Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion WAG bags left on trail

Your personal attacks are inaccurate and inappropriate, Dale. For the third time, if you have a plan to address the challenges you like to bring up that we're all aware of, let's see your plan. I've had a plan all along and I've done my part to move it forward.

Back in 2011, I proposed a phased approach to the Forest Supervisor that he showed interest in - to replace the toilet at Outpost camp and continue handing out wag bags for the upper mountain. Perhaps also try a collection bin at Trail Camp. Use mules or llamas to remove waste weekly using sanitary technicians or a private company. Very importantly - free up the Rangers to do more important work. If the toilets do indeed work well and improve the situation, then consider replacing them at Trail Camp as well. Continue handing out wag bags, but only to those who want to use them and commit to carrying the way up and all the way out. The key to success is giving people other options.

The Forest Supervisor wanted to know more about the toilet system at Longs Peak (Rocky Mtn NP) including design details and costs. He didn't seem to be well informed about the issues with the current system on Whitney that we discuss here about bags left behind and the piles of human waste. Unfortunately, the Whitney District Ranger at the time Ms. Woods, who is gone now, took the approach that toilets were not technically viable. That was the end of that. So once again, the technical viability of toilets is still a key issue.

It's also noteworthy that Garry Oye has retired from the NPS as a national wilderness manager. Garry was the person responsible for starting the wag bags when he was District Ranger at Inyo, which is fine, but he also burned down the toilets, which greatly complicates other solutions. And he did it without completing the environmental review process that was underway with a 50 page environmental assessment & public comments received. That should anger any true environmentalist.

Steve and I plan to reach out to the Forest Supervisor again this fall with hopes of restarting a productive dialog. Although I'm passionate about getting the facts straight about the situation on Whitney, it doesn't really affect me. I'm pretty much done going up that trail, but I do exit over Trail Crest at times.