This WAG BAG question is interesting after all the discussion regarding pack stock use in another thread.
I have backpacked in the Sierras for over 40 years, and have seen no improvement vis a vis reduction of human waste in the mountains. Many people seem to think that if "nobody sees my poop and used toilet paper" that it's okay to drop wherever it is convenient to them. I can take you to areas along the Bishop Pass trail where used toilet paper, candy wrappers, ciggie butts, broken glass, fishing equipment, etc. continue to reappear, even after packers and others have made the effort to remove it. It would take a small army of volunteers and months of work to pick up all the stuff near my favorite trail.
Most of my backpacker friends are pretty considerate and careful with what they leave behind, but the more occasional, vacation trip backpackers seem to be the major offenders. There seems to be an attitude among some people that goes along the lines of "Oh, well, I won't be back here, so it doesn't matter if I leave a little trash; it's out of sight behind the bushes." Please, don't ask me to give you "official statistics" on this, because I don't think such a study has ever been done; backpackers are a much more elusive target than packers. And...packers are much more responsible than the average backpacker.
This will really annoy the "Whitney Addicts" on this forum, but I think really severe restrictions are needed on the Whitney trail. Like what? 1) No more day trips permits to the summit, 2) restrict the number of overnight trips per party to once per year, 3)cut the number of overnight trips from the Portal to six permits per day, 4) allow a maximum of four people per permit, 5)allow Portal originating overnight trips to July and August only. The Whitney Trail needs a long overdue rest from its hiker generated abuse.
