Recently, all our permits and hiking plans failed, so we went to explore further into the wilderness of our favorite overnight spot.
This trail is our favorite “go-to” spot and first ever overnight together. We have hiked this trail many times covered in snow and blossoming with flowers. It is typically a natural beauty, well maintained trail that leads up to a crystal clear glacier fed lake.
You can imagine our disappointment in humanity when trash was littered from the start of the trail head to our favorite watering hole. And I mean we couldn’t walk 20 paces without seeing another eyesore.
What I mean by “Eyesore”..
- Snack wrappers
- Tea bags
- Masks
- Clothes
- Feminine products (oh yeah)
- Tissue paper
- Broken gear
- Human feces
- Yes, human #2 and
- USED TOILET PAPER
Poopy TP 
TP sightings everywhere 
Yumm 
One of many “ankle breaking” holes dug by an off leash dog 
If you look to the left past the bush, is the lake. 
Nice shady Poo spot 
No time for a cat hole 
Just shove it under those branches 
Awareness x 0 
Hard to enjoy the trail..
Littered irresponsibly ALL OVER the beautiful trail.
And if that alone wasn’t enough to make me loose my faith in humanity..
The glacier fed watering hole was TARNISHED by an overwhelming amount of sunscreens, bug sprays, deodorant, lotions and soaps from people swimming and washing in the water.
Normally the best part about hiking is the fresh spring water. But this water was so fouled that even after filtering the taste was …. indescribably disgusting. Our water filter is permanently stained with the filth.
This is a whole new level of trust issues. Never again will I trust Mountain water to be it’s crisp, cool, refreshing liquid self. Suspiciously sipping to test for soap is my new life.
We (humans who hike) can be better than this. The trails are not your trash pit nor the lake your sink, and the rangers are definitely not there to clean up after your literal or figurative crap.
I spent the populated portion of the hike feverishly frustrated, and the unpopulated part wishing there were less people in the world – or that I could get away from them all.. not how anyone wants to spend their hike.
If you are new to exploring the outdoors or have never known any better, I challenge you to learn about your impact. Everything you pack in, should leave the trail with you. If you pack it in, PACK IT OUT.
Click HERE to learn about the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace.
Leave No Trace is an organization which strives to define and normalize the easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors.
Our world is suffering. It is visible in so many ways. Don’t let the toxicity slip into the trails where humans can strive still to be with Mother Nature.
This is part 2 of a 3 part story
Click HERE for part 1.
Part 3 coming soon.
