Each year public lands are set ablaze accidentally.
A campfire spits embers that burn out of control.
A car with a hot engine parks on tall dry grasses.
A tossed cigarette butt starts a fire along a forest path.
Each of these actions is preventable, especially once we become informed of
their unintended consequences. The following is one such story we can
all learn from.
About a year ago, I was on a backpacking trip with my wife
down to one of our favorite places off of
Horseshoe Mesa - Cottonwood Canyon, and had the the brilliant idea
of, well, I didn't want to pack my toilet paper out this time so I thought I would
light it and it happened to be a gusty day, or it started to be gusty
about the time that happened, and instead of burning toilet paper, I
ended up burning a good chunk of a place we love - which is the canyon.
And it was just, just awful stuff. We tried to put it out.
There was no... it was so fast, it happened so quickly...
I'm 71 years old and it took that long for that,
something like that, probably to be the worst day of my life. We had to just,
just watch my handiwork basically, as we exited the canyon and
hoped that it would limit itself. Which it kind of did, but it
went from a grassland fire, to burning some of the
cottonwoods that are part of that drainage system and the reason for the
name of that canyon. You know, I thought it was gross to,
to carry the paper out, but it was way
grosser to, to cause a fire trying to burn the paper.
So, I hope people will learn from this and not have to experience an
awful day like that and, and causing damage to a place you really
love.
The fire in cottonwood canyon was an accident and we all do make mistakes.
I appreciate his cooperation and sharing his story with us
and I ask you to remember that we're all fallible. There are things to be learned
here and on that note... We're going to talk about something that
no one really wants to talk about - poop. What you should do with it.
And where it should go.
And why it's such a problem in national parks.
Grand Canyon sees millions of visitors every year and many of those visitors
choose to hike, and let's say a hike in the Grand Canyon certainly gets things moving.
And we're not always prepared for what
happens when things do get moving! So, here's a couple of things to take
with you on a hike, whether it's long or short. A resealable plastic bag
with some toilet tissue - always a good item to have in your backpack,
but if you're feeling a little sheepish about being able to see what's left
behind, you can always use a darker colored bag
to put that in, or you could take some duct tape and put
that around your bag as well. If you don't like any of these options,
there are things called wag bags and those could be taken with you as
well. They have every single thing in them that you might need
if you have to go to the bathroom when you're on the trail.
Your toilet paper and feminine hygiene products should always be packed out and
in the case of using a wag bag, so should your human waste. The instructions
on how to use the wag bag are on the outside of the container,
but my tips for greatest success are: to set up your bathroom in advance
and to take the inside bag and roll it over the edge of the outside bag.
[upbeat guitar picking]
There may be times when you can leave your waste behind
in what's called a cat hole. So, you dig around a 6-inch deep hole,
do your business and then cover it with dirt, debris, rocks and whatever,
and disguise that area and pretend like nothing ever happened.
Now, as was said just a moment ago, you're going to pack out that toilet paper.
It's not going to be burned, not going to be buried,
and not going to be left on your behind.
I mean, l eft behind! Okay?
[upbeat guitar continues]
Please plan ahead and prepare. Follow Leave No Trace practices.
Whatever you pack in you should pack out. Please leave our national parks
cleaner than you found them.
[upbeat guitar]