Gear stashed Chasm Lake

Question for the community/owner: without giving too much away about location and items, I found a fairly significant amount of climbing gear stashed in the Chasm Lake/Mills Glacier area. It looked like it had originally been put in a trash bag, which had been ripped apart (presumably by marmots) and possibly gnawed on (almost definitely marmots). It looked like it has been up there for some time, and has definitely been up there for the past several weeks, as I've seen it both times I was in the area.

I'm wondering who the owner is and what its reason for being there is. I don't wanna mess with anyone's gear cache, but it also seems unnecessary for it to be up there. At the moment, it seems like its only being used by the marmots and pikas.

Feel free to reach out to me by DM if you want, and request that I delete this thread, if you feel like it is giving away something.

Cheers,

Yeah, given the marmots it's obviously not a good idea to stash gear in a trash bag. Anyone want to cop to this cache?

valid question.....i've stashed gear up there and think it is a bad idea to do so....pretty sure it is not legal also....rangers would not be happy to hear this

the birds(crows) will also reek havoc!

booty booty booty rockin' ebrywhere!

From the access fund:

http://www.opengate.org/access-fund-blog/2016/06/5-things-to-know-before-you-climb-in-the-alpine.html

"Stashing pads and gear is illegal in most places and hurts wildlife.We get it. Alpine approaches can be arduous. If you’re projecting, hauling all that gear is a drag. But stashing gear is not worth the price we’ll all pay for access if a land manager finds it (and trust us, they are looking). It’s also not worth the hit to your wallet or the health of wildlife if hungry marmots eat it. Mountain goats, marmots, and other wild critters crave salt, and they will munch on your sweaty pad, giving them an unhealthy mix of synthetic fibers and human salt"

Regardless of what the owner's intent was, from the description it sounds like it is effectively a pile of trash someone has left in the park.

I'll let you decide what to do when you come across a pile of trash in an otherwise pristine area.

its exactly 3.7 miles and 2200' gain from the longs TH to chasm lake.  if you can't hike your gear in and out, you have no business climbing in the alpine.

Take a photo, GPS tag it, and report it RMNP.

Not every problem is best dealt with by involving law enforcement.

Philip Magistro wrote: Take a photo, GPS tag it, and report it RMNP.

Calling the cops is the least desirable outcome. The nps loves the banhammer

I also say report it, unless those wishing it not reported promptly haul it out themselves.

[edit in response to next post] Especially with NPS resources focused on finding the missing Mt Meeker climber, I agree it would be better dealt with by the climbing community. However anyone suggesting not to report it should include plans/invite to go haul it out this weekend. Just because the OP stumbled on this trash doesn't make it his responsibility to expend the effort. He did his part by telling the greater community and if the consensus is don't report, then the community should get up there and take care of it. The point of reporting is to get the info to someone who will actually clean it up ASAP.

I would just hike it out if it’s been here for a while and it’s been trashed by the alpine panhandlers.

Contacting authorities will do no good for anyone. Besides, have you seen the way the uneducated tourists behave in the park? The LEOs have waaaaaaay bigger fish to fry.

Thanks for looking out for the fragile environment up there, OP. :-)

s.price wrote: The banhammer exists because the stupid few believe they are somehow exempt of the VERY basic rules. That attitude does nothing to serve the public. Why tolerate such weakness?

Dont get me wrong. I like the NPS For the most part. I worked for them briefly. I stand by their mission for the most part. I think we should as a community should do our own housekeeping because understanding the context. 

This person should be given a tutorial in how to stash or not stash gear.  Ie buckets or just HTFU... I though any alpine climber worth a damn could hike a 8.5mm rope and a double set of cams up there 

I vote for: Haul it down, sell it in the gear forum, donate the money to the park service...but keep enough for a bottle of bourbon. You would help the park service, get a good workout, get some booze, and get rid of the trash!

Best to try resolve inside the community before other options. It is someone´s gear, there is no business going about moving much less selling it without attempting to get in touch with the owner first. Be reasonable, we are on the same team. I agree it is not a good practice to leave gear stashed at Chasm.

All,

I appreciate both the notes of concern for the environment and the dedication to the climbing community in the posts above. The owner did reach out to me and went up and climbed a route and retrieved the gear.

A few thoughts to wrap this up:
- While gear caches are technically illegal, apparently they are quite common up there. I don't think I have too much of a problem with well stored temporary gear caches in the backcountry, especially if they are being used by someone establishing a new route or performing some similar act for the climbing community. In the particular case of the Diamond and pretty much everywhere else in the Park, I personally think caching a normal rope and rack for a trade route is a bit unnecessary. Just personal opinion.
- If you do cache gear, be sure to store it in some durable container - a bin or a heavy dry bag, not a trash bag.  Also, consider never caching items like shoes or helmets that may absorb sweat. Those will attract marmots and could get destroyed. Finally, consider writing your name, phone number and date so that people who find it know that it is not abandoned. It might get you a call from the Park Service, but it also might reduce the chances of it being stolen.
- Speaking of stolen, know that any gear you cache has a chance of being pilfered. The number of comments suggesting that I hike it down and keep it as a personal reward point to that possibility. But please, do our climbing community a solid and don't just steal gear. Leave it alone or make an effort to return it to the owner. You never know the reason why it was there.

Thanks all,

Nobleman wrote: All,

I appreciate both the notes of concern for the environment and the dedication to the climbing community in the posts above.

The owner did reach out to me and went up and climbed a route and retrieved the gear.

A few thoughts to wrap this up

- While gear caches are technically illegal, apparently they are quite common up there.

 I don't think I have too much of a problem with well stored temporary gear caches in the backcountry,

 especially

if they are being used by someone establishing a new route or performing some similar act for the climbing community.
In the particular case of the Diamond and pretty much everywhere else in the
Park,

 I personally think caching a normal rope and rack for a trade route is a bit unnecessary. Just personal opinion.

- If you do cache gear, be sure to store it in some durable container -
 a bin or a heavy dry bag, not a trash bag.
 Also, consider never caching items like shoes or helmets that may absorb sweat.
Those  will attract marmots and could get destroyed.

 Finally

, consider writing your name, phone number and date so that people who find it know that it is not abandoned.

 It might get you a call from the Park Service,
 but it also might reduce the chances of it being stolen.

- Speaking of stolen, know that any gear you cache has a chance of being pilfered.

The number of comments suggesting that I hike it down and keep it as a personal reward point to that possibility.

But please, do our climbing community a solid and don't just steal gear. Leave it alone or make an effort to return it to the owner.
 You never know the reason why it was there.

Thanks all,

Michael Schneider,  now going by, Suburban Roadside, wrote:

In the memory of my friend, Jim D, The Archetype Climbing ranger, & (most  likely), still the person with the greatest number of hours out on the mountain, ^&# of ascents of Longs Peak.  

 You never know the reason why it was there. if it is  not yours & you go there on the regular, you could  - not be a pia-
& just leave it,
 or
do this well crafted guilt the owner trip?

Why did you start all this trouble?  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    There had been some basics that were the gospel between CLIMBERS, Who have always been (&are seen by the powers that be) as the most diligent and caring  of the few user groups 

A few other things ..... The Golden Rule?Or the idea that there is Karma?
'n the stuff aint yours? 

 if it isn't yours, leave it alone

 Let the word out for me and my fellow dirtbags to come grab it. We're in much better shape than you gym rats. 

Booty did sound like a fun way to handle it but I totally agree with Kirkadirka... And really, if it is stashed somewhere way out of the way is it really that big of a deal? It takes an overwelming amount of gear to put up some of these routes and some times the rules get tweaked a hair.

Also I've run into gear a few times that people just flat forgot about. We took the gear (for safe keeping) and wrote my cell phone number on a rock in chaulk where we found it. The next day, the rack was with its rightful owner. A little crag karma goes a long way. I also had a pretty strenuous bail off a route that we left some gear on over night. We came back the next day and it was all gone... You never really know the story about the gear until you ask. 

Nobleman wrote: All,

I appreciate both the notes of concern for the environment and the dedication to the climbing community in the posts above. The owner did reach out to me and went up and climbed a route and retrieved the gear.

A few thoughts to wrap this up:
- While gear caches are technically illegal, apparently they are quite common up there. I don't think I have too much of a problem with well stored temporary gear caches in the backcountry, especially if they are being used by someone establishing a new route or performing some similar act for the climbing community. In the particular case of the Diamond and pretty much everywhere else in the Park, I personally think caching a normal rope and rack for a trade route is a bit unnecessary. Just personal opinion.
- If you do cache gear, be sure to store it in some durable container - a bin or a heavy dry bag, not a trash bag.  Also, consider never caching items like shoes or helmets that may absorb sweat. Those will attract marmots and could get destroyed. Finally, consider writing your name, phone number and date so that people who find it know that it is not abandoned. It might get you a call from the Park Service, but it also might reduce the chances of it being stolen.
- Speaking of stolen, know that any gear you cache has a chance of being pilfered. The number of comments suggesting that I hike it down and keep it as a personal reward point to that possibility. But please, do our climbing community a solid and don't just steal gear. Leave it alone or make an effort to return it to the owner. You never know the reason why it was there.

Thanks all,

Shame them! Shame them! Post their alias