Fire Rings @ Silver Lake

This site is right off the side of the trail. You may notice the still green branch in the fire ring and the lack of rocks to prevent the fires escape. This site has been an ongoing issue. Rehabilitating this area will require more extensive work. The level of rehabilitation done up to now has been inadequate in preventing campers from using it again.

Circled in red is a carsonite sign with 'No Camping/No Fires' posted on it. This site was a problem site a few years ago but has been rehabilitating well up until now. This fire was hot enough to melt glass bottles, which were found in the ring along with various other pieces of partially melted trash. This site is also in close proximity to the trail and stream. Once again, notice the sawed tree lying near the fire.

This site was the result of four teenage boys who arrived late at night and didn't know the regulations or heed the signing. The campsite is not more than 15 feet from the trail. I found the boys still sleeping in the morning. They had carried a pallet up the trail about 1/4 mi. for wood. The pallet was partially burned and the fire had no ring built to contain it. I issued a citation for an illegal fire and was suprised to find the pallet left behind when I returned down the trail a few hours later. Our Forest is looking at implementing a pallet ban. Pallets burn too hot and big and leave nails behind which could puncture tires in dispersed sites.

This series of photos show another illegal campsite, this one significantly impacted. I have posted new siging twice at this site only to have it ripped out within a week. Nearly all of the aspens are carved in surrounding this area and about 20 tree stumps remain from cut down trees used for fire wood. One such stump and tree are shown here. This site is typically found to have a lot of trash left behind. No branches are present on large trees within reaching distance, they have all been broken off and burned. I have rehabilitated this site around 15 times.

Trail shortcuts are another problem we deal with on the Silver Lake trail. The first photo shows a shortcut that saves hikers about 15 feet of travel. We have spent 30 minutes stacking logs and debris on this shortcut only to return a week later to find it all removed. This happens time and time again. Trail shortcuts lead to erosion and are an eyesore. Shortcutting a trail switchback is a citable offense.

Another unnecessary trail shortcut, one of about 8 or 10 on this trail.

This photo and the following 3 photos are illegal fire sites at Silver Lake. We broke up all fire rings 2 weeks ago around Silve Lake and these have been rebuilt since. These sites have all been rehabilitated numerous times. Notice the trends in these sites...hardened soil, numerous trees drug in or sawed down, fires too big and hot, missing branches on surrounding trees, inadequately build rings and garbage.



We often find these fires still burning. To our disappointment, Scout leaders are one of the most common violators of the 'No Fire' regulation in this area.

Dead and decomposing wood, like live green wood, isn't appropriate for burning. Decomposing wood provides habitat for insect and small wildlife and doesn't burn well. This is usually the first wood to disappear from sites.

After all wood available for gathering is exhausted, live trees become a target for fuel. This tree is an example. In high altitude areas the growing season is very short and tree growth takes a lot of time. The wood in this area is being burned at a far faster rate than it is growning. If each camp group, such as the ones shown above, burn 4 to 5 trees, there is no way that the area can support the use. Consider that around 35 groups camp here, per week, all season.

This photo shows a suffering aspen grove. Aspen trees share a common root system and are one of the largest living organisims on the planet. For this reason, they are more sensitive to disease and damage. Carving on a small number of aspen trees could potentially lead to damaging an entire grove.