[pct-l] bear questions

[Ken Powers]

1) Interestingly the PCT is the only trek we have taken where a mouse did not eat through our tent wall. But I think that was just dumb luck. The truth is that it happens.

2) Bear canisters should not be placed in or next to your tent. Recommendations are to place the canister well away from your tent. Other recommendations are to put your canister in a low area so Smokey can't roll it down the hill and/or put reflective or bright colored tape on your canister so you can find it in the morning. 

That goes for bear boxes - move them well away from our tent. Whoops, move your tent away from the bear boxes. Most of the ground around bear boxes isn't really good for camping anyway.

3) You'll find many California bears are smarter than bears from other regions. They have learned to defeat food hanging in even the best of trees. It is illegal to hang food in many areas of the high sierra for that reason. 

Many of the stories about sleeping with food are from several years back. Starting last year the forest service promised to enforce the regulations more tightly. So in 2007 we carried our Garcia thru the sierra more to satisfy the rangers than in fear of bears. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we saw neither bears or rangers during the time we carried our bear canister. We also carried the Garcia on the PCT in 2000. That year we saw both bears and rangers and the rangers were asked for permits and about food protection. On one of our JMT trips we had a bear come into our camp, see our bear canister and turn around to go to another camp. Guess their food was more accessible.

Ken
www GottaWalk com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Stewart 
  To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
  Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 2:29 AM
  Subject: [pct-l] bear questions


  Hello all, 

  I am a PCT rookie, planning a thru in '08. 

  I have Yogi's books and she recomends bear canisters/use the lockers, etc... my questions regarding "bear issues" are:

  1) although she officially recomends bear canisters, almost all hikers who contributed comments to the book were very relaxed about the whole issue saying that they slept with their food, used it as a pillow, etc... that seemed, well, strange to me. So, what do people do? Aren't there other little critters who will nibble through a stuff sack (mice and the like) to get your snickers? 

  2) Even if one does use a bear canister or bear locker, what good is that if you have it in your tent or sleep next to the locker? Doesn't Mr. or Mrs. Bear still come a-lookin? 

  3) Trees? Hanging food 300 meters from where you sleep, etc... what about that? That does not seem possible in the desert, or above tree line, but on the rest of the trail?

  I have these question because I am used to the AT and Long Trail, where trees are a-plenty. Forget bears for a moment, what about mice/possum/skunk/racoons, etc... i don't want to use my food as a pillow and then have racoons on my head. I guess the PCT changes so much...that I just need to roll with what happens and ask all of you questions along the way? 

  Thanks for reading, helping, being cool. 

  Hope Thanksgiving was good. 

  -dave "moondog" stewart



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