[pct-l] Bear Canisters

[Tom Reynolds]

The thruhiking community doesn't understand the bear problem.
   
  Neither I nor the Rangers are protecting you (thruhikers) from yourself. Both I and the Rangers are protecting me. The Rangers are protecting the bears also.
   
  It's very simple. You sleep with your food you are training the bears to crash tents for food. The tent they crash might be mine. 
   
  Four years ago more than 75% of thruhikers on this list were not planning to use a bear canister. Also, there were several reports (on this list) of thrukikers advocating to weekenders that they discontinue the use of bear canisters. There were also several incidents with thruhikers. One thruhiker called me personally for help getting a canister after a bear stalked her tent all night! True, thruhikers are not the primary problem but they start the problem with their early season training of bears.
   
  I see the number of thruhikers not planning on using canisters is considerably less this year. Of course, four years ago there were considerably less instances of bears crashing tents, snatching for bags used for pillows, etc than there are today. That's bad but it did wake up the authorities to the problem. Also, as of four years ago the regulations weren't as tight as they are now. That's very good! Further, treating thruhikers as a special group seems to have largely gone away. Excellent!!
   
  So, stop thinking that the bear canister regulations are unwise It's either the regs or kill all bears in the Sierra. (Why not more bear boxes? The Rangers don't have the manpower to clean them. Do you know how much corn pasta is left in them but the time thruhiking season is over?)
   
  Tom
   
  PS: So Scott, the ADZ I did for thruhikers but the enforcement of canisters I did for me and for the Sierra weekenders. Don't equate the two. The only common thread in the two is the ability I have to make something happen.
   
  
stillroaming <pct at delnorteresort.com> wrote:
  >>>>
Four years ago I sent a letter to INYO demanding that they enforce the 
regulations against thruhikers
<<<<

Thanks again Tom for acting on behalf of all of us. (Canisters, ADZ, ?) Have 
you always been a control freak?

How us dumb hikers ever made it to this point in life without your constant 
care is beyond me.

Scott Parks
------------------------------------
Trails : http://Postholer.Com
Journals : http://Postholer.Com/journal 

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