I'm terrified of losing something important while on the go out there; I once found a full set of Big Agnes tent poles. Another time I found a rather nice silnylon hammock tarp. I picked both item up, left notes at the trailhead, posted to WhiteBlaze lost and found, etc.
Did I do the right thing? What's the protocol? The emotional and physical weight of picking up the items described above was significant. Next time I find a similar item on the trail, I might just leave it.