[pct-l] P.S. Fishing and Bears etc...

[Stephen]

Just to ease your mind, about six years ago I met the most easy going and pleasant soul of ten years hiking, climbing, and exploring the High Sierra.  This was English John who was hiking the JMT and taking side trails and fishing the entire way and doing quite well at it.  I have never met anyone having such an enjoyable time.  His attitude was infectious and I ran into him at different locations along the trail three times as I'd hike out and hike back in from different trailheads every few days.  Thus you see I have proof that he was not killed and eaten by bears along the most beary sections in Kings/Sequoia.  
I've had many bear sightings, had them follow me up the trail at Bubbs Creek, came face to face on a bridge once when I wasn't looking ahead (both surprised we bolted back the way we came, and my lady friend got a good laugh atmy expense), and in all this time I know of only one bear patrolling my camp at Blaney Hot Springs at low elevation near Muir Ranch.  Also, most PCT trekkers thru-hiking are going through the Sierra quite early, June versus peak season two months later in August.  This is not to say there will not be bears in the major problem areas, esspecially Devil's Postpile area, and Tuolumne etc..., but just start good camp and hiking practices and develop preventative habits early on.  For example, don't ever walk away from your food or pack in the mountians, ever.  Go through your pack everynight and secure all stuff like lip balm and tooth past, soap,sunscreens etc inyour food storage.  Set up your pot and hiking poles on top of your pack to alarm you if a critter tries dragging your pack or chewing your gear while you sleep.  As a rule, I always carry my food with me down to a creek to get water and don't leave any bear a chance to raid me unawares in daylight ( refer to above comment about bear following me, and I also bring all my food when I take little side trips from camp say for an evening stroll with my tea).  If you are going to use a bear canister you'll want to stash it always in a place where it can not be knocked into a creek, off a ledge etc...  And as a rule, don't have it out along ridges and drop-offs where it could accidentally be knocked off the ledge or into a creek by your own self !  
Honestly I've had more trouble over the years with little rodents chewing on stuff like my food sacks, or the rubber insultaors on my pot handles, crapping on my coffee cup etc...  And personally, mosquitoes are much more troublesome to me than bears, and neither have killed me yet.  The only time I have been attacked in the back country was by a perigrin falcon; it was very exciting, and while both of us were unscathed, Idid loose a pair of sunglasses running from tree to tree to get up the trail.  
Go hiking have fun, and begin developing safe hiking habits early, which is ussualy all there is to do anyway.  
I laugh, as the most common question after folks find out I hike mostoften alone is if I carry a gun.  Yeah sure, I'm going to carry my Ultra-light 357 Magnum and air bullets...