[pct-l] Chimney Fire

[Gary Schenk]

http://www.pcta.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Chimney-Fire-PCT-6.2.16.jpg

Yes, lots of illegal fire rings on the PCT nowadays. I see fire rings in places were only people hiking on the PCT would camp. Still, we shouldn't jump to the conclusion that drunken AT knuckleheads coming out to the PCT expecting to have a campfire every night start these blazes.

Not everyone using an alcohol stove is careless. A couple of years ago at Snow Lake in Oregon I watched Peanutbutter Platypus carefully clear an area and then make a small trench around her alcohol stove before making her dinner. That's the way to do it.

Over Memorial Day we hiked from Kennedy Meadows and out over Olancha Pass. It's amazing that 40 years later trees have yet to make a comeback from the Clover fire. Same with the Manter fire, those trees are not coming back until we get another ice age.

Kennedy Meadows Store deck is full of hikers. Two weekends ago on the trail up to Baden-Powell you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a thruhiker. It's overwhelming. Let's hope they are all careful with fire.

This puts a big blank spot on the trail. With the trail, Nine Mile Road and Canebreak Road closed along with Sherman Pass still closed, that's going to be one tough spot to get around on foot.

Gary

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: marmot marmot <marmotwestvanc at hotmail.com>
To: Gary Schenk <gary_schenk at verizon.net>
Cc: pct-l <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Fri, Jun 3, 2016 6:26 am
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Chimney Fire

You bet it sucks!!!
And there's some hiker that I heard about out there who is carrying 3 stoves(to test them). Two of which do not have shut off valves(alcohol and esbit,I heard). I didn't meet him so let it go. No longer. When are people going to figure it out?  Is this another fire caused by camper/hiker stupidity? Last year I was part of two frustrating struggles to attempt to get hikers to put out campfires ----at Little Jimmy and in the Sierra. We had to send in the Ranger to Little Jimmy. Couldn't get any official help at the other. As you walk through all the burns think about it. I believe there were 5 just in section F. Very sad. I made a comment about it and one hiker said that he hadn't even realized it was a burn. Because first I did the trail over 20 years ago I remember walking though the more shady Piutes. 
Marmot

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 3, 2016, at 5:29 AM, Gary Schenk <gary_schenk at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> The Chimney fire has closed the PCT from Walker Pass to Kennedy Meadows. Canebreak Road and Nine Mile Canyon Road are closed. Origin fire is the Chimney Peak Campground. 1000 acres and 10% contained.
> 
> This sucks.
> 
> Gary
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