Bag-it, A Special Hiker
                by Jim Blackburn

A Bag-it is a special hiker. The one with a plastic bag hanging from the belt about the waist or in hand. A Bag-it picks up the discarded beer cans, the plastic bottles, the chewing gum wrapper, the discarded piece of plastic. Bag-its keep our trails clean. Will you join this special hiker?

During a recent trip to Fiji I accompanied our tour director and several others on our tour to hike along the shore at sunup. She and several others carried plastic bags to gather debris off the beach. Second day I too had a bag hanging from my waist. I did bring back a few seashells and a starfish but guessed they'd get replaced. We sure cleaned up the beach for a mile or so. (Besides, bending over is good for us.) Felt good and the beach looked more attractive.

Don't use the bag to collect wildflowers, rocks, petroglyphs, shards, etc. That's a no-no. Just enjoy them where they are and let others that follow enjoy them too.

I get in trouble sometimes when I try to remove old rusted cans and glass bottles at supposed miners' campsites. These they tell me can help date the site so I don't collect really old looking rusted cans or glass bottles. I also remember hunting elk in New Mexico when we'd return around the campfire at night and toss our beer cans over our shoulders. Left a mark for the archaeologist. Don't do that any more!

Nowadays it's the plastic water and pop bottles, the aluminum beer cans, chewing gum wrappers, filter tip cigarettes and pieces of plastic that don't deteriorate very fast that I find unattractive along hiking trails.

Join us Bag-its.