2)The second camp proposes re-installing modern facilities at Outpost and Trail camps. I'm all for this however as mentioned before the money just isn't there plus due the long winded debates and proposed studies that have already dragged for years after removing the previously installed toilets I just don't see this happening any time in the near or distant future (maybe not in my lifetime).
A little more on this "second camp" solution. First off, the money IS there. Special purpose user fees such as the Whitney Zone permit fee are required to be spent onsite (with exceptions of course), and people would pay higher fees for quality facilities such as new toilets. The new reservation system takes a cut, but there is roughly 20,000 x $15=$300,000 annually to start with. Money was never the issue building toilets or maintaining them for almost 50 yrs. Helicopter haul outs were expensive but still within budget. I'm not sure what those bags cost, but multiply it by 20,000 and you're over $100,000 a yr for sure, plus transporting those dumpsters and waste disposal fees. Clearly the current system is quite costly and not an issue. Rocky Mtn National Park is spending less to maintain their toilet system with llamas for similar hiker numbers in similar terrain and similar elevation. So installing toilets and maintaining them is not a cost issue, users will support it financially.
Regarding long-winded debates: I think debate is appropriate for a complex problem such as this. Fear of debate no excuse for making bad decisions or giving up because it will take many years to get a solution implemented. Just follow the process, stay with it and eventually the best solution should prevail. Some people are counting on everyone getting too weary to continue the debate, and yes, the odds are in their favor. They believe in the end, they will wear everyone down and the ultimate solution will be far fewer people visiting Mt. Whitney. That's the end game here, make toilets a boogie man, let the wag bag system fail, and then reduce the quotas down to levels similar to other popular trailheads in the Eastern Sierra. Easier to manage, less impact, a better experience for the few people who get to go. So add that as #4 in your list of solutions because that's the real goal of many people who oppose toilets.
Lastly, as much as I would like human nature to evolve and everyone do the right thing, I don't like seeing a fragile environment destroyed waiting for that to happen. And frankly, I think it's asking a lot for someone who filled up a bag to have to carry it round trip up the summit and all the way back down again. Not everyone is that committed and many will simply leave it by the trail and then pick it up on the way back down. If they hide it from view, there's a good chance it will be left behind. Human nature is what it is. Keep educating and making progress, but don't ruin a mountain waiting for results. Evolution is much slower than environmental destruction.
