Oregon Hikers

Bosterson wrote: ↑

December 24th, 2018, 1:49 pm

P1150780.jpg

I thought that looked familiar. See page six. [Hmm, image din't carry over to the quote. Was referring to the Minnie Mouse balloon.]

With a little coaching from Bosterson, I present the twin Minnies:

Cabin Creek, the lower of two little falls (far above the Starvation trail crossing).

This is one of my favorite threads on Oregon Hikers, not because of the mylar balloon litter being found everywhere in our wildernesses, but because it exposes it as an unacknowledged problem, while simultaneously cleaning it up and having some fun with it.

yeah, an unacknowledged problem

people think it's okay to release balloons into the air without realizing it's trash

...and I fully support the releasing of colorful mylar balloons with images. I have a wish: to find a Minions balloon somewhere int he forest. That would really make my day.

Perhaps I'd be more outraged by the HB balloons if these other items were not present along the trail:
1) pooh bags that never get picked up
2) pooh bags flung into the outstretched branches of trees
3) beer cans...pop cans...water bottles
4) plastic shopping bags
5) tires (unless attached to a car that's been abandoned before 1960)
6) bagged trash from home (typically driven out to the shoulder and thrown over the side)
7) abandoned furniture
8) pretty much anything that is not festive or an antique

So if you see a Minions balloon drifting toward a hiking trail, I'd appreciate an e-letter.

Two today. Extra points for the ribbon.

Look at this haul from today: seven mylar balloons, scattered across a small area just off the Two Chiefs trail. I saw two or three more, but they were further down a steepening slope and I didn't think I'd get enough buoyancy out of these to save me if I fell.

One of them somehow contained about a cup of water. I punctured it with my trekking pole and drained it before wadding them all into my pack.

In case you needed further evidence that we are doomed as a species:

so they release a helium balloon with speaker going? weird

nice idea though, the product is one use so they can sell more, I can see people buying that product because of it's novelty

yeah, doomed as species