New, clearer stove regulations are out for Yosemite and SEKI!

Yet they say nothing about elevations above 6000 feet.

–B.G.–

This page from Yosemite does. Wood fires and stoves (see the FAQ at the bottom on “Sierra Stoves”) are prohibited above 9,600 feet. No stove-specific restrictions are mentioned between 6,000 and 9,600 feet, and there’s nothing elsewhere implying an “unless specified” ban on any type of stove besides wood, so by implication all listed stoves are OK at all elevations.

The SEKI page I linked makes it quite clear that all listed stoves are permitted at all elevations. It’s implied by the paragraph break in the section I quoted, and it’s specified explicitly under the “extreme” fire danger section (which would not, of course, be more permissive than the “high” section).

Again, I doubt that stove models are way high up on the list of what rangers and their bosses are worried about in this horrible drought year. And rightly so.

Still, good to see some clarity.

It was Jennifer….she went to the higher up guys and got the clarification ;)

You can read the update here:

http://www.nps.gov/seki/naturescience/fire-restrictions.htm

Then you can assume everything is allowed above 6,000 feet until you hit the high elevation mark for wood fire bans.

This is about as clear as we need until the backcountry rangers start reading Derrida. Once that happens all bets are off.

When we discussed this earlier, the general idea was that Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and Inyo were all pretty much in agreement about the fire risks and which backpacker stoves were acceptable for use now. Sierra National Forest was the outlier.

Yesterday I was picking up a wilderness permit at a Sierra National Forest ranger station. The permit issuer stated that Esbit and alcohol stoves were banned, because they are classified as open flames, just like a wood campfire is banned. White gas and butane stoves are legal. I suppose that means that those are not open flames. (?)

After all of that was done, I stated to the permit issuer that I would carry a butane stove. Then she asked what an Esbit stove was.

–B.G.–

"Then she asked what an Esbit stove was."

We don't pay mooks. What's a mook?

Just to stir the pot a bit… from the Inyo National Forest Fire Restrictions page –

“Beginning June 27, and until further notice, the following restrictions will be in effect:….”

…and then, after explaining things it says –

“Inyo National Forest wilderness areas which are exempt from this order are Hoover, John Muir, Ansel Adams, Boundary Peak, White Mountains, Golden Trout, and South Sierra.” [emphasis added]

So, depending where you are, it may not matter.

Of course if you’re hiking the JMT, you’ll have to determine the lowest common denominator.