Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Urine on the trail

A group of us visited the summit yesterday on a 1-day trip. Wow, am I tired today. Anyway...

What is the protocol for peeing on the trail? It seems like every nook on the trail during the last 1.9 miles are wet with urine. There's just not a lot of room to go anywhere but on the trail. Is that normal?

General guideline is 100ft from the trail and any water sources. However, not much room to manuever up on the traverse. I usually try to get as far from the trail as feasible.

Kinda makes you think about the guy who was slurping from the piddles (I mean puddles!) up there the other day, eh?

-L

Ready, Fire, Aim!

There are subtle advantages to being male.

As MooseTracks mentions, proper protocal is 100 feet from the trail or any water source. Sometimes, common sense has to be used, as there just may not be 100 feet of safe off-trail area to go to, as found on parts of the upper Whitney trail. If I "have to go" in these regions, I get as far off the trail as possible.

Whitney Mike

I'd add: watch where you place you pack and also where you sit down. By this time of year, the JMT Junction starts to smell pretty rank and last year, when I picked up my pack, I noticed that I had placed it in an "alcove" that many were using to relieve themselves.

Ewwww... good tip, Richard. I think I'll just plan my rest stop a bit beyond there!

-L

Boy, I would be pissed off...

I don't know if it's normal or not, but it's certainly disgusting and extremely inconsiderate on the part of those marking their 'spot'.

I can understand having to find SOMEWHERE to go, but NOT somewhere one might reasonable expect someone to sit or to place his gear/hip pack/back pack/etc. There were a number of places where I'd sit down to rest or take pictures and from the odor I have to wonder what I was sitting in!

People should go as far off trail as they safely can along there, or at the very least pick spots that wouldn’t have a logical use as a rest spot or sitting spot.

COMING SOON!

TO A PORTAL STORE NEAR YOU!

WAG BAGS FOR LIQUIDS!

Actually, there are very few nooks or crannies anywhere above Trail Camp on the main trail where anyone can find a private spot to go. And moving off the main trail anyplace in that area means a lot of climbing (and still no privacy). So I am not surprised that you are going to find wet spots. Next rain storm will wash it all away.

This sure seems like a whole lot of anguish over a minor annoyance. Be happy that there are no pack animals on this trail.

...And that reminds me of an experience last time I climbed White Mountain. Coming down from the summit, I went off the "trail" to find some privacy to "unload some weight". When I came back onto the trail, some self-righteous hiker lady scolded me for not staying on the trail. Unfortunately, I didn't have a quick enough wit to ask her where she would prefer I took a ****.

Edit: AlanK, I have a coffee mug with that picture on it.

There are a few spots.



Just don't let my son know I posted this one.

For Steve C.:

We have to make sure marmots and other varmints don't mess up the natural environment with their urine and feces. And just think of the disgusting things fish do in the water. Ugh! I think I'll stay home and watch the nature channel.

Wherever possible, I go away from the trail and out of sight. But, as has been noted, there are sections of the trail where that is difficult. If I have to go there, I choose locations that are not likely to be used as a rest spot.

Last week on the way down, I did notice a few spots on the trail below Trail Camp and Outpost where the smell of urine was strong. There is no excuse there, because there is ample opportunity to get away from the trail. And I also noticed a couple spots between Lone Pine Lake and Portal where there was a strong odor of fresh human feces.

While I was waiting at trail camp with some of our scouts, waiting for the rest of the group to come down from the summit, the scouts discovered several nice piles right next to the trail where we were waiting. Lazy folks couldn't even get away from the trail for that. And while we were waiting I saw a dayhiker split off from her group and go over the small rise toward Consultation. From the amount of time that she spent over there, it was not just a liquid deposit. It did not appear to me that she was carrying a wag bag.

When I summited last August. There was some low life who I saw urinating on the outside of the summit house. To me this was very disturbing how things are getting lately. I felt like saying something but you never know what can happen. I took a picture of this idiot & turned it over to the Ranger's station when I was leaving.

wow...you know, its not that hard to use a wagbag. they have directions on them, so if you can read, im sure you can use.

besides, if its the smell you worry about, bring some extra ziplock baggies or a de-odorizer. they dont weigh a ton, so im sure a couple extra things wont hurt.

in the long run, its better that you take out your crap than making the mountain smell like crap.

Has anyone seen the "Who's Next" album cover lately? Lighten up! I've been on the main trail a number of times and have never been bothered by -- or even noticed -- someone else's pee on the trail. Maybe after reading this thread I will start to notice. If I do, I will move on. No big deal.

I relieved myself near (not on) the summit hut once. I really had to go bad, and I didn't want everyone else on the summit to see me go, so I went behind the summit hut where no one could see me go. What's wrong with that?

We all gotta go. And when you gotta go, you gotta go, even when leaving the trail to go is not an option. And for any "pee patrollers" out there who feel compelled to photograph others and "tell" on them when they are going because they have to go --what is the point?

It's good to hydrate while hiking at altitude. Relieve yourself early, relieve yourself often, do it 100 feet or more from water, make it clear, make it copious, be kind to your kidneys, stay healthy and live free.

Hydrating is good. Peeing ON THE SUMMIT HUT - not so good. It really doesn't take a huge amount of planning to find a reasonable spot to relieve yourself.

When you gotta go, you gotta go? Even without leaving the trail? Can I crap on the trail to? That's "going" too, you know.

The point is that is is unpleasant to be in the middle of a beautiful wilderness area and have everything around you smell like urine. It is not that hard to find a sensible place to relieve yourself.

If you are peeing copiously while hiking, you are drinking too much water. Your kidneys are not your only body part. We need to start up the hyperatremia thread again!