A few years ago I helped cart & carry a 35lb canoe to Pharaoh Lake from Mill Brook...never again! Now-a-days I just bring a paddle, or the means to make a paddle, and search the woods near the lake. Sometimes you get lucky, and you'll find a canoe or boat right at the outlet, or at a lean-to. One important item to keep in your pack is an Ace Bandage, you know...in case of an emergency.
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Camping at Pharoah Lake
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For those who are suggesting "just travel further to get firewood" as a solution to the issue... some food for thought:
One of the factors that is used in evaluating how impacted a site has become is the number of social trails that exist emanating from a site, and how far they stretch into the surrounding forest. A primary cause in the formation of these trails, obviously, is groups searching for firewood. The more social trails there are (and the longer they are), the more impacted a site is considered to be, and the more likely it may be considered for closure or rehabilitation.
Given that downed woody debris plays several important roles in ecologic systems (including both habitat and nutrient cycling), removal of all woody debris over a wide area can definitely be seen as "trammeling" the natural processes within that area. The idea that fires can cause high impacts even without tree cutting is definitely an important one in wilderness management.
Now, of course, I'm not saying that you should always restrict your firewood collecting to the immediate vicinity of any/every campsite you occupy. But for the sites that are already highly impacted, the idea of "just traveling further to get firewood" may be akin to using a band-aid to fix a bullet wound (and may even actually still be making things worse).
I think that a large part of the difficulties inherent in minimizing fire impacts on Pharaoh Lake is that Pharaoh Lake itself is the destination. Overnight groups go there to be on the lake (and who can blame them- it is a beautiful lake ). Pharaoh Mountain is the only nearby destination that is likely to draw people out of their campsites for an extended period of time, and many overnight groups camped on the lake don't actually climb the mountain while they are there. The result of this is that in many of the sites, you've got a roaring campfire going during all waking hours, from the moment a group shows up on Friday afternoon to the moment they leave on Sunday afternoon... weekend after weekend, after weekend, after weekend, throughout the whole summer and well into early fall. (And again year after year, after year, after year...)
(Contrast this with an area like the High Peaks, where most overnight groups leave camp during the day to summit one or more peaks.)
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Originally posted by DSettahr View PostFor those who are suggesting "just travel further to get firewood" as a solution to the issue... some food for thought:
Good luck to Pikehunter 7. I too have loved Pharaoh Lake for a long time, but now I only visit during the slow seasons. Didn't see another soul when I was there a couple weekends ago.Last edited by Justin; 11-22-2014, 10:14 PM. Reason: I'm horrible at typing, it's not my strong suit, please forgive me.
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The nice thing about solving this problem is it doesn't require us to do anything. We just need to stop doing something. Nature will take care of the wounds we've left behind.
Carrying a stove is actually less work than gathering and processing firewood. If we truly care about the ADKs then we need to step back and look at what "I am doing" , not just what other people are doing, and just because its still legal doesn't make it the right thing to do.
Be a good steward of the land we love, its our watch.
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Originally posted by Justin View PostAgreed, but just because someone enjoys gathering firewood and cooking over a campfire does not make them a bad steward of the land.
You know, it is possible to be a good steward in one aspect, and a not so good steward in another.
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Originally posted by backwoodsman View PostThat depends on how much food you're cooking.
You know, it is possible to be a good steward in one aspect, and a not so good steward in another.Last edited by Justin; 11-23-2014, 01:07 PM. Reason: Sorry for trying to be helpful and friendly to the OP
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Originally posted by backwoodsman View PostSorry Justin, didn't mean to upset you. Just trying to have a discussion about the source of the problem and maybe adjusting the way we do things to possibly help places like Pharoah Lake from becoming like a state park, that unnatural,overused, cleaned out look.
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Wouldn't closing the road be unfair to everyone who goes there and doesn't contribute to the problems?
There are certainly older folks, handicap people, wounded Vets, ect who like the access and have been going there for a long time.
Wouldn't addressing the issue through educating the camper be a good solution or at least a step in the right direction,surely everyone can understand this, its not rocket science.
Maybe this way we wouldn't need more regulations and costs of enforcement.
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Originally posted by backwoodsman View PostWouldn't closing the road be unfair to everyone who goes there and doesn't contribute to the problems?
There are certainly older folks, handicap people, wounded Vets, ect who like the access and have been going there for a long time.
Wouldn't addressing the issue through educating the camper be a good solution or at least a step in the right direction,surely everyone can understand this, its not rocket science.
Maybe this way we wouldn't need more regulations and costs of enforcement.
I do visit the area quite often, and I've had several conversations with folks like you mention, that are also long time visitors of Pharaoh Lake and beyond. How about you?
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The DEC has made an increased effort in providing education in the area in recent years. They've also implemented some re-vegetation projects on the lake, with varying levels of success (there have been issues with groups ripping planted trees out of the ground).
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Justin, do you carry a folding saw to cut that wood?
To sort of continue the conversation and satisfy my own curiosity... I've considered picking up a folding saw for backpacking trips. I see a lot of D&D wood about the diameter of that in Justin's photo... just a bit too big to break by hand (even with the between-two-trees lever method, which I'm not a huge fan of anyway). We have some folks here who know a lot about forestry and impacts, so I'm wondering what the consensus is on cutting? I mean, assuming a fire will exist; I realize no fire is the least impact on local resources.
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I haven't had a fire in nearly 20 years. I don't want one and I don't miss one. I don't want to go looking for wood. I don't want to smell the smoke and most of all, I want to leave as little impact as possible. I can cook whatever food I want on my stove with the exception of hot dogs over the coals and smores; but those will kill you anyway.
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