Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Trash on the Mountain

Just spent 4 days on the Mountain and was disappointed to find much more trash than 2 yrs. ago. We spent most of our time at Outpost, but did a day hike up to Trail Camp, and also spent one night at Lone Pine Lake.

There was a Snickers Bar wrapper and several other unidentifiable pieces of trash in the stream just before the old toilets at Outpost. Wherever we went into the brush to use our wag bags or pee, it was easy to spot toilet paper and even some poop. We tried to find places that were out of the way to relieve ourselves, but judging by the strong urine odor and left over toilet paper, many others had used those locations previously. On the plus side, I didn't see wag bags strewn about everywhere as mentioned in previous posts.

Outpost was a lot more crowed than Trail Camp, which was the opposite of previous trips. This made me wonder why Outpost's toilets were closed, while Trail Camp's were open. It was easy to spot bits of paper on the ground around our site, and lifting up rocks would occasionally reveal more paper. I didn't notice as much trash at Trail Camp, but Lone Pine Lake had foil, broken glass, paper, etc. Perhaps we spotted more trash this time since we hung around longer and weren't in summit mode.

Seeing these changes in just a few years, I feel that the Mountain needs a serious clean up effort. Something should be done similar as to what is happening on Everest where expeditions are going there to remove all the trash. Forget about going to the top, just have a few days near the end of summer where volunteers go to pick up trash. To encourage volunteers to sign up, perhaps those that offer to clean up can get priority in obtaining permits for the next year.

We can't expect the rangers to pick up after the slobs, and I doubt the government is going to spend a lot of money to help keep the Mountain clean. The only other option is to increase the restrictions on the number of people that can enter the Whitney Zone, or close it down entirely for a few years to let the area recover. Unfortunately, we can not force people to leave no trace.

Different side of the mountain, but similar concerns:

I came down the North Fork without snow for the first time in a long time and was disgusted by the amount of damage we climbers are doing to the terrain.

Brush trampled in many places.

Shortcuts that probably save two steps.

What are we coming to? My thoughts were that the North Fork probably needs to be made off-limits until it has a chance to recover.

Yes, it would be nice if everyone picked up after themsselves, too bad us nice hikers have to do it for them. =(

I thought I would receive more feedback on this subject than I have. Perhaps I am exaggerating the situation, or the majority of people are choosing to ignore the issue.

I know there are many who live near the mountain that make their living from the people entering the wilderness. If they are not concerned, then maybe the problem isn't too bad.

However, in the 5 years I've been coming the situation, to me, has deteriorated rapidly. I find it hard to believe that those with many more years on the mountain than I are not concerned about the changes taking place.

Thanks, Richard,for your comments. I read this board regularly and have learned alot from your posts. The fact that someone with your experience also sees the damage being done validates my concern.
Brian

I noticed in even the norh fork - more trash than previous years - since I didnt summit last trip - had extra time and did try to pick up as much trash as i could along the way down. dont want to see this route get closed off and limited due to neglegence.

maybe time could be spent on clean up rather than building up the route cairns so high and mighty. was suprised to see the rockbuilders at it again this year - counted up to 50 rocks in some of them - a bit of overkill

I talked to Ranger Dave while on the MR about a week ago – he explained the cairns and the philosophy. The MR is supposed be just that, a mountaineer’s route, which is sort of a trail that is not a trail. But the area has been damaged by it’s recent boom in interest. So the point of the cairns is to direct folks to stay to one relatively undefined path and let all of the other trampled-on areas recover. Dave has done a good job of limiting the big cairns so that you don’t generally see one until you have gone far enough to wonder, “Where the heck is the trail now?” Just about that time another cairn comes into view … except for the boulder field above LBSL, where for the most part, it is impossible to create multiple little trails, because the boulders are so durable … general rule there, I believe, is to stay low and near the drainage, until you get to the slabs near Clyde’s Meadow … then the cairns begin again. Thanks Dave for the hard work, preservation efforts, and the education.

Even though "Trash" is unsightly and it's bothersome that people discard rubbish up there, alway remember that it's not really the mountain that's being spoiled, but only the trail...the .01% or less of the whole mountain that people are actually on. It's a curious thing how people are about this phenomenon and get excited about what happens to the few places people actually go in the wilds. That doesn't mean I don't think people should carry out their trash and avoid littering..just want to put some perspective on it.

Adrian

3 little words together make a big statement.

Pack it out!

Whenever I see trash I pick it up and toss it in with my trash in my pack and I'm finding that more and more I am always packing out additional trash.

I would be up for volunteering one of my weekends to help with trash clean-up on the mountain.
Adam

I didn't see much trash, but I did see one used wag bag right at trail crest. I assumed that whoever it belonged to dropped it off while making a summit attempt (or at least I hope that's the case).

I think that it would be fairly easy to get a number of people to volunteer to clean up. I'm wondering how that could be coordinated with the permit system. Would volunteers need to obtain walk in permits (I'm 2 for 2 when I've tried a walk in) in order to be allowed on the trail? I doubt people would give up a lottery spot for clean up. Or, would the clean up crew be allowed to be exempt from the permit requirement? It would be interesting to hear the rangers opinion on this.
Brian

Count me in for two days up and back to trail camp toting trash bag. Let's set a date and maybe get the Message Board and the Lone Pine station to post respective notices, provided they agree.

volunteers doing trailwork of any type do not use permits....which are issued for "recreation".

Technically, those volunteers are covered by administrative permits used for the performance of various types of maintenence.

Of course, this is all coordinated by the manager for the respective area.

So Ken, since you're on the "inside," why don't you make the arrangemens? Of course, my participation would be dependent on it being a Tue-Wed-Thurs.

jim, i was up there at trail crest at least a day after you (8/1) and i believe i saw the same used wag bag. actually, i smelled it first. unfortunately this means that it wasn't left there temporarily by someone heading to the summit. i will occasionally pick up pieces of trash i see on trails, but will stop well short of picking up fecal matter. i don't quite understand the thought process of these clowns that leave sh*t up on the mountain- i think what they're doing is almost worse than if they didn't use a wag bag at all...

one acronym....LNT

i will be packing out all of my waste when i do the HST next week. it sounds like i'll be packing out some other people's trash too.

Richard, I think a "clean-up" is an interesing idea.
Although I have an enhanced understanding of the process (due to my work on another forest), I have no official standing on this forest. However, I'll ask around.

Whitney, your post is a necessary reminder, thanks for bringing up this unpleasant subject.

I agree that as the years go by, the litter problem increases in the mountains. This is especially true on peaks where lots of non hikers go for a one day outing, just to say "I did it." Half Dome would be a hike like this and Mt. Baldy on a weekend brings out many people who aren't regular hikers. The vast majority of these people wouldn't dream of littering, but there's always the inconsiderate one here and and there. They add up, unfortunately.

I don't think dedicated hikers ever litter on the trail and always pick up other people's trash as a matter of course.

I spent last summer hiking in the White Mountains in NH and the Adirondacks. The hiking philosophy there is highly developed and the hikers in the east are really serious about the sport. I never saw any litter at the trailheads or on the trails there. They're fanatic about keeping their trails clean and respectable and they do a great job.

I've seen a lot more litter on the Whitney Trail as each year goes by. I hope that some of the Snickers wrappers are littered by accident, when the wrappers blows out of someone's pocket, but I wonder.

Another, even more serious problem, is the graffiti. I started noticing it in 2002 and it's getting worse. The trailhead on Baden Powell has graffiti all over it and some of the stones are tagged as well. I did Marrion Mountain in San Jacinto yesterday and was very depressed to see graffiti one mile in on a Wilderness sign.

It's jarring to see litter on trails, but it's infuriating to see graffiti!

Candance, as I was reading through your post I was wondering why nobody has mentioned graffiti...reading on, you did.

It has reached the Portal area. I haven't noticed any up on the mountain.

The markings in the Baldy area scare me to the point that I don't leave any valuables in the car anymore. (Sorry, I don't think of tagging as art, I equate it with scum...)

Hi Some insight into the rock paintings all over the summit and the trail to the summit these are names of many people from many years past and the hut interior walls are covered with names,also Outpost camp area many trees have names carved into them, is there a difference if the orgin is from a ethnic group or have others not noticed the markings? Thanks Doug

No, I have not noticed any summit paintings, or tree markings. I would have to say that I would be offended (I was about to say just) almost as much by them.

I have seen rock carvings on the summit, but assumed they are from a previous time period when climbers didn't know any better.

I haven't seen any comments directly related to ethnicity in any of the previous posts, but since you brought up the topic, most of the tagging that I see here in the big city is turf markings by gang members (usually thought of as being from one of three ethnic groups), so I guess we can assume that the scum isn't satisfied with destorying the look of LA. (I get it - TRASH ON THE MOUTAIN!)