[pct-l] Fire Responsibility

[Gary Wright]

On May 9, 2010, at 10:30 PM, CHUCK CHELIN wrote:
> In spite of that, I’m not fond of outright bans on “things”.  Behavior is
> the problem, not the "thing".  A ban would inconvenience responsible people,
> but it clearly would not influence the ever-present irresponsible dirt-bags.
> Without a clear way for an office bureaucrat to distinguish one type of
> open-flame stove from another the answer will be, “No flames of any kind”,
> or worse the ultimate CYA, “The trail is closed until further notice.”

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) hires "Ridge Runners" every year to be a visible presence on the trail to educate hikers about leave no trace and trail rules and regulations. The are mainly located in high-use parts of the trail.  In particular, the ATC has a Ridge Runner stationed at Springer Mountain, the start of the AT, every year.

I wonder of a similar program might be useful on the PCT as the number of thru-hikers continues to increase.  A friendly face-to-face discussion about the fire hazards and perhaps the expected whether conditions might be a way to tackle these problems that we've talked about so much on this list in the last few weeks.

Radar