No Turd Left Behind

In their quest to eliminate human waste on the otherwise picturesque and pristine Mt. Shasta, the rangers who manage that 14+k high mountain in Northern California are right on target…literally.

Along with a $15 summit permit a climber is required to acquire a “poop kit” (my name for it) at any ranger kiosk on the mountain before further ascension. The kit includes two brown paper bags that liken the lunch receptacle of an elementary school student. What would otherwise house a PBJ, chips, an apple, and a note from mom, on Mt. Shasta hosts a cup of kitty litter.

In addition to the litter filled bags, the kit includes a place mat sized piece of paper with a target printed on it. The target has various circles—smaller circles inside of bigger—with the objective of the target user/poop maker to hit the center. Hitting the center of the target makes poop wrap up a potentially cleaner prospect. You are also given an instruction sheet (as big as the target) outlining this recommended method of poop gathering. This allows you to read about poop gathering while poop gathering. Very efficient. All items for the poop kit are enclosed in a large plastic bag.

The climber carries the poop kit up onto the mountain, deposits poop onto target, wraps target into a neat package and places package into kitty litter filled brown bag. Brown bag is put into global poop kit plastic bag and carried off the mountain back to garbage receptacles at ranger kiosk. Thus the mountain and mountaineers are pleased to enjoy snow, scree and glaciers as they are meant to exist—No Turd Left Behind.

During my recent trip to the top of Shasta with a few buddies, I found this method of poop gathering effective. Not only were we required to have our poop kit on us at all times, but any roving ranger we encountered on the mountain asked us if this were so. The rangers were NOT interested in seeing our permits—they only asked us if we had poop kit in tow. No Turd Left Behind enforcement at it’s best.

The only downside to the otherwise organized and enforced No Turd program was that poop kits housed only 2 kitty litter filled brown bags and 1 target. For multiple turd leavers, this posed a problem. I did not see a reasonable way to re-use the target and have a seamless poop experience. If one had an overactive colon due to food, exertion, nerves or altitude, the two bag policy was not sufficient. Multiple bags/litter/targets were needed in order for a 1.5-2 day climber to fully honor the No Turd policy.

Mt. Shasta rangers—great work at this nobel cause! Offer a few more amenities in your poop kits, your No Turd Left Behind policy will be flawless and this beautiful mountain remain in tact. Climb on!