In the past, people who hiked Fourteeners relied upon campfires for cooking and warmth. Sadly, the enduring legacy of these campfires is depleted wood sources, scarred rocks, massive forest burns, and multiple fire rings where only one is needed. Fortunately, with the advent of the lightweight stove, campfires are no longer necessary.
Alpine environments are especially susceptible to campfire impacts. For this reason, it is strongly recommend that Fourteener hikers observe the following minimum impact practices:
- Use a Campstove to Cook Meals
- Fires are Not Advised, Especially Above Timberline
Use a Campstove to Cook Meals
A stove is the most safe, efficient, and low impact cooking option available. You will find that cooking with a stove is easier, safer, and faster than campfire cooking. Lightweight stoves are also invaluable in the event of an emergency. Stoves can provide stranded or injured hikers with warmth at any location without their having to gather wood or build a fire. This is especially helpful on Fourteeners where burnable wood is frequently not available.
Fires are Not Advised, Especially Above Timberline
Alpine environments are easily impacted by and recover slowly from the use of campfires. Fires scorch the ground leaving behind an unsightly bare spot devoid of vegetation. Above timberline, this scar could require hundreds of years for full recovery. Also, dead and downed wood is a scarce commodity near timberline. As this wood decomposes, it provides nutrients to alpine plants struggling to survive in a harsh and unforgiving environment. If all or even a small percentage of the hundreds-of-thousands of people attempting to climb a Fourteener each year built campfires, the results would be devastating and irreversible. For this reason, the use of campfires is strongly discouraged.