[pct-l] Re: Successful JMT Hike

[mardav@charter.net (Marion Davison)]

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Andrew West wrote:

>
> I reccomend taking a canister though for many reasons.  First, what if the bear
> boxes are full?  Second, bears can be problems in areas where hanging is still
> allowed (like near Crabtree Meadow).  Third, you can camp anywhere you want
> along the Kearsarge to Whitney Route (if you don't have a canister, you can't
> camp in Inyo National Forest along the route - the rangers could ask you to
> leave if you don't have a canister or even cite you...doh!)

> Llamalady replies:
>  I am reminded of a couple we shared a tent-cabin with at Vermillion in '96
> during our JMT thru hike.  They were hiking 500 PCT miles, and camped at
> Kearsarge Lakes, but the boxes were all full, so they put down their tarp, and
> laid down with their food between them, under their sleeping quilt.  During the
> night a bear walked up to them, swept off their quilt and a sock, and carried off
> the quilt.  There they stood, clutching their food bags, with no sleeping quilt.
> They put on headlamps and went off to find the quilt, found it, packed up and
> hiked on in the dark to Charlotte Lake, where they found another completely full
> bear box.  They sat on the box till dawn.  At dawn someone came and got his food
> out of the box, leaving room for them to put theirs in.  Then they  went to sleep
> near the box for a few hours of the morning before hiking on.

According to Christine Kudija, Inyo can charge you a fine of FIVE THOUSAND dollars
if they catch you in a mandatory bear can zone without a bear can.  It is not worth
fooling with no matter how you feel about it.  I hate bear cans, but I use them,
because they work.  I hate them like I hate seatbelts and bike helmets.    I hate
to see people hanging food, because it just perpetuates the problem.  Illegalizing
food hangs and requiring bear cans is the workable answer to an unfortunate history
of foolish regulations and smart bears.
Marion Davison, "llamalady"

>
> ct-l