Mylar Balloons

[kpeter]

I have over the years found and packed out the remains of a few Mylar balloons that get released and then become airborne litter.

On this last trip to Northern Yosemite I found THREE of these reflective monstrosities.

If I found three just by randomly wandering around a tiny sliver of the wilderness, there must be thousands of them all over the place. They also do not seem likely to break down. The Japanese launched 9000 incendiary balloons toward our forests in WWII but those things were paper and the rare few that made it did not survive many seasons on the ground. These modern balloons will be there until someone picks them up.

I wonder if graduation season put these balloons into the air just before my trip. I certainly hope people have better graduations this year than last, and next year than this. But releasing these balloons seems a poor way to do it.

[SSSdave]

I like to think I have the largest collection of mylar balloons from the Sierra Nevada though have not collected any for that last 15 years or so. Some day when I exhibit my photography, I may set up that collection for viewing also that reflects the level of my wanderings.

Along trails they are not common because people like you grab them. Because of all my crosscountry photography explorations, I have been on large numbers of routes where few or no other visitors have rambled thus find them. It does not bother me that balloons are released in California cities and get blown eastward where they land in mountains. They don't last many years due to degradation of plastic polymer bonds from ultraviolet sunlight as I've found many that are just small scraps. Most land out in open areas and quickly get stuck though some may last longer if they get stuck in a totally shady spot. Of course sometimes large assemblies of balloons are strung together with string. Largest find was at the Marie Lake peninsula that contained a few dozen balloons. Have found only a few that still contained some helium because those tiny molecules slowly leak through the plastic.

[c9h13no3]

There have been many attempts to ban them, but it isn't a politically enjoyable position to take. Most experts agree, their cost to society is large compared to the tiny role they play in our lives. But it's just too easy to run an ad saying "X senator hates fun".

[balzaccom]

We've picked up endless numbers of these...often, as Dave says, hiking off trail in the Sierra and Death Valley.

Not a fan.

[wildhiker]

I've found a few balloons in the Sierra. My most interesting find was a crashed radio-controlled model sailplane, wingspan about 6 feet, on a day hike on the 9000 foot high ridge between Basin and Castle Peaks in the Tahoe National Forest. I figured it flew out of range of its radio controller and then just kept going on the wind. Who knows how far it flew. I carried it out for disposal. When we passed other hikers who were surprised to see it, I had fun telling them "it crashed on the ridge and unfortunately, there were no survivors."
-Phil

[erutan]

Yeah I've found quite a few in advanced stages of decomposition due to UV as described elsewhere in the thread. Annoying to try and pack out as they disintegrate as you try and pick them up...

The model sailplane story made me smile and think of a trip through slide where I found a gaggle of ballons that still had some helium in them early season. I carefully popped the ones that had little scraps of paper/foil in them (and cleaned up the ground where a few had popped earlier), then attached the rest of them onto the back of my pack. Got a few amused looks from the remaining couple dropping back down to twin lakes the next day.

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[Wandering Daisy]

I once found a nice inflated rectangular one. Used it for a pillow for two nights before it deflated! They do make nice pillows when partially inflated.

[dave54]

Planting trees one Spring by LVNP we found one with a note attached requesting info on where found. From a school kid in Eureka.

We sent a letter back describing where we found it, what we were doing, etc.

[BillyBobBurro]

If anyone finds a six pack of beer attached to some balloons those are mine.

[Mtncaddis]

The first one I found was off trail in Lyell Canyon. I saw it glimmering from a distance and initially thought it was an injured hiker signaling for help. I carried it several days and cussed mindless consumerism every time I saw it in my trash bag.