PINE RIDGE TRAILHEAD AT BIG SUR STATION
Volunteers with the Ventana Wilderness Alliance (VWA) greet backpackers at the Pine Ridge Trailhead adjacent to the Big Sur Station parking lot. The Trailhead Ambassador Program (TAP) is in place to make visitors feel welcome to the wilderness and answer questions but also to educate them on fire safety and Leave No Trace Practices without lecturing. This program is a partnership with the VWA and USFS.
VWA is currently looking for volunteers that would like to participate in the program. Volunteers would pick up supplies at Big Sur Station and set up at the trailhead. Best days would be Saturday mornings, but other days could work. Hours can vary, but preferably between 9AM and 1or 2 PM. You would work alongside of a volunteer Wilderness Ranger until comfortable working alone or together with another volunteer.
If interested, please contact David Wachtel at deateadub@yahoo.com or VWA at vwa@ventanawild.org
If open fires are permitted, Dakota holes, properly prepared and managed/placed, can minimize the potential for firebrand dispersal.
WARNING: Some of the instructions on the Internet can be misleading. YouTube especially. But some are ok. Never dig near trees. Put your breakfast in and cover. Some folks sleep on the covered holes. FORGET open fires–anywhere, any time. If a freshet of wind blows up, just shove the pile of dirt from the holes into them. Keep them small–cooking pot sized or smaller.
Currently, no open fires are permitted outside of developed campgrounds — Plaskett, Kirk Creek, Ponderosa, Nacimiento, Arroyo Seco