With all the discussion about high peaks use (overuse?), one unsavory item that often comes up is the dirty business of, ahem, doing one’s business in the woods. In hopes of mitigating the overabundance of toilet paper blooms on the trails, I’ve dug up a gem from the Almanack archive: “The Art of the Adirondack Dump” by Dan Crane.
Photo: An Adirondack outhouse, outside of Wilmington. Courtesy of Susan Hennessey/Almanack file photo
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If hikers were learnt right, were considerate of others and the environment that surrounds them, they would carry with them a small fold-out scoop and use it when performing their duties in the woods. The right way to go about this is to dig down about six inches deep, or more, preferably 500 feet away from a stream, yea amount away from a trail, and go at it; then bury the heap, throw leaves and stems over it and stomp to pack down the earth before walking off. This is the proper way to leave your waste behind, toilet paper and all. Composting they call this!
What ever happened to you, Dan? For a long time, you were my favorite read, and then you just stopped. Are you still hiking Dan, or have you become part of the environment?