A Park Service climbing ranger gives climbers an overview of the clean mountain cans. NPS Photo

CMC HISTORY AND SPECIFICATIONS

Leave No Trace mountaineering on Mt. McKinley has evolved over the past thirty years. Since the late 1970's, a pack in - pack out policy has been successfully enforced, with climbers removing all their garbage from the Alaska Range. Today our main focus takes this program one step further with the removal of human waste. The Clean Mountain Can (CMC) was conceived by Ranger Roger Robinson and the other Denali mountaineering staff for use in the rugged environment on Denali. In 2000, a 24-day ranger patrol led by Ranger Robinson proved it was possible to remove their human waste completely from the mountain using commercially designed river toilet boxes. The ranger staff then worked with the manufacturer of this toilet to create a smaller, lighter version. Through a grant from the American Alpine Club (AAC), 50 of these toilets were made and used voluntarily by climbers in 2001. This wider trial ensured it was feasible for the average climber to remove their human waste from the mountain. (See Denali National Parks 2000 and 2001 Annual Mountaineering Summaries for more information on these trials). The rangers continued to work with the same manufacturer to enhance the can, then through grants from the Access Fund and the AAC, 220 of these newly designed Clean Mountain Cans were purchased for a large scale trial. Over 500 climbers used the CMCs, successfully removing their human waste from the polluted 17,200-foot high camp. Due to this success, beginning in 2003, Denali National Park & Preserve will require that all human waste be removed from the high camp on Mt. McKinley. Use of the CMC will remain voluntary at other glacier fly-in basecamp operations at this point in time.

Since its inception, the staff has worked closely with Paul Becker, owner of Geo Toilet Systems, on design developments to create the CMC. As far as we know, no other container designed for human waste exists in this size, weight, or strength. The Clean Mountain Can (CMC) is designed to hold 1.86 gallons of human waste and has a U.S. Department of Transportation approved two-way vent to release gases through the screw down lid. The #2 polyethylene container is cylindrical in shape, measuring 11.75 inches tall and 8.2 inches in diameter. The can is sturdy enough to be sat on when in use, and the unit comes with a disposable foam ring that works as a seat. In five testing trials, a CMC was filled three-quarters full with solid ice and dropped four feet onto concrete at an outdoor temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit. The CMC is designed to have its contents dumped directly out and then rinsed for final cleaning. The durable CMC comes with a harness system that can lock the lid down and is sturdy enough to strap on a pack or sled. The CMC capacity is 10 to 14 uses (approximately one-half pound per use) depending on whether toilet paper is placed in the can.

If you have specific questions on Denali National Parks Clean Mountain Can program, please contact Ranger Roger Robinson at (907) 733-9108.

For more information on the Clean Mountain Can product contact the manufacturer Paul Becker.

Currently the CMCs are cleaned by a septic pumping company which is very labor intensive. Our future plans are to install a Scat Machine in Talkeetna, which would specifically be designed to clean CMCs. The Scat Machine could be coin operated, allowing climbers to clean their own cans. For more information on the Scat Machine contact Cindy Witzel.