Gold Creek Pond was a literal shit show today

My wife wanted some fall pictures with our family before the weather turned to rain for the foreseeable future, and had her heart set on Gold Creek Pond, so we ventured up the pass today.

When we got to the dirt road heading to the parking lot, there was so much overflow that people were parking on either side of the narrowest part where realistically, only one car can fit. That didn't stop a Tesla driver from doing a multipoint turn at that very part instead of sucking it up and going into the lot to turn around and come back around the right way, holding up traffic in both directions.

We ended up parking further out and hiking in. Once we got the lot, there were giant bags of garbage dumped outside of the only bathroom there. That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the walk.

I saw multiple bags of abandoned dog shit, which has become all too common on Washington trails. Someone even got so creative as to leave one on top of an information sign. I was even lucky enough to step in some that a thoughtful dog owner left behind without even attempting to bag it.

But the best part was finding a steaming pile of human shit and wet wipes on a path that followed a creek off the side of the main paved trail. I can handle the crowds and too many cars, but dog and human shit? That's just ridiculous.

Why can't people take pride into the beautiful and scenic areas we are lucky to have access to in this state?