High Sierra Topix

I am back. It was wonderful trip, and it turned out not be so bad without fires. I will probably change my habits.

I'd rather go camping in my BACK YARD, than go backpacking without a fire!

Men have enjoyed campfires for thousands of years. It's a part of being human, and a large part of my wilderness enjoyment.

I wish the government would have a proper fire safety course, and issue you a permit if you pass, that allows you to have a fire regardless of these regulations (excluding those in place due to scarce fuel, such as elevation regs.). I'm sick of people who don't know how to properly care for a fire, ruining my wilderness experience!

Trinity Alps, here I come!

To each their own, I guess.

Sadly, safety courses don't change the behavior of those who don't give a ....( I could go way off topic with this one).

HI Mobius,
Welcome to HST. I look forward to the trip report from the Trinity Alps. There is a safety course in California called a campfire permit. It's available online and is just a few simple questions. Answer them and you can print it out and be legal. Not much use this year for a campfire with all the restrictions; none the less I have one for the use of my backpacking stove.

mobius1 wrote: I wish the government would have a proper fire safety course, and issue you a permit if you pass, that allows you to have a fire regardless of these regulations (excluding those in place due to scarce fuel, such as elevation regs.). I'm sick of people who don't know how to properly care for a fire, ruining my wilderness experience!

I agree there are too many idiots building new fire rings, scorching rocks, and making fires unnecessarily large but no course is needed, they simply have to inform people when they get a permit. Get the message out.

Heck, what's next, a course on how to properly take a dump in a bag and haul it down the trail? I'm not willing to go down that road on having the government educate me on how to "get away" from it all

might be best to camp in your backyard if you want a campfire this season.

Trinity can burn as well as anyplace. Some of the Covelo fires south prove that. And the Weaverville fires of the past.

It doesn't matter who or what starts the fire. It's just best not to. But if they trace it to you, there would need to be some explanation.

Investigators have confirmed that the devastating Yosemite fire was started by a hunter's illegal campfire that - guess what? - got out of control. He has not been named nor arrested, yet.

A fairly thorough account:

http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_2 ... -hunter-an" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The fire started at an elevation (2600) where you shouldn't even be operating machinery after 10 am so it's not really germane to the discussion concerning campfires in the backcountry