Author: Christina Ayele Djossa / Source: Atlas Obscura
Alaska’s Denali mountain is the highest peak in North America and is home to beautiful wildlife, exquisite glaciers, and tons of poop.
The Associated Press reported that according to a new study by glacier geologist Michael Loso, from 1951 to 2012, 36,000 climbers have deposited anywhere from 152,000 to 215,000 pounds of human waste on Kahiltna Glacier.
That’s roughly the weight of 71 Beluga whales, if anyone is counting.It’s not surprising. Kahiltna is a major trekking route to Denali’s summit. Around 90 percent of people use it, so climbers and their excrement drop by.
Around 1,100 people climb Denali every year. Since 2007, the U.S. National Park Service has required that climbers who venture above 14,200 feet must use portable toilets—most of which resemble a large coffee can—for their waste. Climbers between base camp at 7,200 feet and 14,200 feet must throw biodegradable bags containing their poop deep into designated glacier crevasses. (Above 14,200…
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