[pct-l] Fire

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

I hiked 3 months each in 2008 and 2009. I did more southerly in 2008  
and more northerly in 2009 but with overlap both times.

I can't remember all the old burn zones I hiked through, but most of  
So Cal was an old or recent burn zone, as was quite a bit of Nor Cal  
and Oregon. It was surprising, however, how much of the trail was  
active burning as I hiked through.

- prevented from hiking the trail beyond Highway 74 due to a forest  
fire near Apache Peak.
- hiked through an actively burning fire just beyond Kennedy Meadows.
- prevented from hiking the trail between Quincy-La Porte Rd. and  
Highway 36 because of a forest fire.
- hiked through thick smoke and falling ashes between Yosemite and  
Castle Crags. The sun was red many days. There was no view most days.  
It hurt to breathe sometimes.
- hiked through an actively burning fire near Marble Mountain. Could  
see another active fire on the horizon to the west.
- there was an actively burning fire just north of Crater lake. Hiked  
through the smoke.
- hiked through an actively burning fire near Lemah Creek in Washington.
- there was a fire to the south of me when I reached Stehekin.

Those are just the two summers I hiked. There have been many other  
fires since then. Not all these fires I experienced were caused by  
hikers, but at least one of them was caused by burning toilet paper.  
You can hike the trail without toilet paper. This is a good video  
about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwmwxkD86Ec
I have done this and it works a lot better than TP because you are  
basically giving yourself a little bath every day, which is far  
cleaner and more sanitary overall and doesn't risk burning down the  
forest or leaving party streamers to gross out the whole world. And  
for number 1, ladies, your dainty little piles of TP left under a  
tree totally gross me out. A little squirt from a squeeze bottle  
filled with water and a little dry with a dedicated bandana does the  
trick.

If you are totally afraid of your own body then please whatever you  
do, pack your used TP out and don't burn it.