Hiker sparks outrage with photo of upsetting discovery on iconic trail: 'It makes me so mad'

While enjoying the natural beauty of one of the East Coast's most celebrated nature areas, a hiker recently stumbled across something that didn't belong: an empty iced coffee cup belonging to none other than "Tod." 

Who exactly is Tod? Well, that remains a mystery. But his habit of littering has caused an impassioned response from the hiker — and choice words from fellow nature lovers on Reddit.

In a Reddit post, the hiker said they found the discarded plastic cup, plastic straw included, while hiking near Bear's Den Scenic Lookout at the Appalachian Trail. To keep the trail clean, they threw the cup away on Tod's behalf in a provided trash can, which they said was located in the parking lot "where [Tod] probably parked."

​​"Next time you bring your coffee onto the trail, take the damn cup back down with you," the hiker wrote to the offender. "Don't litter in one of the biggest national nature areas we have on the East Coast."

The post struck a nerve among fellow outdoor enthusiasts, with many expressing frustration over the growing issue of trash on hiking trails.

"I will never understand people [who] litter," one commenter wrote. "It's not that hard to throw something in a trash can. You brought the cup with you on the trail, you can take it back."

"It's so sad — and it makes me so mad," another commenter added regarding the common problem.

Though a single plastic coffee cup might seem insignificant, Tod's litter points to a larger issue of how people engage with public lands. Access to nature and hiking trails is a privilege, especially considering how development and pollution have wiped out many natural areas. When interacting with nature, we should leave the environment as good as we found it, if not better.

Leave No Trace advises nature visitors to "pack it in, pack it out." In other words, if you bring something onto the trail, take it back with you. It's an adage the hiker also advocated for in their Reddit post to Tod.

"If you're gonna bring your plastic trash cups onto any kind of trail, please take it back with you and throw it away," the hiker wrote. "Nobody else on the trail wants to see your trash. The Appalachian Mountains don't deserve that disrespect."

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While none of us know who Tod is, commenters on the post made him a representative for all people who litter on hiking trails. And they had some choice words for all the Tods out there.

One commenter wrote, "Pack it in, pack it out, Tod!"

"I can't with you, Tod," another added. "Parks aren't meant just for you!"

Another simply added, "Don't be a Tod."

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