One man's trash...

[tomba]

In addition to assorted trash (which I collect, unless it is heavy and I have to carry it far), I found a head net near a mosquito infested place, a spring-loaded-loop sun hat with a logo (I wish they made such hats for hiking - very light), a bright red cotton bandana, which must have been there for at least several weeks because sun-exposed parts have faded, sunglasses in a case, tent stakes, trekking pole baskets (they fit my REI ULs - now I have spares). Last year I found a shining coin from Ghana near Twin Island Lakes.

Also REI titanium sierra cup, with the usual bent handle for hanging it.

[Cloudy]

Perhaps eight or nine years ago, I had lunch at Duck Lake on the JMT, filled my canteens and proceeded to walk about seven miles before I needed a drink... Left my two favorite olive drab military canteens at Duck Lake! Fortunately I always carry at least one bladder in the pack so I was able to continue but I regret leaving them since even then, I was irritated that someone would have to clean up after me.

[cvr]

Two seasons ago, I was on a one-way trip from Norris TH to Happy Isles. It was a great trip the last week of September, during a crazy heat wave. I fondly remember an amazing night spent sitting on the shore/beach of Washburn L. in shorts and a t-shirt at midnight. I never stay up that late on trips, but it was so amazingly warm that I figured I better take advantage of it. My trip's bourbon rations were hit hard that night! Anyway, back to the topic...On the morning of the second day, I stopped to rest at the top of Isberg Pass. As I was sitting on some rocks enjoying the expansive view of Southern Yosemite, a shiny object stuck in between some rocks caught my eye. Curious, I retreived the item to find it was a stainless steel thermos. I immediatley thought that someone had inadvertantly dropped it, but it turned out to be something very different. I opened the container to find a picture of the man in circa 1940s mountaineering gear and a good-bye letter written to him from his daughter and his son. Deeper down, was a zip-lock bag that appeared to contain a man's ashes, but I did not check closely or remove it. Apparantly, Yosemite was their dad's favorite place in life so they decided to make it his final resting place. I can't remember the exact date of the letter, but I seem to recall it was from the early '80s so it had been there for some time.

I would have never disturbed the thermos had I known its contents, but it was an interesting find. I quickly resealed the container and returned it to the exact spot where it was discovered.

[TehipiteTom]

Perhaps eight or nine years ago, I had lunch at Duck Lake on the JMT, filled my canteens and proceeded to walk about seven miles before I needed a drink... Left my two favorite olive drab military canteens at Duck Lake! Fortunately I always carry at least one bladder in the pack so I was able to continue but I regret leaving them since even then, I was irritated that someone would have to clean up after me.

I left a canteen once, at Granite Lake (Emigrant) while on a 2000 trip with my son that I fondly refer to as Death Trip 2000. Weather was fine the first day, when we did the trail to Bear Lake and then 2 miles of cross-country to Granite. Second morning the lake was socked in, dense fog. Fog turned to drizzle then snow then sleet then snow again, all day...Third day it was still coming down, and we hightailed it outta there. Visibility was about 100', and I kept thinking this is a TV movie of the week just waiting to happen. We made it out, cold and wet and miserable (but alive), but in the frenzy of trying to pack up and go in the wet snow I ended up forgetting my canteen.

[sparky]

I found ashes once too, but not in the sierra. It was a box that said, here lies the remains of a mountain climber. I didn't disturb the box further.

I have lost/left a few items, socks last year by the rock creek ranger station, the site with the fire pit. Ooops, sorry....was attempting to dry the by the fire I also found a porno magazine all ripped up last year in yosemite. A few years ago I left a zipper open on my pack and all my medicinal marijuana fell out. I am sure someone recovered that as it was on a trail. My map also fell out of my back pocket once, but I did recover that fortunately. I have lost track of a water bottle or three. I am sure I walked out lighter than I should have when I was younger, but I have never left anything bigger than a pair of socks.

I know I have packed out much more than I have packed in, so it all evens out.

[LMBSGV]

That’s a very touching story, CVR.

I’ve also done my share of leaving things, the funniest being back in the counterbalance days when the rope would wind itself around the branch and would not unwind and come down despite any and all effort. This happened to us twice and we were forced to cut the rope and leave one end dangling from the branch. We used to come across this phenomenon in various places where other people had the same problem. This is one of the good things about bear canisters.

[RoguePhotonic]

I've seen plenty of ropes in trees. There is one hanging above a camp filled with old cans and glass bottles at Marion Lake.

[gcj]

I lost a 'knock-off' Sierra Club cup in the boulders next to Martha Lake... A couple weeks later, I found an actual 'official' Sierra Club cup in Darwin Canyon. Nice trade.

I've certainly lost plenty of bandannas while bushwhacking. (I had to learn not to leave them hanging out of my back pocket.) Once, very unfortunately, a bottle of much needed mosquito repellent. (I'd left a pouch open on my pack.)

I was sad, many days after the fact, to have discovered that I had accidentally left a copy of Roper's Climber's Guide sitting on a log near Wallace Creek a mile upstream from the JMT. I bought a new one, but the one I lost had sentimental value to me.

I used to pick up any and all accessible trash within reason weight-wise. Sometimes even used TP. I used a stick and kept a special zip-locked bag for it. The curses I levied on those who left it so close to the trails or campsites would have committed them to very large quantities of Prep H for the next five years or so .

I found this hanging from a low branch on a tree at about the 9000 foot level in the North Fork of Tuttle Creek in the eighties:

Trap1.jpg

Trap2.jpg

It's good to know that this will never harm another animal. (But pencils: Beware! )