[pct-l] RE: Food storage/Bear Boxes

[kborski@yahoo.com (Karen Borski)]

>So, hanging food from trees above timberline is
illegal?
>Was that law written by Yogi Berra, by chance?

Again, the information that I posted came from a
brochure that was put out by the NPS (Ntl Park
Service).  They say in the brochure that "the only
option above treeline is a bear canister."  Then, they
say "failure to properly store food in the backcountry
can result in a fine up to $5000."

I'm not going to make a judgmental statement about
what the NPS advises and rules; but I am going to say
that if we want to keep our backcountry wild, and we
believe that a truly wild place is home to native
animals in a natural environment, including truly wild
bears, then we better do all that we can to keep the
food from the bears.  And I agree that the only
foolproof guaranteed method of doing so is bear
canister or bear box.

While car-camping in Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP, I
witnessed my campsite neighbors being issued a
citation for improperly storing their food (they had
it sitting around camp while they weren't eating; it
wasn't in a bear box).  The parks do police this
policy in high use areas.  At least they are trying to
keep the bears wild, even though it only takes a few
non-complying or ignorant people to turn a bear into a
human-food forager.  These same neighbors had their
brand new car's back door peeled off by a bear the
next day.  Serves them right, but what about that
bear?

Again, the stuff I posted only applies directly to the
CA national parks.  In the national forests, I doubt
these regulations apply.   But a conscientious hiker
should be really careful with food where bears are
problematic.  Also, I doubt that there will be any
park rangers policing proper food storage above
treeline.  In all my days above the trees, I've never
ever seen a ranger up there, but I have seen bears.  I
don't think it's a matter of what is legal, but a
matter of what is morally right.

It doesn't hurt to know what the park service requires
and advises, especially if you do a lot of hiking
there.  Consider your "proper food storage" a good
deed where you can directly contribute to protecting
the future of wild bears.

Nocona





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