[pct-l] Poopy Rocks?

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

I would be extremely upset were I to come across a rock smeared with  
human waste. I don't care if it comes with the outward bound seal of  
approval. That is just disgusting and wrong. It's not like poop is  
buried deep and covered in plastic like in a landfill. It will  
degrade with the few inches of duff covering it that most people use.

The only reason people find other people's poop and TP is because a  
lot of people are concentrated in small areas, either around the  
trail or in campsites. The only time on the PCT I ever found  
anybody's TP was either near trailheads (I assume those people are  
not thru-hikers) or near Yosemite. Another reason stealth camping is  
good. I usually had to go while on the move.

I know many women will use TP for number 1. Instead of that, I  
recommend carrying a small squeeze bottle and a small scrap of cloth.  
Hose yourself off and dry with the cloth. Store the cloth where  
sunlight will kill the germs while you hike.

Where I live I do not think mule ears will grow. But something called  
lambs ears will grow. I wonder how many acres of those I would need  
to grow to meet my needs? Would it be cost-effective considering a  
lot of water is needed for lambs ears? Is there a drought-tolerant  
alternative? I suppose if I went with native Santa Barbara plants,  
maybe yerba santa, white sage or chamise would work.