Douchebag litterbugs

BenedictGomez · Mar 5, 2015

Saw something tonight at Blue Mountain that I'd never seen before and it immediately made me think of this thread.

About 1/2-way to 2/3 of the way up, under each lift they have a giant square funnel-like garbage can on the ground.....maybe 7'x5' that you can throw your garbage into from the lift. Do not like.

Jully · Mar 5, 2015

freeski · Mar 5, 2015

I haven't seen one and I don't like it either. When I look down from a lift I want to see snow and snow making equipment.

I snowshoe at a golf course and they plow a pond to skate on. The pond is not used very much and I stop and sit on the benches sometimes. Last time I was out there were 8 water bottles and candy wrappers on the ground. There is a trash barrel 50 yards away on the way out.

I took my mother to an appointment this past summer and was waiting in the parking lot. A guy in a beat up car in front of me opened his door and threw a large bag of trash under the car next to him. I yelled and he picked it up. It's fun to confront those in error. You kind of feel like batman.

Smellytele · Mar 6, 2015

BenedictGomez said:
Saw something tonight at Blue Mountain that I'd never seen before and it immediately made me think of this thread.

About 1/2-way to 2/3 of the way up, under each lift they have a giant square funnel-like garbage can on the ground.....maybe 7'x5' that you can throw your garbage into from the lift. Do not like.

This is similar to what I was saying Pats peak has and someone else mentioned another area had as well.

C-Rex · Mar 6, 2015

I don't know why it would be so hard to just put a couple trash cans at the top of the lifts. Lots of people heat and drink things on the way up but so many areas don't have anything up there. I remember at Northstar, they not only had trash cans but recycling barrels too.

I'm not sure how I feel about the target barrels under the lift. I think they'll help with litter but as freeski said, they're kind of an eye sore. I think at smaller places with more of a party vibe they are a good idea. Like Sundown or Berkshire East. But bigger, more nature oriented places like Smuggs or Jay, no way.

deadheadskier · Mar 6, 2015

Just an observation, but the litter problems seem to be more prevalent at areas with night skiing. Hence why places like Blue, Pat's and Shawnee Peak have the barrels. It's likely kids that don't know any better or have not matured enough to care that littering is not cool. Or it's college kids that are drunk and don't care. So, you try and enforce with Ski Patrol and other mountain employees, but the kids rebel against the authority and only litter more. Only solution? Make a game out of the situation with the barrels to shoot for.

C-Rex · Mar 6, 2015

deadheadskier said:
Just an observation, but the litter problems seem to be more prevalent at areas with night skiing. Hence why places like Blue, Pat's and Shawnee Peak have the barrels. It's likely kids that don't know any better or have not matured enough to care that littering is not cool. Or it's college kids that are drunk and don't care. So, you try and enforce with Ski Patrol and other mountain employees, but the kids rebel against the authority and only litter more. Only solution? Make a game out of the situation with the barrels to shoot for.

Exactly what I was getting at, only better said.

joshua segal · Mar 6, 2015

I totally disagree with deadheadskier that we should make a "game out of the situation". The message becomes that littering is acceptable.

I agree with C-Rex that the barrels under the lift are eyesores.

And freeski said,

I snowshoe at a golf course and they plow a pond to skate on. The pond is not used very much and I stop and sit on the benches sometimes. Last time I was out there were 8 water bottles and candy wrappers on the ground. There is a trash barrel 50 yards away on the way out.

The mere availability of the trash barrel obviously doesn't cure the problem.

There are two solutions that I know of: (Perhaps some of you could suggest others)
1. Wait and complain until the owner finally gets around to sending a paid employee to make the rounds and pick it up.
OR
2. Knowing that this is routine, carry a supermarket plastic bag in a pocket and move the trash the 50 yards to the garbage can!

deadheadskier · Mar 6, 2015

Joshua,

You say I'm sending a message that "littering is okay." I disagree. I'm saying the barrels send a message that "this is where trash belongs." Sometimes you need to make a game of such "messages" with young people or they refuse to participate. Call it bad parenting, but it is what it is.

Crotched doesn't seem to have that much of a problem. At Shawnee Peak in Maine, you'd have to literally have a full time employee in the evening walking back and forth picking up the trash judging by how much that barrel gets used.

The reason top of the lift barrels don't work is because many people eat / drink / smoke etc., with their gloves off. When they go to put their gloves back on, they don't hold onto their trash and just drop it from the lift.

I'm guessing that Pat's, Shawnee, Blue and other places that have these "target barrels", tried every reasonable solution prior and weren't getting the results they wanted before going in that direction.

VTKilarney · Mar 6, 2015

deadheadskier said:
Only solution? Make a game out of the situation with the barrels to shoot for.

That's not the only solution. Another solution is to put someone there with a radio and give warnings and/or pull tickets of people who litter from the lift. Of course this costs money - but it is another solution.

I'm conflicted about the barrels myself. I can see both sides of the argument.

joshua segal · Mar 6, 2015

deadheadskier said:
...

Crotched doesn't seem to have that much of a problem. At Shawnee Peak in Maine, you'd have to literally have a full time employee in the evening walking back and forth picking up the trash judging by how much that barrel gets used.

...

Aah, but Crotched DOES have the problem, but we have a cadre of volunteers (including yours truly), who routinely pick up trash from the slopes on a near daily basis.

On some of the busier "Midnight Madness" nights, a liftie walks the lift line picking up. I saw him fill a 30 gallon trash bag one morning.

C-Rex · Mar 6, 2015

I'm not above picking up trash or anything, but I feel that kind of sends the message to those littering, "someone will take care of it, so it's ok."

I'd rather call them out when it happens, and make it easier for people to dispose of properly. Trash cans at the bottom and top of every lift would be a great start.

joshua segal · Mar 6, 2015

C-Rex said:
I'm not above picking up trash or anything, but I feel that kind of sends the message to those littering, "someone will take care of it, so it's ok."

I'd rather call them out when it happens, and make it easier for people to dispose of properly. Trash cans at the bottom and top of every lift would be a great start.

The fact that deadheadskier didn't think trash was a problem at Crotched Mt. is indicative of how successful we have been. Over the last 5 years that the "pick-up" volunteers have been doing their thing, we collectively believe there is less trash. People who are prone to littering see litter and think it is OK to add to it. If they see it being actively picked up, most (definitely not all) recognize that it isn't OK.

deadheadskier · Mar 6, 2015

joshua segal said:
Aah, but Crotched DOES have the problem, but we have a cadre of volunteers (including yours truly), who routinely pick up trash from the slopes on a near daily basis.

On some of the busier "Midnight Madness" nights, a liftie walks the lift line picking up. I saw him fill a 30 gallon trash bag one morning.

I've only night skied there midweek and my impression was the problem paled in comparison to what I've seen at other areas. I think what helps Crotched is their main lift goes over an open lighted trail that happens to also be one of the most popular trails. The lighting and presences of skiers acts as a bit of a deterrent. It also makes it easier for kind volunteers like yourself to help take care of the problem as you are skiing right by it.

The barrels at Shawnee Peak and Pats are located on sections of lift lines that don't have an active trail nor are they lit. The perpetrators seems to do more damage under the cloak of darkness.

SIKSKIER · Mar 6, 2015

Give a hoot,don't pollute.

BenedictGomez · Mar 6, 2015

deadheadskier said:
the litter problems seem to be more prevalent at areas with night skiing. Hence why places like Blue, Pat's and Shawnee Peak have the barrels.

I hadn't considered that. I'd just assumed the Poconos get littered due to having so many city visitors, who on balance tend to respect nature less. But it being dark at night might also embolden dirtbag litterers since it's far less likely their littering may be seen.

Jcb890 · Mar 6, 2015

Mount Snow has trash cans at all of the lifts at the bottom of the mountain which is a good idea. They don't have trash cans up top though. I'd imagine it might be tough to keep them from blowing over or from things blowing out of them perhaps?

C-Rex · Mar 6, 2015

Jcb890 said:
Mount Snow has trash cans at all of the lifts at the bottom of the mountain which is a good idea. They don't have trash cans up top though. I'd imagine it might be tough to keep them from blowing over or from things blowing out of them perhaps?

Not hard to put a sandbag or two in the bottom and put a flappy lid on them.

Jcb890 · Mar 6, 2015

C-Rex said:
Not hard to put a sandbag or two in the bottom and put a flappy lid on them.

I know, I thought the same thing. I guess a barrel at the bottom is better than nothing though. Also, in the times I've been up there, I've never really noticed much trash/litter around. So either people do a good job throwing things away, they have a good cleanup crew or the wind blows all the trash somewhere less noticeable.

Terry · Mar 7, 2015

deadheadskier said:
I've only night skied there midweek and my impression was the problem paled in comparison to what I've seen at other areas. I think what helps Crotched is their main lift goes over an open lighted trail that happens to also be one of the most popular trails. The lighting and presences of skiers acts as a bit of a deterrent. It also makes it easier for kind volunteers like yourself to help take care of the problem as you are skiing right by it.

The barrels at Shawnee Peak and Pats are located on sections of lift lines that don't have an active trail nor are they lit. The perpetrators seems to do more damage under the cloak of darkness.

Shawnee Peak did away with the barrel under the lift a couple years ago and put a barrell at the midstation. Seems to be far less litter now under the lift.

Douchebag litterbugs

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