[pct-l] bear canisters Complex problem... please help

Tue Mar 20 12:42:41 CDT 2007

>How many miles do you travel OFF the Pacific Crest Trail before dropping
 into the Dusy Basin.  Is it normal for thru hikers to go there?

I can answer this one, Dusy Basin is like a 4000 ft. climb out of paradise 
vally over 5 miles or so.  Prolly not the best option for travelling to a 
bear box.  The trail does climb along a fantastic waterfall though.

s.c.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "montypct" <montypct at gmail.com>
To: "PCT-L" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2007 10:31 AM
Subject: [pct-l] bear canisters Complex problem... please help

>I meant to send this to the list on a recent topic:
> Forwarded late but I need help here.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>
>> Bear Canister Requirements:
>>
>> I think there's something wrong with my Topo or maybe the John Muir
>> Wilderness, the Ansel Adams Wilderness and/or the Sierra National Forest
>> from Kings Canyon to Donahue Pass are the within Inyo???  My Topo does 
>> not
>> show any of that as Inyo???????????????  Something is screwy here.
>>
>> Does anyone have that same problem or is my Topo right and Inyo is a few
>> miles to the northwest, at closest, to the PCT???
>>
>> Regulations per each area's site.
>>
>> Sierra National Forest- Muir and Ansel Adams Wilderness "Bear Hang"
>> Requirements
>>
>> Which stretches from Kings Canyon to Donahue Pass.
>>
>> " 'Proper food storage is required to avoid having bears and wildlife eat
>> your food. Use bear canisters, bear resistant panniers, or the 'bear 
>> hang'
>> method to properly store your food and refuse. "
>>  http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra/recreation/wilderness/wildregs.shtml
>>
>>
>> And Yosemite per their site:
>> Don't camp close too Donahue Pass (above 9600 feet).
>> Canisters required within seven miles of the road at Tuolumne Meadows.
>> There's bear boxes near the store in the campground and North at Glen
>> Aulen.
>>
>> There are no requirements 7 miles north of 120.
>> http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/wilderness/bfoodstorage.htm
>>
>> "This requirement does not apply to food that's being transported or
>> eaten.":
>>
>> And also per the Yosemite's site:
>>
>> Requirements for the 13 miles from Donahue pass to Tuolumne Meadows (120)
>> then north 7 miles per Yosemite's shaded map
>>
>> http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/wilderness/bfoodstoragem.htm
>>
>
>> Seven miles north of Tuolumne there are no requirements.
>
>> Another confusing question:
>>
>> How many miles do you travel OFF the Pacific Crest Trail before dropping
>> into the Dusy Basin.  Is it normal for thru hikers to go there?
>>
>> Next??
>>
>> If all the above is correct, what wilderness areas requiring canisters do
>> not have a legal substitute of a bear box within a few miles, and how 
>> many
>> miles from legality is that?
>>
>> Another:
>>
>> Who has had a government employee lie (or see things different from 
>> actual
>> regulations) to them about these requirements?
>> (I have)
>
>>
>> I'm for the use of canisters here but I think something more important is
>> missing.
>>
>> Warner Springs Monty
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> The answer depends on which portion of the JMT you're asking about, but
>>> in general a canister will be required to travel the JMT without putting
>>> in some long days.  There are no exceptions or special considerations
>>> for thru-hikers in terms of food storage requirements in the Sierra
>>> parks and wilderness areas.
>>>
>>> Canisters are reqired for virtually all of the JMT within Yosemite:
>>>
>>> http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/wilderness/bfoodstoragem.htm
>>>
>>> There are food lockers at Little Yosemite Valley, Sunrise High Sierra
>>> Camp, and Tuolumne Meadows.
>>>
>>> However, canisters are also required along the JMT within Inyo National
>>> Forest, which is from Donohue Pass to roughly 1 mile north of Silver
>>> Pass (this includes the portion of Sierra NF that is administered by
>>> Inyo and presumably follows the same reguations), except for the Agnew
>>> Meadow/Reds Meadow area that's not in the Ansel Adams Wilderness:
>>>
>>> http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/bear.shtml
>>>
>>> A strong hiker could make it from Tuolumne to Reds Meadow in a day,
>>> "racing" through one of the most scenic stretches of the JMT.
>>>
>>> Sierra NF does not appear to require canisters anywhere, so the next
>>> canister-required areas (heading south) are in Kings Canyon-Sequoia:
>>>
>>> http://www.nps.gov/archive/seki/snrm/wildlife/food_storage.htm
>>>
>>> Specifically, canisters are required in the Rae Lakes and Dusy Basin
>>> areas, even for thru-hikers:
>>>
>>> "These  regulations apply to all groups. Through hikers along the
>>> Pacific Crest Trail and the John Muir Trail with a valid wilderness
>>> permit must use portable, park approved, bear-proof food storage
>>> containers or camp at sites with food storage lockers and use the
>>> lockers. Hanging food (e.g. counterbalancing) in restricted areas is
>>> prohibited until snow prevents access to food storage lockers."
>>>
>>> Canisters are also required in the Mt. Whitney Zone east of Trail Crest,
>>> should one be able to get an overnight permit for this area:
>>>
>>> http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/bearmaps/Whitney_bear_canis
>>> ter_map_revised.jpg
>>>
>>> Finally, the list of approved canisters:
>>>
>>> http://www.sierrawildbear.gov/foodstorage/approvedcontainers.htm
>>>
>>> Note that some Bearvaults (the older, lighter ones, of course...) are
>>> not approved for the Rae Lakes area.  The Ursack Hybrid is no longer
>>> conditionally approved due to several failures in '06.
>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Len Roughgarden" <lrough at nwlink.com>
>>>> To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 3:23 PM
>>>> Subject: [pct-l] bear canisters
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Last year I did the John Muir Trail and was required to use
>>>> Bear Canisters.
>>>> I heard theat thru hikers weren't required to use them. Is thatat so?
>>>
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>>> pct-l at backcountry.net
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>>
>
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