A less than Charmin' topic ...

[cynthia23]

Well guys, it's your old pal, the litter-obsessed Cynthia23, and I'm here today to rant on a really offal topic: People Who Leave Toilet Paper on Skyline. Now I'm sure the vast majority of you would never do this--no ifs, ands, or butts. However, of late I have noticed some Giant Walking Sphincters Masquerading as Human Beings have been leaving nasty little white piles all over Skyline. Most of the T.P. is below two thousand feet and thus probably not regulars or serious hikers or people likely to read this forum, but, if any of you do have this bad habit ... I'd just like to remind folks, especially you out of towners who might not realize this, that in the dry conditions of the Lower Sonoran, T.P. will NOT BIODEGRADE. The Feces Fairy will not come and magically whisk away these little semi-white piles of paper. They just sit there for literally the next ten to fifteen years, gradually mummifying, looking icky and harboring bacteria. Not to mention, as soon as the wind kicks up ... oh, look, dear, is that the migrating white birds of San Juan Capistrano? Why no, honey, it's the Flying Toilet Paper Wads of Mt. San Jacinto! And one just blew into my face! How Charmin!!!

So, Folks--TAKE UR T.P. WITH U!!! Carry a plastic baggie with you (approximate hiking weight: one trillionth of a pound) and stuff your used t.p. inside and pack it away. If for some reason you forget that bag (yes, we all know that s--- happens), at least bury the T.P.! Dig a real hole (at least twelve inches deep) and be sure to cover it with a number of rocks as the animals will dig it up. However, burying T.P. is NOT a good (i.e. non-emergency) way to deal with it. If you have any kind of a container, take it with you. It is your/our responsibility to take our trash out, especially this especially nasty trash. From a spiritual point of view, think of what incredibly bad wilderness karma you pile up for yourself when you literally dump your excremental accessories all over a rare and holy place. The Mountain will remember, and the Mountain has ways of getting back ...

I'm sorry to gross people out with this gross topic, but on the other hand, I am even more grossed out by viewing these fluttering piles of human coliform bacteria. The only thing nastier is the people who are doing this ...

Now, for my next trashy rant, I promise to keep it clean: Discarded Gu Tabs, and the People Who Don't Love Them ...

[AlanK]

The trail needs more rattlesnakes.

[Hikin_Jim]

... Giant Walking Sphincters Masquerading as Human Beings ...

Cynthia, why don't you go ahead and tell us what you really think?

Yeah, I agree with you. Pretty disgusting and no excuse for it. Even the most wilderness etiquettely ingnorant should know to do their business out of sight. When I was in the Rockies this summer, someone had squatted literally on the side of trail, quite a ways back in at over 11,000'. You'd think they'd know better. Sheesh.

[Ellen]

Howdy All

Yesterday I learned that there is a pile of TP in the folage to the right of Flat Rock

My friend Cynthia's post expresses my sentiments perfectly and she's a much better writer so I thought this was a good time to revisit her excellent post.

On my next Skyline trip, I'll bring gloves and start on the clean up.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[bluerail]

what really pisses me off is finding empty water bottles along the trail...lots of them. and as of today, Florian, your bucket is almost empty ! 2 bottles of gatorade and three of water yesterday, today...one water bottle ! wtf is wrong with people ?...are there that many people going up short watered in a 24 hour period ?

and Cynthia, I'm with you on the gu tabs, especially bad after the sierra club has been on the trail.

[Ellen]

Howdy Steve

It was great to see you, Fern and Z-dude yesterday Also enjoyed having lunch with you. Thanks for your kind words about being the queen of the upper section but Doreen is the "true" Queen of Skyline and Cy is the King.

Regarding seeing discarded water bottles and Saint Florian's depleted cache -- ARGH!!!

Looks like I'll be packing out empty bottles, carbohydrate gel trash and TP next Saturday

This brings to mind those who clean up/adopt beaches -- perhaps we should have a similar group for Skyline -- SOS (Save our Skyline).

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[bluerail]

Fern and I are always hauling crap off that hill..I pick it up, then I put it in his pack !

Alan..I'm with you on the lack of rattlers. Suprisingly, I'm starting to enjoy seeing them. They would be so helpful at keeping the trash tossing goofballs off the trail.

[Lcpl Hughes]

Count me in

but I am bringing my gardening shovel to pick up the poop and tp... or are we just picking up the tp? I got that scooping motion down from my every day routine in my backyard...yah..

don't know if anyone has noticed, but right directly behind the museum is tp also and from what I can tell, a lot of urine..but that could also be from the homeless..but that would seem an odd place for the homeless, not like it is a Downtown Riverside Museum or anything..ha

[Florian]

Fern and I are always hauling crap off that hill..I pick it up, then I put it in his pack !

LOL.

I'm sorry to hear the water cache has been mostly used up in one day! I left 4 water bottles yesterday plus the 2 Gatorade bottles that were already there. (I forgot to leave the Ensure liquid meal i was carrying.) I still have mixed feelings about the cache but overall i hope it's more a help to people than a nuisance to maintain.

I also agree re the toilet paper issue. I rarely have the need to poop while day-hiking but i do do (pun intended) a lot of back country camping in the Anza-Borrego desert. I used to just bury my used TP but a couple of years ago i started packing it out. People tend to camp in the same nice areas and as Cynthia said paper on the desert lasts a long long time.

My method: I pre-make little poopy-kits using 6"x6" ziplock freezer bags with two paper towels inside. (Yeah, i use paper towels and not real toilet paper. Regular toilet paper is just too hard to manage and control if it's windy. Choose one of the softer towel brands. Paper towels are handy for other things too.) I carry one of these kits in my daypack too. So i dig a little hole, do my business, and the used paper goes in the freezer bag then into my trash bag. Simple, clean, self-contained, handy.

After typing the above i just had an idea too! I think i'll include a sealed hand sanitizer towel in each poopy-kit so i'll have something to wipe my hands on then everything goes into the freezer bag for disposal. Brilliant idea eh!

-Florian

[Blooty]

I too was v. disheartened to discover the cache of TP along that beautiful trail. I guess I have to add plastic gloves to my packing list.

Someone gave me a really good tip yesterday, she gets those blue baggies they use for doggie doo bags, and uses them when hiking to haul out TP if needed.

Maybe the next full moon romp can be a trash hunt...(I would say treasure hunt but in this case one man/womans trash is not another's treasure) and the one with the most trash at the top gets free drinks!