Cooking Wood

[bushman13]

This is a real question, possibly a dumb one as well. You guys let me know if it's really dumb.
What do people use for firewood that you can cook on in the high country? I live in Evergreen, and will be elk hunting north of Granby this year. That puts most of my altitudes at 8-10000ft. I've only been out here a couple of years, but I have hiked and scouted a lot locally. I haven't seen a tree I'd label as food safe firewood yet.
What wood types do you guys use while on the high country trail to cook with? I hear Randy say "oak brush" all the time, but I certainly don't see it up here.

 

[Colorado kid]

There are very few types of good cooking wood up here, as you know. Nothing is going to make you sick, that I know of. Having said that, there isn't anything that tastes good either. I would bring a pot and cook in that. If you insist on straight fire to food cooking, use the coals of well burned pine. That's my opinion, anyway. Hopefully they get rid of these fire bans by then.

 

[PrairieHunter]

What are you worried about?


Humans have been cooking food with wood for thousands of years.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Food safe firewood??? As long as you aren't burning asbestos insulation from an old house or pressure treated lumber I think you are going to be fine. Pine and fir will work great... and if there is one thing in grand county it's bone dry dead pine.

I might bring a stove though, even if they lift the fire bans I'm not going to be making a fire this fall.

 

[bushman13]

I have eastern sensibilities, it was sacrilege to throw a pine log in a fireplace or on a fire used for cooking.

What are you worried about?


Humans have been cooking food with wood for thousands of years.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Going up in CO, didn't know that was even a thing...we always had a wood stove and burned pine/fir/aspen, occasionally we might get something else if neighbors/ friends were cutting down a tree.

 

[wytex]

Let the pine burn down to coals and the creosote will be gone . Sage works great for cooking. Again let it burn down to coals. Puts out great heat.
You'll also find some alder bushes growing in drainages and it works great too.
I'm not sure if any scrub oak grows near Granby but it can be found in parts of N Colorado.

Once pine , spruce and fir burn down to coals you will not have the creosote smell and taste to worry about. It put out good heat burn the coals do not last long.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Food safe firewood??? As long as you aren't burning asbestos insulation from an old house or pressure treated lumber I think you are going to be fine. Pine and fir will work great... and if there is one thing in grand county it's bone dry dead pine.

I might bring a stove though, even if they lift the fire bans I'm not going to be making a fire this fall.

Any dry wood you find up in the hills is good. I have never cooked on actual fire, only over hot coals. We do use a dutch oven a lot.

 

[bushman13]

Any dry wood you find up in the hills is good. I have never cooked on actual fire, only over hot coals. We do use a dutch oven a lot.

It makes sense to let the creosote burn out and use the coals, but that also lends to having a separate fire for producing coals, as you can't add more wood as you go.
It's a very big deal down south, you have your different firewood types linked to different kinds of meat. Gonna cook some fish or chicken, maybe get into some orange or peachwood and so on. Pine is only for starting your fire and never used for cooking. You would get run out of camp.
Just something I've been wondering since moving out here.

 

[Colorado kid]

It makes sense to let the creosote burn out and use the coals, but that also lends to having a separate fire for producing coals, as you can't add more wood as you go.
It's a very big deal down south, you have your different firewood types linked to different kinds of meat. Gonna cook some fish or chicken, maybe get into some orange or peachwood and so on. Pine is only for starting your fire and never used for cooking. You would get run out of camp.
Just something I've been wondering since moving out here.

We are much more limited as far as choices of wood to burn here. When I lived in the south, There were many more options. That's why so many people bring Dutch ovens or cast iron and a grate to cook on.

 

[2rocky]

As said before, don't over think it.

Most important is find dry wood . Look at trees that are dead falls but not touching the ground.

Let it burn down to coals, then grill over that. Mostly going to be pine or fir in CO.

That question reminds me of the poem The Outfitter's Jerky by Baxter Black...

 

[bushman13]

We are much more limited as far as choices of wood to burn here. When I lived in the south, There were many more options. That's why so many people bring Dutch ovens or cast iron and a grate to cook on.

I totally get the limitation, I was just hoping it was my own ignorance as well.

 

[PrairieHunter]

I have eastern sensibilities, it was sacrilege to throw a pine log in a fireplace or on a fire used for cooking.

I see.

In the end most any wood will be fine and as mentioned if you want a cleaner flavor wait until it's a bed of coals.

And check the fire restriction wherever you go.

 

[tarheel]

Best tasting brown trout I ever ate was cooked over a fire of dead sage and dry horse apples up at Seminoe Reservoir in WY.

 

[TheNorthStar]

Just create a keyhole shaped fire ring and draw your coals off to the side for cooking. No big deal.