[pct-l] BEAR AVOIDANCE

[George Wysup]

JMT Reinhold,
    You make some excellent points [and why wouldn't you].
    I believe that's common PCT practice, the hiking a couple more hours after dinner. Certainly would make bear avoidance easier. Leave the smell (aside from a little BO) a few miles from your camp, and camp far from the madding, bear-attracting crowd.
    Q. What does Billy Goat do? Relative to bear avoidance, that is.
    To try to make myself a little more clear, black bears are little or no danger in day time when you are wearing your pack. All bets are off after bedtime. I am getting a message that many thru hikers actually sleep with their food. Then we consider the poor Boy Scout who should not have taken candy bars to bed with him. Go figure. Seems to me the bears get bolder when the hiker is sleeping. Me, I won't even sleep with my toothpaste. Hair tonic I leave at home.
    Speaking of all this, I don't recall anyone mentioning my least favorite rat as a trail nemesis. I'm referring to the Marmot (possibly named after the Marmot Driclime windshirt I just bought for $48? - on the recommendation of folks on this list). Those marmots don't just eat your food if they get half a chance. They will even eat your non-food! Like sleeping bags and pads - anything that smacks of a little salt. They'd do anything for a taste of Switchback's hat. Luckily you're not likely to encounter these marauders under 9500', at least south of the state of Jefferson.
    So, I ask meself, why am I making all these comments? I just wanted to jump in and hit-&-run once. Here I am, involved. But one last shot: What's the deal with the trail moniker? Can one make up his (or her) own, or must one get christened by another hiker? I'm thinking about becoming AKA "Old Fahrt", which is derived from the German verb "fahren" (to travel). Ya think?
George