Backpackers planning a trip to the Conundrum Hot Springs in Colorado are being provided with 'poop bags' and they could also buy one-way travel insurance.
The Aspen Times reports that the local Forest Service is positioning the bags at the head of the trail that leads to popular campsites in the area, in a bid to avoid a build-up of waste.
Around 2,000 backpackers - many of whom may have bought
gap year travel insurance - hike eight miles to the springs every summer and the local Forest Service has used a grant of nearly $3,000 (£1,945) to supply the bags and encourage backpackers to use them when they camp.
Kevin Warner, wilderness crew supervisor for the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District, told the paper: "With (a) small staff and budget, we chose to limit this pilot programme to the one drainage that sees the highest use and try to implement it in a professional way."
The hope is that the scheme will tackle problems posed by a steep elevation and a rocky terrain which makes burying solid waste more difficult.
In related US travel news, the Modesto Bee recently reported that backpackers have the opportunity to explore California's Point Reyes National Seashore by bike.
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