[pct-l] Those pesky old bears

[java2@ix.netcom.com (tom hopkins)]

I don't think you would need a canister beyond Sonora Pass anyway. That is where I sent mine home. I am a pretty light traveler, but I use my bear canister in bear country. I have seen some pretty hungry hikers with shredded packs. They are a pain to carry, but worth it
Tom in Sacramento

SnoLepard wrote:

> It's a cinch that a picka-nick basket ain't gonna keep Yogi away from my grub. But I'm not sure how viable a bear canister is for a lightweight thruhiker.
>
> I'm going to enter the Sierras at Kennedy Meadows. I haven't heard anyone say I can rent one there. I'm sure folks at the info desks at the Parks will say you can get them from the rangers in the parks. Great. How do you get from Kennedy Meadows to the park, and back? And when you get beyond bear country, to say Echo Lake, how do you get the canister back?
>
> So the solution is that you have to buy one. Bearikade. $195 for the small one!!!!!! $245 for the big one!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get real!
>
> Here is a comment posted by a ranger from Kings Canyon-Sequoia about their regulations.
>
> http://www.pcthiker.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=50&forum=DCForumID13&omm=5&viewmode=threaded
>
> He says thruhikers are exempt there, but must use bear boxes between Forrester Pass and Pinchot Pass. And there are plenty of boxes in that area. The problem is also bad around Dusy Basin, so I just won't stay anywhere around that area. I'd really like to hear from some rangers from Yosemite and Inyo National Forrest about what they really are planning to do in 2002 about thruhikers or long distance hikers who do not have canisters.
>
> If someone did have a canister, and was heading in from Kennedy Meadows, they wouldn't have to get all of their food in it. They would probably not need to worry about it for the first couple of days, and could use bear boxes for several more, leaving their food undisturbed in the canister until they ran out of the rest. By then they would probably be glad to have it. That way someone should be able to get all the way to VVR if that's what they had in mind.
>
> This is about the last problem I haven't worked out prior to my PCT thruhike this year, and I'm leaving in 13 weeks. Geeez!
>
> I think I'll stealth camp and take my chances. But I have had a few bear encounters in the Sierras. In September '86 a buddy and I were wiped out one night in a snow storm. My fault. I was too stupid to realize bears don't care if it's snowing. Live and learn.
>
> Once in Botswana I lost a loaf of bread and a dozen eggs to a troop of baboons. I wonder how bear canisters would work against those guys?
>
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