Not having heard of this plant before, I was rather confused why people would leave so much footwear on this trail.

Apologies, I assumed common knowledge when I shouldn't have. It's a lovely orchid that resembles a slipper.

Here's a link from the USDA Forest Service:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/cyprip...

haha yes, 100% thought this was about someone dumping used shoes in a pristine area before your comment.