Grand Canyon National Park is conducting a pilot program to evaluate alternative methods for dealing with human waste in the backcountry. A select group of backcountry permit holders will be given the opportunity to participate and then provide feedback regarding human waste carry-out.

On March 6, 2011, the Clear Creek toilet was removed. Hikers are being asked to carry their waste to Phantom Ranch for disposal. All hikers planning to camp in the drainage at Clear Creek need to pick up waste carry-out bags at the Phantom Ranch Ranger Station.

• Clear Creek Waste Management Overview
  
  
• What to Expect at Phantom Ranch
  
  
• Gallery of Related Images
  
  
• Tips and Tricks for Using Waste Carry-Out Systems
  
  
• Leave No Trace
  
  
• Personal Ethic and the Future of Waste Management

Clear Creek Waste Management Overview

The National Park Service will be considering a range of options for managing human waste in the upcoming revision of the Backcountry Management Plan. This pilot program will provide useful information about the efficacy of human waste carry-out as a way to dispose of waste in areas where there are few appropriate alternatives.

Though human waste carry-out may seem like a less than ideal solution, it results in a negligible human footprint on the ground and provides a way for recreational use in sensitive or popular areas to continue. Backcountry toilets affect the "wilderness character" the National Park Service strives to preserve and are extremely difficult for limited staff to adequately maintain. Personal waste carry-out systems have been adopted in other federal wilderness and backcountry areas to address human waste issues and improve resource conditions.

Using a Waste Carry-out Bag

There are two ammo-cans and further directions located behind the Phantom Ranch Ranger Station; one ammo can contains clean waste carry-out bags, blank questionnaires, and an envelope for completed questionnaires, the other ammo can is for depositing used waste. Best access to this area is to circle around back and enter from the north east.

Step One, Get a Waste Bag: Stop by the Phantom Ranch Ranger Station and pick up one waste bag (per person) for each night that you plan to camp in the Clear Creek drainage. You can grab a questionnaire at the same time or pick one up on your return.

Step Two, Use the Waste Bag: Plan to use a separate bag for each poop and to store the bag appropriately so that rodents and other wildlife do not investigate. Sometimes it is difficult to keep urine out of the bag. You might urinate first. Bring extra toilet paper (trust us on this one).

Each waste bag kit contains a large waste bag for depositing waste, some toilet paper, a hand sanitizer towlette, and a small zip-lock pouch to hold the waste bag (see the photo in the album above). To use the waste bag, open the kit and position the large bag in a convenient location (be careful not to spill the Poo Powder). After you are finished, carefully fold the large bag into the zip-lock pouch and seal. Some users like to tie a knot in the large bag prior to placing it in the zip-lock pouch. If you do this, make sure that all of the air is out of the bag, otherwise it won't fit into the pouch.

Step Three, Return the Waste Bag: Upon return to the Phantom Ranch area, deposit your used waste bag(s) in the appropriate ammo can located behind the Ranger Station.

Step Four, Fill Out the Questionnaire: Blank questionnaires and envelopes are in the ammo can with the unused waste bags. Make sure everyone grabs a questionnaire and fills it out.

Important Considerations Prior to Hitting the Trail

Before starting your hike, think about how you will keep wildlife from investigating the used bags, how you will reduce odor, and how you will carry the used waste bags back to Phantom Ranch / Bright Angel Campground.

Two downsides to waste carry-out are the extra weight and the unpleasant odor. To reduce the weight of your bag you would need to not "go" or to not eat, and neither option is viable. But you can eliminate the odor by building a poop tube (see link below) or reusing a durable plastic container (such as those used to hold bulk nuts, candy, or even laundry soap). Both of these methods contain the odor and provide an animal-proof barrier. Finally, you might consider using a dry bag (as in river running) or, as a last resort, bringing plastic grocery bags so that you can attach the waste bags to the outside of your pack.

For some creative ideas or jumping off points take a look at the following websites:

• http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Poop-Tube
• http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=65324

Dispose of human waste appropriately by taking the time to learn about Leave No Trace, talking with local experts, and by following the guidance set forth by land managers. This guidance and the associated "rules" were developed to guide you through what may be an unfamiliar process and to assist you in making the best possible decision when confronted with the realization that YOU HAVE TO POOP NOW.

The rules of human waste management:

• Always 200 ft (or 200 paces) minimum from dry washes, creeks, trails and camps.
• Consider the carry-out method when 200 ft isn't possible, for example in narrow canyons such as Clear Creek.
• Dig a 4-6 inch cathole.
  
• Cover with dirt and disguise but never cover with a rock.
• Never burn your toilet paper. Pack it out.

• Never bury waste in sand or sand dunes.
• Dilution is the solution: urinate directly in the river (be careful at night).
• BUT, never urinate in a creek.

Tip: The best place to dispose of waste is often when moving between camps. Look for organic soil!

Personal Ethic and Future of Waste Management

Although the Grand Canyon contains 1.1 million acres, most recreational use occurs in a small number of places. Established flat camp areas accessed by trails and near water are rare in the desert canyon environment. Many of these desirable camps have been used by humans for thousands of years. The combination of sensitive natural and cultural resources, confined space, and heavy visitor use has resulted in a unique set of challenges related to human waste.

Currently, in most of the river-interface locations such as Granite Rapids, South Canyon and Red Canyon, hikers are asked to bury their waste. Unfortunately in these popular areas there are few appropriate places close to camp where hikers can do that. The result is that many hikers, in an effort to appropriately dispose of waste, are moving away from the river into dune structures or desert scrub and thus inadvertently creating resource damage or reversing the positive effects of restoration efforts.

In other locations, such as Clear Creek hikers have had the convenience of a backcountry toilet. Unfortunately, managing human waste at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is not as simple as just "putting in a toilet". Long cold winters, heavy seasonal use, and trash can lead to a septic environment unfavorable to human use.

The park will never ask hikers to carry out all human waste. It is not realistic in this inverted mountain park where temperatures often soar above 90°F. In addition, a significant percentage of backcountry use occurs in areas such as along the Tonto Bench, in which a myriad of appropriate locations exist for hikers to bury their waste.

In the end it may come down to a personal ethic and both the quality and type of experience that hikers are looking for. Everyone needs to plan ahead and learn about the ecosystem and related challenges that await them. We can all become better stewards by learning to evaluate the landscape we are hiking through in order to choose the most appropriate location to dispose of waste.

Planning ahead gives you the confidence to know what to do when confronted with the unexpected, you will know what action to take to protect valuable water sheds and the wilderness-feel we all search for.