[pct-l] rangers - moving to NOT building fires...

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, all,

I second Jeffrey’s comments in detail.  Except for the very rare instance of
potential life-threatening hypothermia fires are just not warranted.

Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Sun, Feb 7, 2010 at 1:36 PM, Jeffrey Olson <jolson at olc.edu> wrote:

> The following is pure personal opinion and not meant to offend or
> enflame...
>
> I hope that the new crop of hikers anticipating hitting the trail in a
> couple months don't build fires - EVER!!!  Even in established campsites
> please.
>
> The pace of change in the wilderness is incredibly slow.  When we blast
> through and think, "I'll just build a small fire to get warm" our choice is
> based in ignorance.  We think, "my little fire and the wood it burns is
> almost nil in impact.
>
> However, our ignorance is repeated hundreds and thousands of times over the
> course of decades - our "almost nil" impact is additive.
>
> What's worse is the social fire - somehow sitting around a two food wide
> fire warms the social heart.  Please - don't do it.
>
> Slow down and feel the pace of change that is the forest's.  This is hard.
> But this is where the "leave no trace" ethic starts.  The wilderness gives
> us the opportunity to take personal responsibility for paces of change
> centuries long.  We are given the opportunity to do what we say - we say we
> value the wilderness, and sometimes, feel a sacred connection within it.
>
> Jeffrey Olson
> Martin, SD
>
>
>
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