Warning to CT hikers – Colorado under state wide fire ban

I saw the following sign at an Open Space trailhead in Boulder yesterday:

I have a trip to Indian Peaks coming up next week and called the US Forestry Service ranger station to ask about restrictions up there. Canister stoves with shutoff valves are the only approved form. Alcohol, esbit and wood stoves are subject to the ban.

The June 14th Colorado Fire Ban states –

“The ban does not apply to campfires in constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates within developed camp and picnic grounds or recreation sites; liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves; fireplaces contained within buildings; charcoal grills at private residences; or specific prescribed or controlled burns for agricultural or irrigation purposes.”

The full description can be found by following this Link.

Counties, as mentioned above, are a different can of worms. Chaffee County, for instance, allows for the use of “LP and liquid fuel stoves that allow you to turn the flame on and off”. (JetBoil is OK, but not a Cone, CatCan, or Bushbuddy for instance.) San Isabel National Forest and Chaffee County are in sync.

A call to the Sheriff in each county will provide the needed information.

For what it's worth, I called the Rocky Mountain National Park Backcountry Office today and asked about the ban. They said alcohol stoves and canister stoves are OK. They just don't want wood or any "non-liquid fuel" to be burned.

The RMNP fire ban covers that. It says petroleum stoves only.

http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/restrictions.htm

Also, I've asked the BC office multiple times about it in the past and they always said any stove had to have an on/off switch. I bought a Pocket Rocket the first time I went there so I didn't have to carry a white gas stove. The Pocket Rocket is sure going to get a lot of use this summer.

RMNP con't…

I just spoke with "Diane" (Staff, Not a volunteer) at the RMNP Information Office.

I asked about an "alcohol stove", explained as a "short can with burning alcohol in it, with the cooking pot suspended above", with no capability to turn it off. I also offered that the Fire Ban in my county requires fueled stoves to have an on/off valve.

She offered to check and call me back. And she did. And said that stove was allowed.

So, IF you take an alcohol stove into the back country, I would also take the full name and phone number of your RMNP contact. Because confusion is rampant.

[And do be careful. A few weeks ago a camper in northern Colorado knocked over his alcohol stove and did, literally, set the forest on fire. The Hewlett Fire burned 7,685 acres, engaging 370 firefighters and three helicopters, cost $3.2 million.]

I called the backcountry office earlier and they said yes at first until I explained what it was. The woman answering the phone checked with others and said no. They said it had to be a manufactured stove with an off switch. I asked them to clarify it and put it on their web page. She said she'd have the main guy get back to me on it. But the fire ban page page clearly says petroleum only. I really wish all the different agencies could get on the same page and use the same wording. It would make things a lot simpler.

Interestingly, I talked to a guy at Larimer County and he says their ban includes federal lands except RNMP. Might be true of the state ban as well.

I had the same answer last week when I called the US Forestry Service Ranger Station in Boulder, asking about Indian Peaks Wilderness. The only stoves allowed are those with a shut-off valve. I did, however, confuse him when I talked about iso-butane canisters. So I reiterated and he confirmed that the stove fuel supply must be able to be turned off.

Good time to learn the joy of cold cous cous, dehydrated black beans, wraps with tuna and cheese and cold Starbucks Via if you have are a caffeine fiend like me. :)

With warm temps even in the high country, a no stove strategy can make sense.

Besides the weight savings (which, admittedly, depends on the food brought), not having to worry about stove bans and fuel can be wonderful. I like the 'no muss, no fuss' approach that going stoveless engenders.

Try it overnight..you just may like it.

hi everyone,

I been a little stressed regarding the wildfires affecting my ct trail thru hike starting this tuesday 6/26. This is my first long distance thru hike. This has been a dream of mine for years and i saved money and quite my job to do it since they would not allow the time off. I would be devastated if the wildfires forced me to skip parts of the trail or even worse quit. I am not sure i will have another window to do this hike for awhile. I am more concerned about air quality then the fire spreading on the trail. For intstance hiking over a pass when the smoke is heavy enough to be a legitimate danger.

I have already been entertaining alternate plans to hike a section of the pacific crest or john muir trail. I would need to plan in a weeks time or so and improvise.

Can anybody offer advice, comments, suggestions? Thank you in advance

Colorado is bad. It's looking like 2002 all over again. If you have the ability, it may a good idea to change your plans to the west coast. It is just so darn dry, there is no way to tell where the next fire will be.

"It is just so darn dry, there is no way to tell where the next fire will be."

Isn't that the truth. Or how aggressive they'll be. The last few fires almost literally exploded.
Waldo canyon tripled from 5100 acres to 15500 in a day.