Re: [pct-l] more on bears

Hmmm....the preacher should practice what they preach :-)))

On the back on my Sept 2000 Yosemite Permit (A national park)
it clearly states the "old practice" of hanging food in
the park is now illegal for backpakers.

Oh-- and site should be "cite"...site is a camp site and
sight is see.. oh those homophones...

Rich



At 11:01 AM -0800 11/27/00, Dave Encisco wrote:
>>From: CMountainDave@aol.com
>>
>>1. At this time, you have the following options in regards to bears: A. be a
>>criminal and sleep with your food. B. Be a criminal and hang your food
>>from a
>>tree (the practice is illegal in several national parks in California. C.
>
>Sorry MounntainDave, you have just committed the fallacy of
>questionable premise. You should always site your evidence before
>making such a statement. Hanging food is not illegal in any National
>Park in California that I know about. If I am wrong please correct
>me. There are areas "within" a park, particularly Kings
>Canyon/Sequoia, where bear proof cannisters are required or strongly
>encouraged at several of the trailheads.
>
>Yosemite's policy for 2001 will be: canisters will be required above
>9,600 ft. unless food storage lockers are being used
>(http://www.nps.gov/yose/bears.htm). Last year Kings Canyon/Sequoia's
>regulation was: all food must be stored in bear proof boxes where
>provided (obvious the interpretation is vague because the attempt is
>to persuade the majority of trail hikers to follow the regulation).
>There is nothing regarding the legalities of hanging your food. With
>what evidence I gave you above you could conclude that due to
>Yosemite's new canister regulation that one wouldn't hang their food
>since they were carrying a canister, but there's nothing that says I
>couldn't hang a canister.
>
>Now the enforcement of the regulations is up to the discretion of the
>ranger. If you were applying for a permit at a trailhead you may be
>asked to either show your canister or merely state that you are indeed
>carrying a canister (I believe the latter will not be good enough if
>the regulation is to be enforced). Back country rangers tend to be a
>little more liberal regarding the interpretation of any canister
>regulation. 1) You could be entering the Park from a National Forrest
>which has no regulations. 2) You could be a weekend worrier peak
>bagger or cross country enthusiast camping above timberline. 3) Or You
>could be hiking through very early in the season. Most PCTers pass
>through early in the season so it would be a stern ranger who would
>slap them with a fine. As for the weekend/week trail hikers expect the
>worst or at least a lecture. It's human carelessness that kills the
>bear; the bear is merely attempting to survive in its meager
>habitat. Can't argue with that.
>
>I stop my trail hikes in June and begin them again in late
>September. Between that time I do peak bags and high altitude
>camping. I've never been hassled by a ranger with regards to camping
>without a canister; even when I've honestly told them that I pull one
>out for the ranger at the trailhead, but emptied it once I
>started. Again I should probably qualify this: I only do this when I
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To:            "'R.J.Calliger'" <calliger@infolane.com>, Dave Encisco <dencisco@eos.arc.nasa.gov>, pct-l@edina.hack.net