It's a noble undertaking that is unfortunately needed: picking up litter left by others. But unlike Adopt a Highway sponsors, the names of wilderness garbage collectors aren't reflected on roadside cleanup signs. They pack out trash quietly for the dignity of the trail and all inhabitants therein.
Two Harbors, Minn.-based Granite Gear developed its trail cleanup program — Grounds Keepers — in 2017 to support hikers, and now paddlers, who want to, as the company suggests, "Leave It Better." The concept was inspired by the Packing It Out campaign in 2015 led by hikers who removed 2,000 pounds of trash from the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. Since then, the Grounds Keepers program has grown from cleaning up long national trails to encompassing smaller regional trails, parks, waterways and lakes. Total waste removed is closing in on 10,000 pounds, or five tons, of trash.
Granite Gear selected 30 Grounds Keepers nationwide for 2019 who personify the "Leave No Trace" ethic and commit to hauling out at least 300 pounds of trash. Each is outfitted with specific gear from the company and multiple partners. Backpacks, stuff sacks, headlamps, food and scales are among the equipment.
The company expects 200-300 applications for 2020 by the deadline Friday, according to spokeswoman Julie Bacon.
But this is a story about a Grounds Keeper's journey: Jen Theisen, 47, of Minneapolis, is a member of this year's group.
Theisen (pronounced Tyson) said she didn't have a strong outdoors background as a child, but she became a Boy Scout leader for her sons and found she loved camping and hiking. Her passion led her to develop the outdoor blog wanderingpine.com, and become an ambassador for Women Who Hike, an international organization that empowers women.
To date, Theisen has collected 350 pounds of trash from her target areas: the North Shore's 310-mile Superior Hiking Trail and Minneapolis regional parks. She did it individually and by crew, coordinating several large-group trash pickups. Below are edited excerpts from a conversation about what she has found:
On the pileup
I think the farther out you go, the less trash you'll find. The farther into the city you go, the more litter you'll find. On pristine trails like the Superior Hiking Trail, I found almost no trash. Trailheads and popular urban parks are where I usually found it. At trailheads, people aren't there necessarily to hike. There were fast food bags. There were big heaps of trash in the bushes mostly in urban areas. I find a lot of dog poop in plastic bags, which is my pet peeve. Either leave it out of the bag, or put it in the bag and the bag in the trash. If it's in plastic, it's not biodegradable anymore.