E. Coli is found in the gut of humans and animals. Yes, your finger is pointing at the culprit.
"Definition
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals. Most varieties of E. coli are harmless or cause relatively brief diarrhea. But a few particularly nasty strains, such as E. coli O157:H7, can cause severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
You may be exposed to E. coli from contaminated water or food — especially raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef. Healthy adults usually recover from infection with E. coli O157:H7 within a week, but young children and older adults have a greater risk of developing a life-threatening form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome."
In the 40+ years that I have lived in the Eastern Sierra, this is the first time of which I am aware that a water source has been shut down at a trail-head area due to E. Coli. Animals defecate all over these mountains, but certain trails with heavy human traffic, like Whitney, show obvious signs of improper disposal of human fecal material.
So, let's not rush to judgment on innocent animals who poop wherever they can. We have enough historical evidence over the past 30+ years regarding the Whitney area to be able to assign guilt to human impact on this fragile environment: 1) crowds of people who don't know how to poop in the woods, 2) removal of toilets, and 3) the infamous wag bags. Now with the heavy run-off from a record snow pack, it is very likely that a lot of human fecal material has found its way into the Portal water supply. Nature is taking its revenge.
A few days ago, while fishing at the inlet of Long Lake (the one above South Lake) on the Bishop Pass trail, I found fresh human poop next to the lake, which the guilty party had attempted to hide under a rock, leaving a long strand of used toilet paper. This is a recurring find along this beautiful trail.
Last edited by Bob West; 08/19/17 04:19 PM.
