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ESTES PARK, Colorado – If you climb Longs Peak this summer, you can not only claim that you've made one of the highest peaks in one of the state's most iconic cities, but you can also claim that you've seen an award winning toilet.
No kidding: Backcountry toilets at the top of $ 14,259 were recognized by the American Association of Architects in the "2019 small project awards" in the "under 5,000 square feet" category.
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
"The new Longs Peak toilets are exploring light prefabricated constructions and new methods of garbage collection," announced the announcement of the American Association of Architects Award.
It looks smart … and honestly, that's it.
The restrooms are a collaboration between the National Park Service and the ColoradoBuildingWorkshop at CU Denver. Like other great innovations in human history, their construction stems from necessity.
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
Longs Peak is one of the most popular 14ers, bringing thousands of people on the only Keyhole road. It's human nature for people to … have to take care of some business while they're on the mountain, but all that waste has to go somewhere, which is a difficult problem in such an inhospitable environment.
Side note: Going to the toilet on a cluttered path above the tree line is very difficult if you're not an exhibitionist.
Fortunately, the first backcountry toilets were installed at the top in 1983. They asked someone to remove the garbage by putting them in buckets so they could be swept away by llamas in the mountains (we're talking about 39, a shitty job!).
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
The National Parks Service, rightly, felt that there must be a better way to proceed. So, they had help from ColoradoBuildingWorkshop.
The award-winning toilets are made of metal cages called Gambions. These are filled with rocks that the team has extracted from the near environment. The structures are supposed to be strong enough to withstand the wind of hurricane strength for which the peak is known. The roofs are open and there are windows, which means that this toilet, unlike many others, offers a nice view.
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
Latrines also use a technology that drains urine into the environment, which means you have to carry 80% less garbage in the mountains (which llamas must appreciate!).
CU Denver students were able to build the latrines in eight days. Two of them are in the Boulder Field area, six miles from the beginning of the trail via Keyhole Road and above the treeline in a rugged, rocky area.
If you do not want to do this hike but still want to see the toilets, they are also in Chasm Junction and Chasm Meadows.
See more pictures of the toilets in all their splendor below:
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
Jesse Kuroiwa, CU Denver
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