Happy Labor Day weekend! We hope you're able to get outside, touch some rocks, and enjoy time with your community. With more-populous-than-normal trails, crags, and outdoor spaces... we have some tips on how you can continue to Leave No Trace! Read through to number three for a tip you may not have heard before. 1. As you hear time and time again... pack in and pack out! Whatever you take into the crag, be it snacks, gear, crag pups (and yes that includes their poop... and yours!) make sure to pack it back out with you when you leave. It's nobody's job but our own to maintain the healthy ecosystems and beauty of our outdoor spaces. 2. Leave what you find where you found it! Part of leaving a place as you found it (if not better) is leaving everything that belongs in that environment in its rightful place. In fact, in National Parks, it's illegal to take environmental elements from the park! 3. Avoid creating social trails! This is a big one that you may not have heard before. While it may seem more convenient to cut a switchback, make a new trail to the part of the wall you're trying to get to, or walk off-trail alongside your friend taking up the single track.... this is damaging to the ecosystems and environments we recreate in. More times than not... an INCREDIBLE amount of thought, consideration of environmental factors, planning, and of course hard labor goes into creating the trails that take us from the car to the crag, summit, alpine lake, etc. Going off trail can cause issues like wildlife damage (from plant life to critter life), rock fall (on steeper trails), and trail erosion (which means more manual labor for the amazing trail builders who already gave us their time). Using these trails as intended is the best way to leave no trace and avoid damaging the places we play. We hope you're able to get outside with stoke this weekend—keeping yourself, your community, and your outdoor spaces safe! #aacgram #climbprotecteducateconnect