[pct-l] john muir trail

[reynolds@iLAN.com (Reynolds, WT)]

Methinks that bears are creatures of habit. They find food in one tent and
they check all tents out. The ranger at Inyo indicated that the bears apear
to be going elsewhere due to the canister regulations. When bear boxs were
put in along the High Sierra trail years ago the same thing hapened. 
-----Original Message-----
From: R.J.Calliger [mailto:calliger@infolane.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2001 5:46 AM
To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: RE: [pct-l] john muir trail



>
>At 8:33 AM -0800 7/30/01, Jef Allbright wrote:
>>I would really like to know how you handled the bears poking their noses
>>into your tent, if you were serious.
>>
>>- Jef
>
>Yes- quite serious-- the first trip that happened on was several years ago
I
>was scared %$#%$%# !! We yelled and they went away- painless so to
speak- and did not happen again for several years-- then:
>
>This last time was in Lyell Canyon (10 miles up from Tuolumne
>Meadows).  I had food stolen the day before (overflow from the
>bear cannister)-- I knew the bears were getting more aggressive
>from staying in the Meadows developed CG.  So- when I got
>in the backcountry I first tried stealth camping- one found
>me the first night at 3AM and I yelled and threw stones and
>it went away.
>
>
>The 2nd night, I was up at about 11,000 feet when the second
>nose-poker came along...I yelled and when he (she?) backed off
>I threw stones...she still hung around my camp...
>
>In anticipation of problem bears I had stacked a pile of wood
>before retiring, about 5' from my tent with some stove fuel for
>a quick start.
>
>-- I started a fire and had to wave burning branches before the
>bear desisted and finally moved on-- that was from 3:30 am
>till dawn about 5am. It was the first time in 25 years of
>probably 15-20 or more bear encounters that I felt really
>physically threatened, as the stones would not scare this
>bear away...I felt I had to hold her at bay until first light
>when she just probably went away bored and tired. I felt
>if it was not for the fire my tent and pack would have
>been destroyed..I have always been meticulous to keep
>food away from the tent-- so I do not know what happened.
>Try as I could I could not read the tag number- as this
>was a candidate for destruction- it was clearly totally
>habituated to humans!!
>
>Upon returning home I soaped and hosed down the tent- and
>I did not have a repeat incident the next trip. So apparently
>something got onto the tent delectable to the bear.
>
>Rich
>
>
>
>
>>
>>
>>hmmm- don't know about angry-- but last year I had several
>>hungry ones poke there nose in my tent (one at a time- they
>>took a number from the machine I set up outside) <smile>..
>
>
>


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