Click to View the Full Thread

Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Listening Point - General Discussion :: Dead and down!
 
Author Message Text
CanoeKev
06/15/2018 01:59PM
 
HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"

No question that standing dead (barkless) trees are the best firewood. You need a good saw and axe to harvest them. In the BW it is frowned upon, but in more remote areas it is the way to go. There are billions of board feet of such wood in the BW and Q. Just stay away from campsites.
 
Pinetree
06/15/2018 03:17PM
 
Please never saw dead trees hanging over a lake that really looks terrible. Break them off if you can. Their is no shortage of wood in the BWCA for campfires.
 
Banksiana
06/15/2018 03:21PM
 
CanoeKev: "HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"

No question that standing dead (barkless) trees are the best firewood. You need a good saw and axe to harvest them. In the BW it is frowned upon, but in more remote areas it is the way to go. There are billions of board feet of such wood in the BW and Q. Just stay away from campsites. "



I think the best source of firewood is the dead limbs of downed jack pine. Dead dry, last forever without rotting, can be found just about anywhere as the jacks are brittle and subject to blow down. No saw required (unless you want the big limbs). Just break off, break up (I prefer smacking them agains the sharp edge of a boulder) and burn.
 
Marten
06/15/2018 03:53PM
 
In Riding Mountain National Park in Manitoba they have settled these issues by banning all firewood gathering as it upsets the natural cycles. All firewood is provided but is trucked in from outside the park.
 
shock
06/16/2018 07:26PM
 
HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"
whats wrong with dead and standing , mainly because it's against the rules , (i'm sure your aware HS ;)) but that rule is there so there is no gray area when cutting firewood.
 
nctry
06/11/2018 04:31PM
 
HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"





Sometimes it's the only thing you can burn. But with all the good equipment and clothing we have there are just as good choices to warm up if that's the issue. Too wet conditions is almost like a burning ban. But if it came down to it it could be a way of survival. But just to have a campfire? And to make a mess of things? No. Just letting in the number of people they do messes with the bugs, the birds and the bees.... Our presence in numbers has impact. And I'll say it again, complain about government, DNR and all that... But the forest service I think has done a good job making it possible for said numbers of people to enjoy the canoe experience. In the quetico, I'm thinking if they had those numbers it would really be a mess. And that's part of it. If every mother, brother, sister and dad cut down a dead tree to roast a marshmallow, this would have impact on things that live in these trees and such. Same with washing dishes in the lake. A little soap in a big body of water wouldn't be such a deal. But camper upon camper day in and day out the solution to pollution is dilution theary isn't going to work.

 
Basspro69
06/11/2018 11:02PM
 
shock: "If you've ever been on a trip when you've had many straight days of rain you gonna wish you had an axe/hatchet with." Exactly!!!
 
Basspro69
06/11/2018 11:02PM
 
You can go a short paddle away from the campsite and find firewood at any lake in the Bwca I’ve never used a stove camping up there and have never lacked for firewood it’s everywhere.
 
HowardSprague
06/12/2018 08:32AM
 
nctry: "HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"




Sometimes it's the only thing you can burn. But with all the good equipment and clothing we have there are just as good choices to warm up if that's the issue. Too wet conditions is almost like a burning ban. But if it came down to it it could be a way of survival. But just to have a campfire? "



Seems to me, during damp, chilly conditions is precisely when I MOST want to have a fire.


And I was referring not to cutting down a dead tree, but like when you walk back into the woods a ways and find a somewhat dense, gnarled area and there are dead 1-2" branches about face high on a tree...ideal for getting a fire going, when all the stuff on the ground is soaked or rotted. Same with branches that have died, fallen off, and landed on other stuff, suspended up off the ground. Perfect.
No mess or habitat disruption created.
 
missmolly
06/12/2018 07:59AM
 
I camp on Crown Land and don't take a saw or ax. My campsites are likely used by only me in a year. When I base camp for a week or thereabouts, I snap dead branches and burn those and in a mere week, I've snapped through the easy stuff. It doesn't take long to clear a campsite of dry, dead wood.
 
tarnkt
06/12/2018 08:04AM
 
I don’t even bother looking for firewood at campsites any more. Paddle to any spot on the shoreline and walk in ten yards or less and fill the canoe.


Splitting is not only necessary sometimes, it’s fun!!!
 
UncleBuck
06/12/2018 01:09PM
 

I say this somewhat tongue in cheek, but in my very limited experience up there, I am not yet convinced that wood in the BWCA actually burns. ;)


As a matter of fact, I'm even considering various conspiracy theories vis-a-vis the wild fires that have occurred up there!


Or maybe I'm just terrible at building fires.
 
treehorn
06/12/2018 02:47PM
 
I've sat at more than one campsite, looking out at an obstructed view of the lake, and picked out a few live trees and thought to myself - this would be a better site if those trees were gone, and then cursed the Forest Service under my breath.


I wonder how many people can't resist the temptation and just have at it with their camp saw.



 
HowardSprague
06/12/2018 03:05PM
 
I know I've done that.
The people at KOA were so pissed....
 
ozarkpaddler
06/12/2018 11:48PM
 
Well, I think we're just talking to ourselves as the OP seems to have disappeared? But I'll chime in that I do bring an axe and I do enjoy a fire. Not to be "Macho," not because I think I'm "Survivor man," but because it's part of the experience for me. I utilize a stove also, but do enjoy cooking some things over a fire and watching the fire in the evening.


The OP is entitled to their opinion. But, in MY humble opinion, it's legal, it's ethical, and I'm not harming the resource. So if and when I'm able to return I'll gather my dead wood, make my fire, and enjoy said fire late into the evening.
 
shock
06/13/2018 03:10AM
 
when you have gone through a period of nasty cold wet weather , a axe/hatchet/fire can brighten up the spirits :)
 
firemedic5586
06/14/2018 04:33PM
 
As for "We Don't use chainsaws in the BWCA"


Well,,,,,, We were in Brule last week, and someone on camp site 948 had what I believe was an Electric Chainsaw going as we were fishing they bay there..
 
DeanL
06/10/2018 03:02PM
 
We all have our opinions on whether we like fires or not and if so how we should collect our wood. That subject could be debated for a long time. To the OP I have also see this kind of damage at a majority of campsites and have almost come to expect it. I think it has less to do with the tools used but more with the lack of knowledge or flat out disrespect for the wilderness.
 
nctry
06/10/2018 03:21PM
 
TuscaroraBorealis: "Not saying this is the case in every instance but, I've actually witnessed forest service personnel cutting small (live) shrubs to open up overgrown sites on at least a couple different occasions. Common sense would suggest they also do so when relocating the latrines.



Once again, not saying this explains every occurrence but, does offer a little perspective.



Not that I'm in anyway trying to justify this practice but, (and this is just my personal opinion) I don't get overly concerned about campsites and portages being true pristine wilderness. There's still enough of that in the other 99% of the BWCAW."







Good observation... Yes, I know what your talking about. And sometimes you wonder what they used to make some nasty looking cuts. But I don't recall Forest service personnel leaving the axe marks mentioned. Of course we had no pictures to give us a better idea what we're debating. Paul, you are so wise!
 
TuscaroraBorealis
06/10/2018 09:03AM
 
Not saying this is the case in every instance but, I've actually witnessed forest service personnel cutting small (live) shrubs to open up overgrown sites on at least a couple different occasions. Common sense would suggest they also do so when relocating the latrines.


Once again, not saying this explains every occurrence but, does offer a little perspective.


Not that I'm in anyway trying to justify this practice but, (and this is just my personal opinion) I don't get overly concerned about campsites and portages being true pristine wilderness. There's still enough of that in the other 99% of the BWCAW.
 
unshavenman
06/10/2018 04:25PM
 
I think that the easier the campsite is to reach, the better chance that it's in poor shape due to overuse by unenlightened campers. Put a few good portages and some miles between you and them and you reach sites that are typically (but not always) in better shape, and are frequented by many of the people that call this board home. Personally I am fond of found beaver wood, never use birch bark, and yes I bring a Gransfors Bruks Small Forest Axe and an Irwin saw and sheath.
 
Gadfly
06/11/2018 09:49AM
 
analyzer: "The campsite I frequent, has lots of birch trees, with the bark stripped all the way around, to about 7' off the ground. Several trees. It's so sad. I think it may very well be winter campers. They move the fire pit closer to the lake, cut many live branches and pile them up, I'm thinking as a layer underneath them, and strip all of the birch bark trees. Several of those trees have died and tipped over. It's only a matter of time before the rest tip over.



Apparently the only way some campers know to start a fire, is to strip the birch bark. Either that, or they are crafting something with it. Perhaps they're making a birch bark canoe or something. Considering how many have been stripped, I suppose that is a possibility."



Of course it has to be the winter campers because no one would ever think of doing such a thing while camping in the summer.
The scenario you lay out sounds quite specific like maybe you have some experience with it.

 
Pinetree
06/11/2018 10:26AM
 
analyzer: "sometimes when we camp at a high volume campsite (3rd bay off sag comes to mind), the area is sometimes fairly void of dead down wood. So we just empty the canoe, take it across the lake to another shore, and fill the canoe with dead down wood. We have aluminum canoes though, so we're not risking a puncture. But it makes for really easy fire wood collection."


All this campfire gathering to me is like a ritual and is a important part of camping with everybody pitching in. It is a chore but a good feeling and a fun chore when mission accomplished.



 
analyzer
06/11/2018 12:33AM
 
sometimes when we camp at a high volume campsite (3rd bay off sag comes to mind), the area is sometimes fairly void of dead down wood. So we just empty the canoe, take it across the lake to another shore, and fill the canoe with dead down wood. We have aluminum canoes though, so we're not risking a puncture. But it makes for really easy fire wood collection.
 
HowardSprague
06/11/2018 11:01AM
 
OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)

 
Pinetree
06/11/2018 11:09AM
 
HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"



I think too many if cutting dead and standing with subsequent chopped trees all over would not look good to many including me.
It is a different story if dead and standing is leaning over your tent.
 
Savage Voyageur
06/08/2018 10:17PM
 
An axe, hatchet and a saw go with on our trips. Like shock said a few days of rain and you would have zero fires. It’s the Boy Scout in me that says be prepared. I never have cut live trees. We gather wood away from camp. An axe or hatchet can be the thing between having a fire or not. You need to split it to get at the dry wood inside. The log can be sopping wet at the bark area and dry inside when you split it.
 
analyzer
06/08/2018 10:42PM
 
The campsite I frequent, has lots of birch trees, with the bark stripped all the way around, to about 7' off the ground. Several trees. It's so sad. I think it may very well be winter campers. They move the fire pit closer to the lake, cut many live branches and pile them up, I'm thinking as a layer underneath them, and strip all of the birch bark trees. Several of those trees have died and tipped over. It's only a matter of time before the rest tip over.


Apparently the only way some campers know to start a fire, is to strip the birch bark. Either that, or they are crafting something with it. Perhaps they're making a birch bark canoe or something. Considering how many have been stripped, I suppose that is a possibility.
 
shock
06/09/2018 12:55AM
 
analyzer: "The campsite I frequent, has lots of birch trees, with the bark stripped all the way around, to about 7' off the ground. Several trees. It's so sad. I think it may very well be winter campers. They move the fire pit closer to the lake, cut many live branches and pile them up, I'm thinking as a layer underneath them, and strip all of the birch bark trees. Several of those trees have died and tipped over. It's only a matter of time before the rest tip over.



Apparently the only way some campers know to start a fire, is to strip the birch bark. Either that, or they are crafting something with it. Perhaps they're making a birch bark canoe or something. Considering how many have been stripped, I suppose that is a possibility."
yes it's extremely sad seeing so many stripped birch trees around camps for fire starter , when there is usually so much laying all over the ground ,
i actually quit camping with some individuals that did this and other unethical behavior.
 
nctry
06/09/2018 06:23AM
 
shock: "If you've ever been on a trip when you've had many straight days of rain you gonna wish you had an axe/hatchet with."






A good chain saw is invaluable too...
 
mychurchmyhome
06/09/2018 06:52AM
 
No, with or without rain I still have no use for an axe or hatchet. I only plan maybe one meal that requires a fire. I use layers of clothes to keep warm. Just think about it. Almost every campsite has humans on it every night all summer. If everyone HAS to get firewood from the campsite area, there will be a treeless campsite. No need to spit logs. Just collect smaller firewood. And let’s not loose focus here, DEAD and DOWN away from sites! And only for firewood, stop thinking your on survivor man, you don’t have to build anything! 10” Silky daw is all you need.
And duh, no chainsaws.

 
mychurchmyhome
06/08/2018 08:35PM
 
Thru my travels to campsites, I have noticed an increasing number of green trees/vegetation being cut. 4’ High and 6”-8”-10” in diameter or trees being limbed or vegetation cut for, I don’t know why.. It looks terrible and the campsites are so heavily packed from use, no trees grow back thru the hard packed soil. Usually the chopping marks look terrible and folks need to learn technique with an axe. . The only tool anyone should need for collecting decent and reasonable firewood is a folding saw with aggressive teeth and maybe a 10” blade. Fires should be used moderately anyway, and too big fires wear out and break the firefrate faster. Dead and down and away from shore!
 
shock
06/08/2018 09:30PM
 
If you've ever been on a trip when you've had many straight days of rain you gonna wish you had an axe/hatchet with.
 
nctry
06/09/2018 08:08AM
 
Yeah, no chain saws in BW.... And yes we all get our panties in a bunch when we see what you discribe. Taking an axe or saw isn't the issue as much as just plain ignorance. Both the axe or hatchet and a saw can be very useful. But usually kids are handed such tools with little or no education on when, how and what to cut.
Welcome to the board... And just know we all feel your pain when seeing the misuse of canoe country. There has been discussion on this before. Lot's of things we don't like going on. But your gonna get some of that. More people just don't care and those that do seem to have the my way or the highway attitude a lot of times. Here I like to think we can be civil, and respect each other's ways of doing things... As long as we're not doing anything out of line.
 
butthead
06/09/2018 08:40AM
 
mychurchmyhome: "No, with or without rain I still have no use for an axe or hatchet. I only plan maybe one meal that requires a fire. I use layers of clothes to keep warm. Just think about it. Almost every campsite has humans on it every night all summer. If everyone HAS to get firewood from the campsite area, there will be a treeless campsite. No need to spit logs. Just collect smaller firewood. And let’s not loose focus here, DEAD and DOWN away from sites! And only for firewood, stop thinking your on survivor man, you don’t have to build anything! 10” Silky daw is all you need.
And duh, no chainsaws.
"



First off welcome to BWCA.COM.
Second, spend a bit of time getting to know and understand the membership. You'll find your preaching to the choir and deserve some kickback. Gear bashing is poor form as it does not apply. It is the methods and choice of applying the gear that is important. If I find a "dead and down" 4 inch hunk of tree limb and decide to split it with a rock/knife/hatchet/axe/or maul, it is well within the ideals of minimum impact and good behavior in the BWCA.


butthead
 
mjmkjun
06/09/2018 09:57AM
 
nctry: "shock: "If you've ever been on a trip when you've had many straight days of rain you gonna wish you had an axe/hatchet with."







A good chain saw is invaluable too..."

LOL!
 
alpinebrule
06/09/2018 01:35PM
 
I often avoid the whole issue by running a cold camp. For several years I find that I am running a cold camp saves a lot of time and effort not having to gather wood at all and is one more way to leave no trace. That aside, I am always surprised at what has been cut around sites and dragged in as supposed "firewood". Green and punky wood that will never burn well abounds. My suspicion is that the root cause is lack of knowledge and laziness.
 
Savage Voyageur
06/09/2018 07:05AM
 
I can safely say No One here destroys trees and campsites like you described. He was just joking with the chainsaw comment. You have your tripping style, I have mine. I’m not saying that mine is a better way, just explaining how and why. You might eat boil and dump meals on a stove, our groups bring fresh food. You might travel every day, our groups base camp and fish. You might think one fire is enough, I think a dozen is enough. We sometimes have 6-8 guys and have campfires 2 and sometimes 3 times a day. That would be on a 6 day trip a dozen fires. I’m taking about reflector ovens, and a big pot to heat wash water. We have had some trips with 12” and 14” Cast iron fry pans on the fire grate sizzling with fish fillets and veggies.


We go out well away from the camp and gather dead and down wood and process it for our needs. We don’t peel bark, our sites don’t look like a construction site built out of wood items. We don’t take live spruce branches off of trees to cushion our winter tent area like some who will remain nameless do. When we leave we clean out the firegrare area. It always looks better than we left it. If you bother to go away from camp you would be surprised just how much wood is lying around on the ground. So if you have a problem with my tripping style, too bad, your problem. There is nothing I’m doing out of the rules stated on the back of every permit or forest service video or written rule book about the BWCA.
 
Pinetree
06/09/2018 07:42AM
 
we almost never take a saw or hatchet and just pick up dead wood we can break off. That said I probably camp in less used areas and early summer when winter leftover branches that fell.
 
mutz
06/09/2018 07:23AM
 
mychurchmyhome: "No, with or without rain I still have no use for an axe or hatchet. I only plan maybe one meal that requires a fire. I use layers of clothes to keep warm. Just think about it. Almost every campsite has humans on it every night all summer. If everyone HAS to get firewood from the campsite area, there will be a treeless campsite. No need to spit logs. Just collect smaller firewood. And let’s not loose focus here, DEAD and DOWN away from sites! And only for firewood, stop thinking your on survivor man, you don’t have to build anything! 10” Silky daw is all you need.
And duh, no chainsaws.
"






First the chainsaw comment was a joke.
Hopefully this doesn’t turn into a my way is better than your way argument. We cook at home on an electric stove and gas grill, when we are on a canoe trip we cook on wood, we do use a pocket stove for coffee. This doesn’t make either way better and I can assure you those of us who cook with wood and have a campfire at night won’t use up all of the dead and down trees in the BW. It’s also a very small minority that strips birch and cuts green, like it’s a very small minority that leaves trash. We take a gas stove but that only gets unpacked if it’s impossible to use wood or in a fire ban.
 
DrBobDg
06/09/2018 12:10PM
 

If we do trips with scouts etc it is usually the last week in July or so. We only bring a saw.... Too much chance to screw around with an axe or hatchet....so the temptation is not even there.
Yep..there are morons out there who are not capable of thinking.


dr bob
 
Pinetree
06/09/2018 01:54PM
 
nctry: "Yeah, no chain saws in BW.... And yes we all get our panties in a bunch when we see what you discribe. Taking an axe or saw isn't the issue as much as just plain ignorance. Both the axe or hatchet and a saw can be very useful. But usually kids are handed such tools with little or no education on when, how and what to cut.
Welcome to the board... And just know we all feel your pain when seeing the misuse of canoe country. There has been discussion on this before. Lot's of things we don't like going on. But your gonna get some of that. More people just don't care and those that do seem to have the my way or the highway attitude a lot of times. Here I like to think we can be civil, and respect each other's ways of doing things... As long as we're not doing anything out of line. "



I Agree,and to some using dead down wood and cutting and splitting and making a little pile is a big part of camping.
 
nctry
06/09/2018 07:54PM
 
Pinetree: "nctry: "Yeah, no chain saws in BW.... And yes we all get our panties in a bunch when we see what you discribe. Taking an axe or saw isn't the issue as much as just plain ignorance. Both the axe or hatchet and a saw can be very useful. But usually kids are handed such tools with little or no education on when, how and what to cut.
Welcome to the board... And just know we all feel your pain when seeing the misuse of canoe country. There has been discussion on this before. Lot's of things we don't like going on. But your gonna get some of that. More people just don't care and those that do seem to have the my way or the highway attitude a lot of times. Here I like to think we can be civil, and respect each other's ways of doing things... As long as we're not doing anything out of line. "




I Agree,and to some using dead down wood and cutting and splitting and making a little pile is a big part of camping."







I've canoed with a guy who worked very hard building a fire. It was going good, but all he did was split and feed the fire... I sat and enjoyed the fire...
When I'd solo I rarely had a fire. But I do enjoy one now and again. Do lots of em at home... The OP was talking green wood... Now that IS a big pet peeve of many of us.
That should be documented and turned into the forest service.
 
A1t2o
06/11/2018 12:43PM
 
Pinetree: "HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"




I think too many if cutting dead and standing with subsequent chopped trees all over would not look good to many including me.
It is a different story if dead and standing is leaning over your tent."



If you are uprooting it is an issue too. We don't want to leave stumps, but if you leave it up then the roots might rot out first allowing it to fall and not leave an ugly stump.


If it is a little one that you can tear it down by hand then I see no issue, but I would not cut anything down. Alive or dead.
 
fsupp
06/11/2018 02:04PM
 
HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"



My understanding is that a dead and standing tree still may provide habitat for critters, winged or otherwise, so the preference is to wait until it's down to turn it into firewood. It's probably not a coincidence that the principle of not cutting down dead trees has a prophylactic effect on cutting down live trees, even those that are "mostly dead."
 
fsupp
06/11/2018 02:04PM
 
HowardSprague: "OK, so what's wrong with dead and standing? If you've had a lot of rain, a lot of the dead & down will be a tough go to burn, at least for awhile. Dead and standing,..is dead, and more likely to be dry.
(& I'm not talking about toppling 50' jackpines)
"



My understanding is that a dead and standing tree still may provide habitat for critters, winged or otherwise, so the preference is to wait until it's down to turn it into firewood. It's probably not a coincidence that the principle of not cutting down dead trees has a prophylactic effect on cutting down live trees, even those that are "mostly dead."