Re: [Paddlewise] Wilderness is good business

Nice post and well framed description of this particular wilderness 
'crux'.

I'd also add another layer to the Wilderness Pays consideration.
Backpacking saw a similar boom a few years ago, as has all 'wilderness 
travel/use'
activities (and outdoor & 'extreme' sports).  In the wake of this rise 
is the
lifestyle and ancillary marketing of 'activity-like' products, 
including publications.
Backpacker Magazine routinely publishes articles about how to find hard 
to find
places and triumphs these under very sexy headlines, such as "10 Best 
Spots to Find
Solitude!".  No, really.   And every time a 'local' sees their spot 'go 
up on the list'
there is much local gnashing and wailing.  What defines 'solitude' then 
undergoes
a lowering of expectations through a repeated experience process.

It's a conundrum when backpackers preach No Trace, and then don't 
consider
the origins of their fancy gear (who sews it and where in the 'global 
economy),
or the impact of an ancillary lifestyle that leads to further 
destruction of habitat,
etc. We can't ALL live on the Front Range or along the Sunshine Coast.

Most activity associated places retain their 'primary look and feel' 
when access
requires effort and skill.  Remove the barriers and the primary 
attraction morphs
into a mere 'former of its shadowy self' (if you'll pardon the language 
switch).
Retain the barriers and the spot tends to retain more of its primary 
elements.

Part of the crux here is the charge of a 'populist' vs. 'elitist' mode, 
a bifurcation
that has been cast in many different modes (especially regarding land 
use in
the American West....as has already been noted in this List).  Many 
argue that
removal of barrier implicates a wider audience, and thus gains or 
converts
many to the cause of preservation...a delicate balance, which sometimes 
sacrifices
a few spots to save many (or surrenders many to save a few). And let's 
not forget
that for many, money and privilege also afford access and often in the 
place of
skill or experience.

Sea Kayaking (like rock climbing, WW Kayaking/Canoeing, etc) has 
undergone
an extreme bump in numbers over the past 10 years.  This leaves a 
bigger footprint
with each step.  When we go out on a paddle, we add to that foot print.
Left, right, center, etc, our feet all leave their marks: the tundra we 
step on
does not benefit from our ability to articulate a political argument.
Dave's post does a nice job of raising some of these issues for our 
consideration.
It's good to be reminded that our individual and collective wake(s) do 
not just
disappear behind us as we go.

-w
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