Campfire

There is just something about a campfire. To me, it is not just a source of warmth and a way to cook your food, but a place of comfort and peace. This is especially true at the end of a hard day of hiking or spending time in the mountains. Somehow, moments around a fire bring us all together as well, and some of my most intimate times with friends and family have been spent around a fire, roasting marshmellows and telling stories. I think this is such a legacy: for eons, people have gathered together for safety, warmth, and good food and in the midst of that, become close, and communicate deeply with each other.

It sometimes is a total necessity. Camping in the winter means cold weather and a fire is a symbol of survival and also a true source of warmth and renewal. The fire on the left is the remaining coals after 3 hours of timely warmth on the Pacific Coast in early February. I remember that fire well, as it warmed me up and kept me out of the tent a bit longer…

Building a fire is a skill that you have to develop with purpose. It is not a given that you’ll learn as a kid or as a young adult.

Some of my fondest memories of being a boy scout involve fire. Every year at our big weekend campout, the highlight of the trip was the campfire on the last night. All the older scouts would come up with a new and awesome way to light the fire. My favorite was an arrow carrying a flame down a 50 yard zip line into the middle of the woodpile lighting just the right combination of tinder to start a blaze. So satisfying!

And the meals cooked right on the coals after hiking miles upon miles are so satifying. I remember a simple steak and potatoes meal, cooked on a campfire at Mystic Lake north of Mount Rainier back in the late 80’s that in my memory is the best steak I have ever eaten… I’ll never forget warming up by the fire after a cold plunge in the icy lake after the long hike up the Wonderland Trail from the west, with icebergs still floating in the water, and then the most excellent meal cooked over the coals.

My patrol won the fire building contest in the snow at Longmire in Mt Rainier National Park a handful of years before this. I think we could only use one match, and then build a fire high enough to cut the twine hanging a few feet above. We all were lying in the snow in a circle facing each other, gently blowing on the embers, hoping that we could win the prize. Seems like yesterday.

Years later on the east side of the park, I took the kids up into the mountains to construct an igloo and we built a fire inside that gave off the most amazing light, flickering off the walls, wet with a bit of ice melt. It was small and cramped, but the process was a blast, and now these are such fond memories. We went back to the same spot months later in the summer, and the fire remnants were still there, long after the snow had melted away. We built another fire, roasted marshmellows and told stories as the stars peaked through the pines.

Adventure in the outdoors is better with a fire. Bring friends, enjoy each other, build memories, and share a natural meal together. You will not regret it!

Always check for rules and regulations involving fire wherever you are recreating. Dry conditions usually means no fires, and high up in the backcountry, fires are not allowed. The world has changed a lot since the ’80’s, so don’t expect to be able to do what you did long ago.

Cooking over a campfire and general resources:

https://koa.com/blog/how-to-cook-food-over-a-campfire-pro-campfire-cooking-tips/. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/campfire-basics.html. https://www.nps.gov/articles/campfires.htm

Recipes: https://www.backpacker.com/skills/cooking/recipes/the-17-best-campfire-recipes-of-all-time/