[pct-l] Bears and mini-bears

[mardav@charter.net (Marion Davison)]

I have lost food to a bear just once, but have had lots of trouble with
mini-bears in the last decade (also known as ground squirrels).  In
Little Yosemite Valley and at a camp on the Gabrielino trail in Angeles
NF, I saw a ground squirrel jump on a pack and cut a head-size hole in
it in nothing flat.  At Nevada Falls and at Happy Isles, as we sat on
benches eating gorp, ground squirrels climbed our legs and swarmed on
our laps to snatch gorp from our hands.   In Kolob canyon (Zion NP)  a
smal rodent opened a hole in my tent and went inside to feast on a
leather fanny pack (there was no food in the tent).   Another ground
squirrel climbed down a mini-bear bag hang rope, cut a hole in the
bottom of the stuff sack, climbed in and feasted on a dry salami.
While trying to  sleep in a tiny tent at Guitar Lake, with our frame
packs outside, two mice played hickory-dickory dock for hours on our
packs.
Needless to say, I toss rocks at all aggressive mini-bears, from marmot
size to mouse size.
Marion Davison, "llamalady"