[pct-l] Walker pass to Kennedy Meadows - advise

[Jim & Jane Moody]

I think Plain Slice and Little Engine were near Spanish Fingers Spring when the bear visited.  I was about a half day behind them - I camped that night at Joshua Tree spring by myself and had no bear encounters.  They and a section hiker named John Brown (I think) packed up and took off at dusk after their visit.  They used heavy duty fly-fi shing line (yellow) from my bounce box at KM to repair the tears. 



And yes, the pattern was clearly "bear claw". 



The next time I try a thru hike, I think I'll pick up my bear canister at Walker Pass rather than KM. 



Mango 



----- Original Message -----


From: "Scott Williams" <baidarker at gmail.com> 
To: "Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes" <diane at santabarbarahikes.com> 
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net 
Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 10:02:00 PM 
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Walker pass to Kennedy Meadows - advise 

In 2011, Plain Slice and Little Engine had pitched their tent at Joshua 
Tree Spring and began fixing dinner a short distance away when they turned 
around and saw a bear clawing at the mosquito netting of their tent.  It 
was a juvenile black bear who had put his claws through the netting and was 
just sort of playing with it.  They began yelling and throwing stuff at it, 
but it was not too quick to quit the place and seemed pretty comfortable 
with hikers.  It eventually took off and so did Little Engine, Plain Slice 
and several others who had begun pitching camp.  They later stitched up the 
bear claw holes, which were in a beautiful shape of the bears full paws, 
with yarn and were very proud of their bear mauled tent for the rest of 
their thru hike.  It was definitely the coolest piece of mosquito netting 
on trail that year. 

I finished my hike in the desert that year and remember seeing lots and 
lots of bear scat at Joshua Tree Spring where I filtered water right next 
to a big pile of the smelly stuff.  There was other evidence of bear 
activity all through the lower elevations north and south of Walker Pass 
that year.  The evidence was the holly leafed cherries which had been 
picked all along the trails just up to what a bear could reach and the 
resultant bear scat filled with the huge cherry stones.  I managed to climb 
up on rocks and other stuff to be able to reach my own share of the fruit 
at places, but they clearly forage along the easiest pathway, which often 
happens to be the PCT. 

I wouldn't worry about them and would not carry a bear canister where it's 
not required by law, but also am careful not to camp where there is 
evidence that the place is a regular bear stop.  Stealth camping in out of 
the way places is much safer and much more fun anyway. 

Have a great hike, 

Shroomer 
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