Yes, just leave a functional bike in the trash... it's the American way. Nobody ever had fun on a rigid 26" wheel bike with cantilevers, not once, not ever. The sport of mountain biking wasn't worth participating in until modern suspension, disc brakes, and slack geometry were offered.

A stolen pic of my first real MTB, it was a big step up from the single speed Schwinn Typhoon with Arya aluminum rims and a single massive rear side pull brake.