Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board wag bags on Whitney (NY Times), includes video too

There is a story and video about wag bags on Mt. Whitney in tomorrow's edition of the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/us/05whitney.html?hp

Very cool photo too.

Dayhiker..... thanks for sharing. Excellent video and article.

Paul

Thanks for finding that, dayhiker. Great vid!
-L

This is such an important responsibility for back country hikers. We are too many to bury our waste as in decades past. My husband and I have hiked Shasta, Adams and other mountains where the WAG bags (or 'blue bags' as they are called on Adams) have been used for several years. I just hiked Whitney for the first time last weekend. It was an awesome experience. However, while I was delighted to see that most people were USING the WAG bags, they seem to be forgetting the ultimate part of the task: PACK THEM OUT!!!! We spent the night at Trail Camp and the area was littered with used bags. Our campsite was bookended by previous tenants' full bags. Come on guys! Your parents can't pick up after you at 12,000'! PLEASE, EVERYONE, COMPLETE YOUR JOB! Thanks!

Q: What traditional Irish blessing do you NOT say to a person who is carrying a loaded wag bag in his/her pack?

A: May the wind always be at your back.

A surprise to find Mt. Whitney on the front page of the NYTimes! The solar latrine at Trail Camp was relatively new in 1975 when I first hiked the trail. Unfortunately, even with the latrine nearby, there were uncovered deposits of all types around the camp. Not only is the Wag bag system environmentally responsible, it's the courtesey and decency we must accord each other.

Unfortunately, I suspect that the vast majority of the people who left their wag bags don't read this message board. There needs to be people out there who help correct the situation. If you see any abandoned Wag Bags and you are heading down, you might consider taking one down with you, in addition to your own. (Bring an extra plastic garbage bag just in case.)

It would be something if Wag Bag's on Mt. Whitney succeeded because of the people on this message board. Something like the successful "Adopt a Highway" program.

There were some messages about this on a previous thread. http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/...=true#Post40511

While on my trail maintenance trip a week ago, I had a chance to ask the wilderness manager if the prevailing USFS thought was that the wag bags were a success or a failure, his IMMEDIATE response was: success

Can't resist throwing out a little sarcasm: REALLY?

I like the idea of the FS using a felt marker and putting a big serial number (or the permit number) on each wag bag they hand out.

It might stop a few from leaving a filled bag behind.

I ran into the people shooting this video at trail crest on the 29th of august. I was talking to the camera man for a few minutes while I waited for the rest of my group. He was asking a few of us what we thought of wag bags. I never did see the reporter that is in the video.

I have not used a wag bag yet, but judging from this video it appears people are being told to defacate right inside the bag (as though the bag is the toilet).

I would assume you do your business onto the ground, then pick it up and put it into the bag.

What is the correct procedure?

I also think ID-ing bags may be one solution. They put a deposit on our cc for the bear cannister - maybe they could do the same for the bags. And if they find your bag on the trail, they charge a fee for transporting your waste out for you. Though, I fear that people might then stop using the bags. One thing I appreciated was that at least people were USING them! Much better to have sealed bags around than piles of waste. That is also a good point to take an extra waste bag, so you can carry out someone else's waste with our own. If enough of us do this, it will no longer be a problem. While I'm on the topic, there also appeared to be a number of women who couldn't take a zip-lock baggie for transporting their toilet tissue. Covering with a rock which is smaller than the underlying tissue doesn't quite do the job.

You do it in the bag. It opens up wide. They'll give you instructions when you pick up the bag. Happy Wag Bagging!


I've wondered why people were good enough to do it in the Wag Bag but didn't take them out. Maybe some people leave their Wag Bags because critters chew a hole in them after they are used. Maybe not. Don't know. But just in case a critter chews a hole in their used Wag Bag, people might want to bring an extra empty plastic bag and keep it separate until needed.

Hmmm... Which is worse: a filled plastic bag left behind, or a pile of feces left under a rock.

It seems to me the pile under the rock would biodegrade in a few months, at least over the winter. But the plastic bag and its contents?

I realize the pile under the rock is rotten and obnoxious, and certainly do not advocate it. But still, wouldn't that be better than the filled bag?

Steve, I think the Wag Bag is easier to clean up. BTW, tomcat_rc was in a group that was considerate enough to clean up what others left behind and in one case they scooped the poop. I suspect that if they had a choice they would have preferred that it was in a Wag Bag.

http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum/...=true#Post40446 :

I understand the need for wag bags on this trail, and hauling them back to the Portal. My question is, what if someone is not going back to the Portal, but heading to Yosemite? Haul it all the way to Reds Meadow? Take a couple doses of Imodium for the hike from the Portal to Crabtree?

I wouldn't expect anyone to carry their Wag Bag 165 miles from Whitney Portal to Reds Meadow. There's probably lots of places along the way to bury the poop without hurting the environment. But then I don't know what the official policy is for all places outside the Whitney Zone. Best to check with a ranger. Our main concern is the heavily travelled Whitney Zone.

I was on a four day trip and carried the used Wag Bag from the first or second day. No problem.

One thing to watch out for is expanding gas in the Wag Bag. When you seal the Wag Bag, squeeze the air out first. Also, check it once or twice a day to see if it has expanded and let out the gas as needed.

However, you do raise an interesting question. Not sure if there are Wag Bag disposal bins at other trailheads that people might go to from Whitney Portal. I think the Wag Bags are for heavily travelled areas and/or sensitive areas only, like the Whitney Zone. It's probably best to check with a ranger when in doubt.

Two different issues here. One is going #2 on the Whitney Trail when just starting the JMT to Yosemite. Burying it on the Whitney Trail is out, so that means using a wag bag, but that then means carrying a full wag bag then next week or two. An alternative I suppose is getting out of the Whitney Zone and then maybe emptying the bag's contents into a cathole, carrying out the plastic. Probably not a clean process, and the bag would still be a mess, besides the issue of putting the gell (can't remember - polymers?) in in the ground. Hence my TIC comment about taking a bunch of Imodium the first day so #2 doesn't happen until outside the Zone.

Second issue is going #2 after leaving the Whitney Zone, So far, one can still just use a cathole.

This brings up a different point - entering the Whitney Zone from the west side. I haven't been up this year - are there wag bags available at Trail Crest for those exiting at the Portal? Otherwise, what are those ending the JMT and HST (and long sections of PCT) to do? Of course, at that point I was running down to the Portal for real food and sure didn't want to stop for anything!