HikeArizona.COM

I have no idea if this has ever been brought up, but I'm going to ask. How does everyone feel about using tabacco products on the trail? Smoking while hiking? Chewing while hiking? Just a curiosity. How many HAZ members smoke or chew? I quit smoking... for 4 months and then picked it back up again, for umfteenth time. And I have been known to chew sometimes.

I was hoping for the Marlboro Man......oh wait he can't make it either.

We could call the group HAC (Hiking Arizona Coughing) Wait, would there be a copyright issue, Joe? J/K

The coughing is because of the brown cloud. The American Lung Association's 2010 Rankings of Most Polluted Cities by year round particle pollution lists Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale as #1
Los Angeles was #3.

Not sure smoking makes that much of a difference here.

kevinweitzel75 wrote:We could call the group HAC (Hiking Arizona Coughing) Wait, would there be a copyright issue, Joe? J/K

So as not to compete with HAZ.....

Hacking AZ. Hikers........HAH!

snakemarks wrote:The coughing is because of the brown cloud.

I was hiking in South Mountain last week and you could see it hanging over the city. It was absolutely disgusting.

Who needs tobacco when y'all have that nice brown cloud to toke on all day long?

As a HEAVY smoker, I smoke when I'm out. However, I try and confine it to breaks, and always pack my leftovers out (I roll my own on the trail). That said, there's nothing like a good single malt and a cigar at camp after a long trail day.

And the tar coating on the lungs helps to keep the air pollution out!

I smoke alot on the trail. Especially when I get to the top of Humphreys. Theres nothing better than a high altitude cigarette!

I hear everyone talking about smoking cigarettes, but no one has talked about pipe smoking. I have no objections to smoking a pipe on the road or on a break on the trail. In comparison with cigarettes, you aren't going to destroy your lung function by inhaling smoke since pipes are not meant to be inhaled. Plus, a nice English blend has a pleasant smoke that doesn't seem to irritate too many people because it smells nothing like cigarette smoke. Plus, I have a hand made smoking pipe that I'm sure most people would recognize the origins of. I've made a few of these, and gave some to friends. It's a nice cool smoke, no bite, and looks perfect for a long adventure. The stem is 16" long, and made of Spanish Cedar. The bowl is Liptus, vertical grain, and heats up enough that it makes a nice hand warmer on a cold night.

Cool, I love the look.

Well, the whole issue is going to be moot for a while now. The fire restrictions going into effect include cigarette smoking except in enclosed vehicles. I think this counts for any national forest already under restrictions and any other areas red flagged by the National Weather Service.

Looks like I'll be bringin a can of Cope up this Sun for Stillers hike.

@Tough_Boots
Tonto Natl Forest Fire Restriction Rules allow smoking within a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is cleared of all flammable material.
They do not prohibit all smoking... only careless smoking.

For stage 1, which most AZ NF's are under. Stage 2 appears to ban it outright, on forest lands and outside of vehicles or buildings.
http://nmfireinfo.wordpress.com/informa ... trictions/

@Alston Neal
Thank you very much. I was watching Lord of the Rings a couple months ago and I became interested in how they the pipes were made. I was trying to figure how they got the long hole through the bent stem and so forth. Long story short, I figured out a way to do it, so I cranked out about 6 of them, gave some to friends, and kept a few for myself. I own a few hundred dollar meerschaum pipe, and now that the hobbit pipe I normally use is well broken in, it tastes sweeter and more flavorful than the most expensive pipe I own. Plus if I drop the hobbit pipe or lose it on the trail I'm not out that much money.

The National Weather Service has been issuing red flag warnings all over Arizona including inside the national forests. Whenever these are in effect, they overrule whatever the National Forest's fire restrictions are.

A few weeks ago I was hiking in Marin down here in California. Some dude was hot-boxing a joint in his car right next to mine while I was applying sunscreen, setting up the GPS, etc. He got out, and started asking me a bunch of questions about the trail:
Me: "I've only been here once before, last week, and it rained and my shoe failed so I don't know much."
Dude: "Is the Miwok Trail cool?"
Me: "I'm sure it is."
Dude: "What about the Valley Trail?"
Me: "Seems so. It was cool last week in the rain even if there was a rabid bobcat."
Dude: "I'm thinking about bringing my mountain bike up here."
Me: "You worried about getting busted here?"
Dude: "I don't want to get busted for smoking outside my vehicle. It's illegal, you know."
Me: "I hope you don't get busted."
Dude: "I don't think anyone cares. You don't care, do you? I mean, seriously, it's not a problem, right?"
Me: "Nope."
Dude: "Cool. This is some good pumpkin."

For the record, it smelled like some really good pumpkin. Hopefully the dude didn't get bitten by that rabid bobcat, but if he did I'm sure he has a really good health plan.

Maria Juana can most assuredly enhance one's hiking experience, but it shouldn't be used by people who don't know what they're doing. I used to engage in that stuff, but no mas. Maybe I'll get a vaporizer installed in my crib because I do live in California. Get a medical card that says I have trouble sleeping. Smoking dope in California = having a gun in AZ.
I've been hiking with people who were stoned, and it wasn't cool. Freaking out about nothing! Just roast the fatty, and chill.

@Jim_H
Your link is for New Mexico.
This is current for Arizona: http://www.publiclands.org/firenews/pre ... EAzdLsRZul
And, this goes into effect 5/11/11: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 298271.pdf

@Tough_Boots
A Red Flag Warning is intended only to inform firefighting and land management agencies of ideal fire conditions. Those agencies issue their own restrictions based on that warning. The NWS does not issue restrictions of their own.

Well, so far no restrictions in place on the A-S.