I hike the north trail of Turtleback Mountain at least three days a week year-round.  In the summer I function as one of the stewardship volunteers who monitor the preserve for the Land Bank.

We have a problem. The problem is horse excrement littering the trail – piles of it right on the trail. No effort is being made by horse riders to pick it up and get it off the trail. This is disrespectful behavior both to the preserve and other users of the trail. Just as we expect dog owners to carry a plastic bag and pick up after their dogs defecate, the same should be expected of horse owners to bring a small shovel and plastic bag, dismount, pick up the excrement, put it in the bag and take it with them. At the very least, the very minimal, they should use the shovel and remove the excrement from the trail, carry it far to the side of the trail, and dump it out of sight.

If this situation cannot be resolved soon, we need to go back to the drawing board on usage of the Turtleback Mountain preserve.  Many people worked very hard to obtain this lovely mountain. We need to keep it as pristine as possible.

Monica Kezar

Orcas Island