Climbing Mount Shasta

Packin’ Poop

So what exactly is the bathroom protocol when you’re high on the mountain?

Going “number one” is easy, just take a stroll to anywhere outside of the Helen Lake depression and pick yourself a spot. Yellow snow is easy to find around the Helen Lake area, so you want to be paying close attention to the snow you scoop up and melt into your drinking water.

As for “number two”… Just as with all your other trash, if you packed it in, you must pack it out.

The Forest Service provides poop kits at the trailhead for this purpose. The kit consists of a large plastic Ziploc bag containing a brown paper bag and a large sheet of paper with instructions printed on one side and a bullseye target printed on the other. I think you’ve already figured out what the bullseye is for. Someone in the Forest Service has a sense of humor. Don’t forget your TP. Kitty litter can be used to knock down the aroma.

When it’s time, aim for the bullseye, and then throw on the kitty litter if you brought it. All of this goes into the paper bag along with the TP, which goes into the Ziploc bag, which goes into your backpack until you get back to civilization. You can have quite a collection by the end of a several day trip. Pack carefully so your bags don’t get squashed and start leaking (ugh).

Because Helen Lake is a heavily used area with easily a hundred climbers camped there on most summer weekend days, the Forest Service provides a “privacy pit” at the far end of camp. This is a hole in the snow about 4 feet around and equally deep. The pit is for privacy only; no remnants of your “business” should remain. If you approach the privacy zone and notice a head poking up, then you need to come back later.

While glissading below Helen Lake we almost ran over a bag that had apparently jumped out of someone’s pack. We briefly considered picking it up (like we needed more shit to carry), but decided this was a job better left to a professional (the ranger).

<< Previous Next >>