Naughty Boy Scouts...

Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires!

Here, Brian, Jeremy A., Bob, and Alex are hiking down to Linville Gorge to climb the "Daddy" and the "Mummy" for the day.

As you can see, Linville Gorge Wilderness Area was hit hard by a forest fire back in 1999. Supposedly the fire began with a lightning strike, but given the amount of Boy Scouts who use the area, the Forest Service hasn't ruled out a poorly-managed fire.

When I climbed in the area back in 2000 with my then-partner Nic Chia, we were appauled by the amount of dead wood. Here, in 2003/2004, it's still amazing how much burnt growth still stands.