Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion This is Ridiculous...WAG Bag City

Last weekend my hiking partner and I traveled from Onion Valley to Whitney Portal. This was our first time through this spectacular part of the Sierra.

The weather could not have been better, the lack of people between Onion Valley and tarns above Guitar Lake made it a true wilderness experience.

However, at about 12,900' we saw our first "abandoned in the wilderness" WAG Bag. We saw two more before reaching Lower Trail Crest then one on a ledge at Lower Trail Crest...along with a quart ziplock full of excrement and another along the way to the summit...and sun still wasn't up.

By the time we reached Whitney Portal, we saw a dozen abandoned bags along the trail in full view...I can only imagine how many were in the cracks and cervices out of view.

This is the worst have I have seen trash along the trail in a dozen years coming to this mountain. I would not believe anyone from the forest service who told me this program is working.

The only short term solution, seems to me, is to put disposal/storage units at Outpost and Trail Camps and hope people use them. One thing I do know, the current situation is untenable.

Great first real topic, eh, guys and girls.

You go man! We can be a little more candid about the true grit on this site.

That sounds like a big problem.

Maybe we should copy the long Trail Crest toilet thread over here from wpsmb that got deleted (and restored).

I'm in!!! Yahoo. It works.Wag Bags is a very appropiate first topic...lol
Lord knows it is a problem and many have offered great solutions. Problem is trying to get a Govt. agency to use some common sense for a solution.I agree at the very least there should be wag bag collection recepticles at Outpost and Crap and Piss City ooops I mean Trail Camp.

Now, now, Rod, one is a backcountry slum, other a backcountry ghetto...between May 1 and November 1. Get your designations right.

Most of the people you speak to one the westside will tell you they go all the way to the Portal, rather than put up with the crowds at Trail Camp or Outpost Camp. Considering what I saw this past weekend, if I had two broken legs I would walk all the way out.

It is definately time for nature to wash away the remnants of civilzation with some rain and snow. Especially after a long summer of heavy use. I still have the stench of urine in my nose from being at Trail Camp last Labor Day weekend.If you go anywhere near the rocks to the left of the trail as you walk into Trail Camp hold your nose...lol
Backcountry slum and ghetto... You are harsh.You are correct that they are hardly pristine wilderness.

The only time this is a wilderness experience is in the winter when the snowphobics go away...far away.

We saw 8 or 10 wag bags along the trail last weekend. Most were at/near Trail Camp.

When we camped at Outpost my son used his wag bag. I have always carried one, but never had to use one in all of my Whitney hikes so it was new ground for me. Since I had an extra I issued him that for his summit bid and we covered his used one with rocks (in a way that it wouldn't be crushed) and put our bear canister right next to the rock pile. I didn't want him to carry it to the summit and back since we had another, yet I didn't want a ranger to see it and carry it out. I hope that was an acceptable practice. When we returned and packed up camp he retreived his bag and packed it out. He put it in a trash bag we had (tripled over) and hand carried because he didn't want it in/on his pack. ..........................................DUG

I never used one before either, Dug. However, with the trots I used it Trail Camp, Trailside Meadow and Lone Pine Lake before the expired Loperamide kicked in...thank God.

I've not that bad once you get the hang of it. I had a lot of practice Sunday.

Leaving the summit Sunday we pushed all the way to Trail Crest before we took a break. As soon as we sat down I was overwhelmed with a smell that reminded me of my port call in India! It just plain stunk of urine.

Our spot at Outhouse, um Outpost camp wasn't too bad. My son and our friend, being true boy scouts (our partner is an Eagle Scout) picked up a couple pounds of trash from around our area. We could have hauled a truckload out I bet - yet it was still better than Trail Camp.

I don't understand why people spend the effort to haul gear all the way to Trail Camp. It's nasty, longer, harder and it's NASTY. We left Outhouse, er Outpost Camp and made the trip to Trail Camp in just over an hour and half at my son's pace. So what's the advantage of starting at Trail Camp? Does the few miles make or break your summit bid? I think whatever you gain would be lost by the effort to get gear up there and the lack of sleep from the crowds and smell..................................DUG

I completely agree with you Doug. Outpost is lower altitude and easier to sleep at.Trail Camp just stinks of urine anywhere near the rocks where most people camp. Bob R's suggestion of Consultation Lake is probably a better place but you still have the issue of lugging gear up. I got my pack down to 26 lbs fully loaded and stocked and it was a pretty easy slog up to TC but I couldn't sleep at that altitude.

I just had too much time on my hands I guess! So went all the way to the beginning and found this interesting topic!

My solution: From the past few years, I started using a half a tablet of Immodium the night before at the tarns above Guitar lake and next day started early in the morning and did all the 14 miles without any need for a wag bag! So probably we should advice the Interagency to start selling immodium