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Saturday, January 26, 2013

A Mountain Man's Saturday Rant

I read recently that there is not a stream, river, pond or lake in the world that is not polluted or littered.  I believe that is true because as I hike to remote areas, walk up streams to fish when I think no one has gone there before I find cigarette butts, soda and beer cans, candy wrappers and such.  Carol used to go with me and bring a plastic bag and collect the litter as we went.  We would end up with a bag full of litter from hard to reach area's.  One of our favorite fishing spots at the end of the season is littered with empty Power Bait bottles, pre-made cellophane  leader wrappers and enough fishing line to probably stretch around the perimeter of the State of Colorado, all with hooks and lead weights still attached.  People would also catch 30-40 trout when the daily limit is 4, which is why we no longer go there. 

I wonder why people leave their trash out in the wild for others to deal with.  Do they think there is a trash fairy that comes along at night and collects their garbage?  How would they like it if we came to their house and tossed our trash in their living room?  Every year we pick up trash along our road that people just toss out the window because they are too lazy to dispose of it properly.

I am afraid that we have become so accustom to seeing trash along the roads, in streams and lakes that we have come to accept it as normal. We now look right by the trash without actually seeing it.  It doesn't matter much how far into the wild you go it is still there.  Those candy wrappers will go into a pouch of your backpack or fishing vest to be disposed of properly.  Those aluminum cans can be stomped on and carried out to a proper container.  Those zip lock bags will hold other trash until you can deposit them in a proper receptacle. Cigarette butts can be carried out - the world is not your personal ash tray.  Clearly people don't listen when told not to leave their garbage in the woods, water or wilderness. That is my rant and I'm sticking to it.  If everyone left the area they use clean for the next person when they wanted to use it again it would be nice and tidy for them too. they wouldn't get acclimated to always seeing trash..  

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