The Bighorn Climbers’ Coalition was recently contacted by local law enforcement in an effort to get the word out to visiting climbers (and others who might be involved) that patrols will be stepped up around the Town of Ten Sleep’s public restrooms. Unfortunately, these restrooms have recently been left a mess by visitors who used them for bathing. Whether these visitors happened to be climbers or not, the unfortunate reality is that this type of activity bolsters the “dirt-bag climber” stereotype. Help the BCC maintain positive relationships with local communities like Ten Sleep by purchasing a shower from one of the several area businesses offering them for a low fee, including the Ten Sleep Brewing Company and Deer Haven Lodge. Pass the word around that it’s not allowed or acceptable to bathe in public restrooms that do not have shower facilities, nor is it okay to bathe in the town splash pad.
Also, remember to pack your trash out from campsites in and around Ten Sleep Canyon. The BCC sponsors a dumpster all season long at the Ten Sleep Brewing Company to make it easy for you to dispose of your trash. Leaving it scattered in campsites in the canyon or at the crags is not acceptable.
And, please help us continue to mitigate the human waste issue by driving to an outhouse or port-a-potty facility in the canyon rather than using the forest as your toilet.
Even if 99 percent of visitors pay for showers and clean up their trash and use outhouses, it only takes that 1 percent to draw negative feedback and to potentially sour relations. The BCC works hard to get pertinent information out there surrounding these issues and to offer ways to help lessen negative impacts from visiting climbers, but these efforts can only be successful if climbers partner with us to dispose of trash and human waste properly and to shower in appropriate facilities.