Hiker sparks outrage with photo of upsetting discovery deep in the woods: 'I've seen this more than I'd care to admit'

A hiker took to Reddit to vent about making a disgusting discovery along a trail they were walking. 

Posting in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, the user shared a photo of a bag full of dog poop that was just dropped smack dab in the middle of a trail, right next to a log that needed climbing over. 

This particular bit of litter is uniquely frustrating for hikers because it's a hassle in several different ways. First, and most obviously, it's a bag of poop, sitting in the middle of the trail, at a point where your attention is most likely on the large log that needs traversing, rather than on any potential landmines on the ground. Removing it would require you to pick up poop in a bag of potentially dubious stability. 

Secondly, the poop likely would've been better off simply being left where it was dropped without being bagged. While annoying, it would've eventually broken down and gone back into the soil, whereas the plastic bag won't break down, meaning the poop will just stay there until properly disposed of. Even if the bag is biodegradable, it still takes years to break down, as opposed to the weeks it would take the poop to do the same. 

Lastly, the poop represents a growing problem in public spaces: litter. Hikers have been raging about people leaving trash on trails and in parks for ages, and the problem is only getting worse. National Parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone have seen recurring issues with it, while even local parks like Grizzly Peak in Oakland have been battling endemic littering problems. 

Commenters were understandably annoyed with the sight. 

"I've seen this more than I care to admit," one said.

"'I'll pick it up on my way back'- People have enormous capacity for self-delusion," said another. 

"That's worse than just leaving it," said a third. 

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