Have You Read Your Permit?

There are four basic issues that we seem to run into in Desolation Wilderness, and they are a focus of much of the education (and mitigation!) work of the rangers and volunteers.

The crazy thing is that all four are clearly spelled out on the wilderness permit--the permit that the backpacker has to sign, and even check a box to show that he or she has read the permit.

Camp 100 feet from water. Poop 200 feet from water. And yet I have never been in Desolation Wilderness without running into someone camped right on the lake. And the less said about the latter, the better. Let's just say some people are not very considerate at times.

Campfires are prohibited in Desolation Wilderness and have been since 1990. (In California, this seems too obvious to even discuss.) But nope, I have never had a day where I didn't run into a campfire ring in Desolation.

Bear cans are required. You would think, with all the bear issues around Lake Tahoe, that people would get this---but nope. As a ranger in Yosemite once said, the overlap between the smartest bear and the stupidest people is larger than you might think.

And pack it in, pack it out. Every time I go into Desolation Wilderness, I take along a trash bag, And I always find things to pack out. Every single time.