[pct-l] time before peanut butter goes bad

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, Romano,



There is a good map at:
http://www.sierrawildbear.gov/foodstorage/foodstoragemap.htm

showing the bear ‘can area.  Every year Sierra Interagency Black Bear Group
(SIBBG) at: http://www.sierrawildbear.gov/ seems to fiddle with the
requirements a bit so it will pay to keep current.  What is more difficult
is getting a feel for the administrative practices of compliance enforcement
across all those agencies, jurisdictions, and individual compliance
officials.



Regardless of the map, my practice is to receive a bear ‘can at the
southern-most convenient spot -- Kennedy Meadows -- and get rid of it where
I resupply north of Tuolumne Meadows – usually at Echo.



Yeh, it’s a pain, but I do it anyway.  First, I’m a person who follows the
rules.  Second, I don’t like having to dodge around and hike looking over my
shoulder worrying about black bears or Smoky Bears.  Third, I don’t like
having to sweet-talk, or argue with, the chipmunk-cops. And finally, I don’t
want to pay a fine and be kicked-out in the likely event that I lose the
argument.



My gear is minimal so I like to keep my empty pack weight around one pound
or less.  I normally use the now-obsolete GoLite Breeze which weighs about
13 oz.  In ’07 I did switch to a 16-oz. GVP-4 for the Sierras because my
bear ‘can fit crosswise in the bottom, but I am not particularly fond of the
way it fits me.  Next time I’ll just carry the ‘can upright in the Breeze.  The
additional weight of the ‘can is mostly compensated by the reduced need to
carry extra water.



A Sierra entry date depends greatly on that year’s snow season, and upon
your particular appetite for snow travel.  Keep watching the snow plot at:
http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/products/PLOT_SWC.2009.pdf .  So far, ’09
looks to be somewhat below average for snowpack but it’s still early.  What
you have to do is estimate where the curve will be early to mid-June.  ’07
was a very low snow year.  I departed Kennedy Meadows 29 May and arrived at
Echo mid-day of 19 June.  I lost two hiking days resupplying at Independence
and about a half-day at VVR.  In that period there was minimal snowpack, and
the rivers were manageable.



Good luck with your planning,



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT -- 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye


On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 7:33 AM, Romano Scaturro
<romano at swiftwireless.com>wrote:

> Hello Steel Eye--
>
> That sounds like good advice, which you seem to have no shortage of.
> Thanks.
>
> I'm wondering at what point, going north bound, a bear cannister should be
> acquired or, if one is needed at all?  I hiked the JMT 4 years ago with one
> and it was really bulky and heavy.  I cursed it often but did find it useful
> as a camp stool and washing machine.
>
> Also, whats your preference for backpacks?  I currently have an old NF
> Snowleopard which Ive been using for the last 25 years.
>
> And lastly, what's the earliest you think one should arrive to the central
> Ca. section, namely the JMT portion?  I remember that even in July Forrester
> Pass had quite a bit of snow.
>
> Romano
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "CHUCK CHELIN" <steeleye at wildblue.net>
> To: "Zoli Bassoff" <zolish at gmail.com>
> Cc: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 7:33 AM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] time before peanut butter goes bad
>
>
>  Good morning, Zoli,
>
> If I receive a resupply box it will have been packed about two to three
> weeks before I use it.  When I call home from a trail town my next box will
> already be at, or on the way to, the next stop.  What I then do is specify
> where my stop-after-next box should be sent, the number of trail-days
> projected, and the number of Calories per day that it should contain.  That
> way the food is in transit and stored for two weeks, and it could be in my
> pack for another week.  Peanut butter, and most hard cheeses and salami,
> will tolerate that OK.
>
>
>
> At home I much prefer the taste of the all-natural, no-preventives, PB, but
> for resupply boxes I use the name-brand stuff that’s chock full of
> preventives to keep it from going funky.  Yummy.
>
>
>
> Steel-Eye
>
> Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT -- 1965
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>
> On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 9:04 PM, Zoli Bassoff <zolish at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Reading the post of ideas for storing peanut butter. I was considering the
>> idea. If one has to pack up the food boxes months in advance how does one
>> pack peanut butter in seperate packages and not have it go bad. Does the
>> person mailing the boxes give a hand with the fresh peanut butter and
>> cheese items in the food boxes.
>>
>> thanks
>> zoli
>> _______________________________________________
>> Pct-l mailing list
>> Pct-l at backcountry.net
>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>>
>> _______________________________________________
> Pct-l mailing list
> Pct-l at backcountry.net
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
>
>