[Backpacker Joe]

Balloons are death traps. As for the small ones, I cant tell you how many Ive picked up in the back country. No fan here!

[Now I Fly]

Driveway Butte

[Slugman]

Little Kachess lake.

[Now I Fly]

Zorro Point

[pula58]

Always sad to find these. Single use "party supplies."

[Now I Fly]

Granite

[Snow_Knot]

over 30 years of hiking, and I have never seen a party balloon on the trail, or in my camping spot. but, In that same time, I have found 3 Radiosondes ( weather balloons). 2 on Search and Rescue missions, ( 1 on Mt San Gorgonio, the other on Mt Dickerman) and one out by Lake Chaplain. Not really a fan of the party balloons, but the weather balloons are pretty cool to find.

[Brian Curtis]

[Kim Brown]

I thought Flower Sniffer was being dumb over decade ago (damn this site is old) for dogging balloons in the mountains. I have learned since then how horrible they can be to wildlife, and so now I don't like them. Learning about stuff can ruin things though. I was at a funeral this spring, and at the end hundreds of balloons were released in honor of the woman who had passed. While it was extremely important to those who needed at least one iota of kind symbolism for this woman's untimely passing, I couldn't help but feel angst for the poor duckies and geese and other critters that will be adversely affected. I felt like a turd thinking about that. I really did. Learning stuff can ruin you. Darn Flower Sniffer, anyway.

[zimmertr]

DARE came to my middle school sometime in the 90s and gave us all helium-filled balloons to release as some sort of symbolic gesture of "giving up" on drugs or some nonsense. I huffed mine instead of releasing it because helium voices are funny. Unfortunately I was caught and given detention. Fortunately, my balloon went in the trash instead of the air.

[Jordan]

[wolffie]

I found this back in the 90's on White Mt, while I was in a state of mind that is still illegal in Washington. I was in no mood to argue -- although later, I came to suspect it was intended for the Darrington Trail crews. Rubber balloons are not allowed in hospitals because they kill children who inhale them -- or cause irreparable brain damage. You won't find balloons on trails, because people clean them up. Go off-trail, and you'll find one every time.

[BigBrunyon]

Dave "True Desert" Jones had a large collection of these.

[Slim]

[Ski]

I did not find ONE balloon during any of my my most recent outings. I DID find two different size 8 womens' shoes - both of them for left feet. (Both went to landfill.) I DID find one nice size "M" womens' long-sleeve tee. (Already laundered and appropriately re-homed.)