[pct-l] Bear bagging

[Jim & Jane Moody]

The bear canisters are impregnable. 

Except to one very bright young female in the Adirondacks who has learned to unscrew the lid.  Her "trail name" is Mello Yellow, I think.  Sorry, no link. 



Mango 


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Kwart" <mkwart at gci.net> 
To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
Sent: Friday, January 1, 2010 11:19:29 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bear bagging 

In the late 90's I helped lead beginning backpack trips in Yosemite National Park on the Pacific Crest Trail south of Tuolumne Meadows. We all used bear canisters and would see people still hanging their food and warn them. I have worked at Yosemite since 1985 and have been vacationing there since 1957 with my parents when we could sit in gym type stands and watch the bears go after the garbage dump in Yosemite Valley. Believe me, the people who still hang their food underestimate the intelligence of the bears. While helping lead the beginning backpack trips, we could listen to the bears raiding each camp north of us by listening to the clanging of pots, yelling, etc. etc. The bears never touched us. The last year I did this trip some PCT hikers who camped just south of us and only hanged their food (albeit to NPS standards) woke up as we did to a bear on the branch the food hung on, the branch crashed and the bear got all of the food of the thru hikers. 

This was over 10 years ago--the bears are probably much smarter now--they know how to retrieve food from trees. The bear canisters are impregnable. 

--Fireweed 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: pct-l-request at backcountry.net 
Date: Friday, January 1, 2010 4:44 pm 
Subject: Pct-l Digest, Vol 25, Issue 4 
To: pct-l at backcountry.net 

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