Trash day

Post by **JeffH** » Sat Feb 15, 2020 5:02 pm

I walked up Potato Mountain again yesterday and brought a couple trash bags this time. There were so many taters on the water tank I couldn’t fit them into a bag. I took what I could and filled another bag with random trash from along the route. Surprisingly the trash wasn’t excessive. However, I do have a problem with the dog owners - it’s great to put the shit into a bag, not cool to leave that bag alongside the trail or tucked under a bush.

Nice group of Live Oaks at the beginning of the road. I always feel better in their midst.

Summit from the three-way intersection/saddle.

Lots of taters on top.

This is no longer on the trail. It was a good 10 pounds of spuds.

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Feb 16, 2020 7:21 am

JeffH wrote: There were so many taters on the water tank I couldn’t fit them into a bag. I took what I could...

Why did you take the taters?

Post by **JeffH** » Sun Feb 16, 2020 7:42 am

Because they don't belong up there either. A couple years ago it was just a couple potatoes, now I took maybe a quarter of them and there is still a huge pile on the water tank.

Post by **HikeUp** » Sun Feb 16, 2020 4:29 pm

Do animals in the San Gabes have tater-intolerance?

Post by **Sean** » Mon Feb 17, 2020 1:39 pm

Remember, finders keepers, losers weepers. I count about 30 potatoes in your haul. Challenge accepted!

Post by **tekewin** » Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:51 pm

Thanks for hauling out trash.

Girl Hiker · Post by **Girl Hiker** » Mon Feb 17, 2020 7:08 pm

You love potato mountain

Post by **JeffH** » Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:35 am

Girl Hiker wrote: You love potato mountain

Actually it's just really close for me. About 15 miles round trip if I walk from home, nine miles RT if I park at the lower Wilderness Park lot. I also walk the WP a lot, just not worth a trip report every time I go there.

wesweswes · Post by **wesweswes** » Mon Mar 02, 2020 10:02 am

I really appreciate your picking up trash from the wilderness, and do this too incidentally. I have to start bringing a bag to collect it though--that's a great idea.

I was just trying to figure out, though, why not leave the potatoes there? I mean, throw them off the side of the hill, or bury them. It's organic matter and will decompose (more so if buried), and as long as it is out of sight it's not an eye sore. Or is there some concern about them becoming invasive?

Post by **JeffH** » Sat Mar 07, 2020 12:48 pm

It's not that they will become invasive - but they are not native to the area and therefore probably not good for the local wildlife. I have the same complaint about tossing orange/banana peels.
And they really don't belong up there along with other trash.