[pct-l] C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S...the solution

[Reinhold Metzger]

I say it is time we call on "SWITCHBACK", the trail enforcer, to put a 
stop to this.
Switchback knows how to deal with trail violators like that.
He will tie them to horses and drag their sorry a$$es down the PCT all 
the way
from Mexico to Canada for all to see what we do with trail violators 
like that.

Yes Sir,....Switchback the trail enforcer will put a stop to this.

JMT Reinhold
-----------------------------------------
I-Beam wrote:
If you see someone lighting an illegal camp fire, take their picture (if 
you can,
get them and the fire in the same picture) and then turn them in to the 
nearest
Forest Service, National Park, or BLM office, as the case may be.
I am sick of hiking through burned out trail.
I am declaring war on all campfires.
If I see anyone lighting one where they are not allowed, they will be 
dealing
with the legal consequences.
I-Beam
--------------------------------
I think that may not actually be the case. In my observation last year, 
many
hikers who do this are on the list and read it regularly. However, their 
attitude
is, "I'm an expert outdoorsman, don't tell me what to do while I'm in 
the woods."
This defiant attitude is, IMO, what drives much of this behavior.
When other good-intentioned hikers ask them to stop lighting fires, these
people will say, F you, I do what I want in the woods.
It's often surprising who will take this tone and there is much respect 
to be lost
on trail for this.
I was one of the last hikers into Belden last year in the Chips fire.
One hiker I spent a lot of time around and believed had sound judgement
chose to light a fire on a warm night across the valley from the fire.
The fire was so close that I decided to do a big day and get out so I 
didn't get
burned alive.
The flames were so close I could *hear* them.
It was absolutely crazy that he did this and when I spoke to him later, his
response was that it was none of my business.
We didn't hike together again.
My advice is to destroy cold fire rings when you see them and [if you're 
a guy]
pee on illegal/illogical fires.
Nobody likes sitting around a coal bed that is steaming with urine stink.
And people lighting fires won't respond to logic as we all hope they would.
-------------------------------------------------
/Unfortunately I think you are preaching to the choir.
The people who//are doing this are not the same ones reading this listserve.
------------------------------------------------//
  It seems we have to keep repeating this message because it is not 
/getting /
through to the hikers:
Please no campfires. //
We just learned that the 3rd gate area now has a campfire ring, //showing
multiple usages.
This is new in the past week or so, so this //year's//hikers//are 
responsible for
creating it.
Not only is this illegal there
//(yes, it most certainly is !), but campfires are illegal in most 
of//SoCal.
There //is//also a local family nearby that had to evacuate very quickly 
last
//year because of a fire in that area.
And they could smell the smoke//from the //campfire(s) this year.
How scary is that? It's also unethical to put //others //in danger just 
because
you are too uncool to know about and follow//the regulations already in 
place.//
Please use hiker peer pressure to stop these illegal campfires//whenever 
you
see them.
The danger is very real this year, along the //entire PCT //too. /