[pct-l] Fires

[marmot marmot]

I'm sorry that I caused you to feel bad. I'm just so tired and angry about the harm done to the trail. These people aren't talking about being so cold they were forced to make a fire. It's always about some romantic archaic idea of what entails a long distant hike. We've all talked ourselves hoarse, teaching workshops,Rucks,
Gatherings,Kickoffs. I've been involved in this for 30 years. This stuff needs to just stop. If you have a better way of saying it please do.
If they made the fire,cooked on their stoves that could not be turned off in the middle of the road with buckets of water,with a shovel---that would be another thing. It is clear where they are camping. It took numerous posts before it became clear that behavior that is so dangerous just has to be called out. I was just enjoying reading of their experiences. Then making fires was mentioned way to many times in too many posts.
There's no large Kickoff to educate new hikers and inexperienced people. We got to talk to maybe 100 hikers and it wasn't the same sort of general information event. In my opinion ""hike-your- own -hike refers to how fast you do it,what you eat, what you carry,when you get up in the morning, whether you take time off in town or just pick up your food and walk on. Benign behavior.  If people don't know the danger they cause. They need to. I care that the squirrels and bears aren't burned alive.
Marmot

Sent from my iPhone

On May 2, 2017, at 2:31 PM, Scott Diamond <scott.diamond.mail at gmail.com<mailto:scott.diamond.mail at gmail.com>> wrote:

PCTA Website<https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/backcountry-basics/fire/>


  *   Campfires are generally not allowed on the PCT in Southern California. Only the rare developed car-camping campground, with official fire amenities, allow fires. The fire danger is too extreme, and population centers too at-risk, to allow fires.
  *   Alcohol stoves and twig stoves can be dangerous since their fuel source is not contained and there is no positive shut-off. Stories abound of people burning picnic tables, themselves and starting forest fires when these stoves blew or were knocked over. It is likely that if campfires are prohibited, alcohol and twig stoves will be banned as well.

The above statement is not in line with your post in which you stated "You are only allowed to use a backpacking stove with a shut off valve."

My intent is not to turn this into a "flame war". I hiked the PCT without making a campfire and I don't see the need to make fires in the backcountry. But I'd argue that these extreme posts, basically yelling at people, are very ineffective.

  -Rover

On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 2:10 PM, marmot marmot <marmotwestvanc at hotmail.com<mailto:marmotwestvanc at hotmail.com>> wrote:
Please read the PCT website. It campfires are not allowed on the PCT in the back country. Alcohol stoves and other stoves can and have turned into "camp fires". Who would want to take that chance? For years and years there have been polite discussions of hikers behavior. And then there's another fire and another fire and another fire and....
One of the suggestions has been lets just call out bad behavior. That is what I am doing. The trail will last,hopefully, long after this year's hikers have gone home. Let's leave it intact. HYOH does not apply to harmful behavior that hurts animals,insects,trees,
plants---the trail.
We are temporary visitors with a responsibly to care for the trail.
Marmot


Sent from my iPhone
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