.

My experience since the 80's is I see far more people out in organized tour
groups than go out on their own. In terms of sheer numbers of people on the
islands the impact of the tour operators appears to me to be much greater
than the independant paddlers. I would also suspect that despite the best
intentions of the guides, that the customers will have worse attitude
regarding low-impact than paddlers who visit the islands under their own
initiative.

Even if the guided tours do not themselves create problems, they do serve
as an introduction to the islands which will attract a certain number of
paddlers back to do it on their own, even if there were no MITA.

The problem is not that there is an organization that attempts to manage
access to the islands. The people are going to visit them one way or
another. The problem is that there are people that want to get out and
experience the environment. It is short sighted to point at one
organization and say "look, it's their fault." We would all like to go to a
nice place and close the gate behind us. But, it won't work. Someone will
eventually break down the gate. Tour groups and island trail organizations
are not the problem, they are just symptoms.

You should also include kayak manufacturers in the group of suspects. If
they weren't making boats and agressively marketing them, there would be no
need for the trail or the tours. It's all Matt Broze's fault. :-)

At 6:05 PM -0700 7/12/00, Rob Cookson wrote:
<Snip>
>Now you might argue that as an outfitter I was part of the problem but from
>my way of thinking I was teaching responsible use of the islands as well as
>safety.  I have never kindled a fire, cut a limb or left waste human or
>otherwise on any of those islands.  I was fortunate to have worked for a
>wonderful woman who had very strong island ethics and for that I'm grateful.
>Curiously it was probably her safety conscious practices (not renting boats
>etc) not to mention the loss of her best guide to the west coast, that
>eventually put her out of business (no need to be humble while ranting).
>
>You may think that I'm just bitter about having to share MY islands with the
>rest of the world and in part you would be right but on the other hand I
>think MITA created the very problem they were seeking to avoid.  I have not
>kept up with them or their politics but last I knew if you wanted to build a
>big ole fire and squat in the bushes that was fine by them and for that I'm
>pissed.
>
>Anyway that's just what I think.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Rob- Who is just back from Maine and who didn't fight the hoards to camp on
>his favorite islands but squeezed his fat but into a tiny rodeo boat and
>surfed the hell out of his favorite wave in the world.
>
>
>
>
>
>***************************************************************************
>PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
>to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
>Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
>Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
>Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
>***************************************************************************




Nick Schade
Guillemot Kayaks
824 Thompson St, Suite I
Glastonbury, CT 06033
(860) 659-8847

Schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/

>>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<<



***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************