[pct-l] collecting wood/ user fees

[CMountainDave@xxxxxxx (CMountainDave@xxxxxxx)]

In a message dated 2/24/03 7:57:21 AM, LCGRCONRAD@aol.com writes:

<< Just thought I would let everyone know of a great new use for the alocohol
stove.  Been out the last two weekends in the Columbia Gorge in the rain and
snow.  All the wood is wet.  If you use the stove as your fire starter in the
base of your fire, build a teepee of wood around the stove leaving an exit on
one side to pull it out as soon as you start getting a bed of coals and you
have a great campfire out of wet wood.

Of course the best place to get wood is the bottom dry branches of trees and
under old logs and off of dead standing trees. >>

Good idea. Another good source of wood in wet conditions are trees that have
fallen and splintered, the large splinters on the bottom being air dryed in
the umbrella of the log.  Old cedar stumps, if available are every bit as dry
1/4 inch in as the bottom of a cedar shake on a roof
 One thing about campfire etiquette: those in charge prefer that branches not
be broken off of standing trees. Their reasoning is that the sight of a
broken branch stump imposes upon the hiker that the area is not true
wilderness. In other words you are leaving a visual trace which conflicts
with the leave no trace Golden Rule of backpacking.
    The solution, if the only dry wood you can find is on standing trees, is
to camouflage your gathering by doing it far from camp, perhaps at your scat
spot or in the last half mile before you enter camp, a few yards off the
trail.. You only need a few pieces of really dry wood and some kindling to
get sort of wet squaw wood to burn. If you do break off branches  near camp
break them off as close as possible to the trunk, using a rock as a hammer.
Ripping wood out of the forest floor is frowned upon, too, because it leaves
a visual trace.  Branches that have been blown down in the last one to three
years are best. And every wind storm brings down another supply. But as Linda
implied, that type of wood is useless under snow or soaked by rain, for
starting a fire
   Just trying to keep some overzealous government guy from banning campfires
because of what he perceives a bad firewood gathering techniques
  The obvious solution, of course, is to use all that excess backpacking user
fee money to provide, besides trail maintenance, campfire wood. Collected by
government employees (or a contractor) in an ecologically correct manner,
just  like they do at Bowron Lakes in Canada. That way over zealous Boy
Scouts don't go tearing up the area near camp in their competitive search for
firewood.  A win /win situation if you ask me. Everybody ends up happy. I
won't hold my breath expecting NPS officials to understand the concept that
user fees implies user services beyond just the access provided by the
Entrance Fee. That is why there is a campground fee, right? To provide for
extra services