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trash, hidden crap , and tp everywhere on JMT.
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Home › Forums › Campfire › Member Trip Reports › trash, hidden crap , and tp everywhere on JMT.
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Sep 4, 2011 at 3:44 pm #1776021AnonymousInactive
"Ah…JMT hikers"
Sort of remind me of the Intergalactic Space Bar in Star Wars. ;=]
Sep 9, 2011 at 8:21 am #1777750I finished the trail a few days ago and after we re-entered at reds meadow we stopped seeing intentional trash disposal and Tp for about 120 miles. When we descended from Whitney though I became enraged. A little trash on the trail on the way up and a poo bag hidden in some rocks but when we got to trail camp I flipped out. People weren't bear canning and the squirrels and marmots were having a smorgasborg of 5 hour energy drinks, top ramen including the aluminum seasoning packets, oatmeal, and dehydrated backcountry meals. People just put a few rocks on their food bags and went up to Whitney. Oh and that's how they disposed of their poo bags there too, hiding them in the rocks.
So all the people were sitting around (in chairs?) while I fished all the food and wrappers out from where the animals scurried off with it. Some Guy thought I was mad because it was my food they had gotten to. Otherwise the rest of the jmt was great.
Sep 19, 2011 at 8:18 am #1780800Yeah coming down from Whitney is particularly bad.
The whole trip isn't nearly THAT bad though, and there are long stretches without trash. Really where you see non JMTrs, you see more trash. That's likely both a quantity of people thing AND a thru-hiker respect thing.
Honestly I think what you CAN do is both pick up trash when you see it (be the change you want to see), and educate people when you see them trashing things. Beyond that…. good luck. Campaign for funding the state/national park system? Give a donation specifically for the backcountry rangers? Not sure.
Sep 19, 2011 at 9:37 am #1780826Randy Morgenson, in his 28 year tenure as a backcountry ranger at Rae, McClure, and Bench, removed about 1000 POUNDS of "backpacker detrius" each season.
Each bit we pick up is one less for them.
Sep 19, 2011 at 11:05 am #1780861I wonder if LNT has become a way with so many older backpackers that it is not talked about and passed on to the newer younger hikers backpackers. We all talk sport but not ethics. Ive seen posts on what to use for trowels, to use or not use T.P. crapping under rocks but nobody talking about how far out of camps and off trail or away from water that that is acceptable. Ive also read where people have said that every rock they rolled over in camp had p@@p under it but why were they rolling over rocks… hopefully to weight down tent stakes. So maybe its time to start threads on Leave No Trace and rather than talking about what not to do lets talk about what to do and where to do it. More on this soon.
Sep 28, 2011 at 8:49 pm #1784628"The question is why is this happening? What has changed?"
One of the reasons why I haven't been on the JMT since 1972. I do want to complete it before I get too old, but every time I plan it… I just put it off.
As to "why?"
I think a few things. First and foremost is a society where people are not held accountable for poor behavior and the attitude that some will take care of their short comings. Another thing is partly our fault. We post trip reports of hikes in remote areas on the internet — surefire way to attract hordes of these folks. Trail guides are another problem. A published trail usually means I "un-check" it my inventory of places to go. Lastly, we have many new citizens from countries whose cultures do not necessarily embrace wilderness ethics. At least I am old enough to remember what these places once looked like.
Oct 2, 2011 at 12:03 am #1785710@Micheal
Like I said, it was just the first sixty and the last 10 miles where we saw intentional trash disposal on the trail. I probably picked up 10 band-aids/bandages, I found two trekking pole baskets, and a bunch of random trash like the tops off of clifshots and then a whole bag of trash at whitney's trail camp. -
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