[pct-l] Bear Cans in Yosemite

[scourtway at bpa-arch.com (Steve Courtway)]

it's only 11 miles from donahue to tuolomne meadows, so if you can make 23
miles from donahue past Tuolomne, or camp at Tulomne meadows, it seems you
won't legally need a bear can summer '04 if you don't camp btwx glenn pass
and Woods Creek crossing either.   Pretty clear hahaha.

s.c.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Willett" <chwillet@indiana.edu>
To: "Steve Courtway" <scourtway@bpa-arch.com>
Cc: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 09, 2004 10:44 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Bear Cans in Yosemite


> This is what makes the process so frustrating for people.  Rules are
> not uniform and seem to change depending on who you talk to.
> I was never able to get the story straight and still don't know
> it completely. Here, however, are some comments on the rules for
> SEKI and Yosemite.  Pay attention to the fact that these places
> are not Inyo or the Ansel Adams.
>
> Take a look at the SEKI website and peek around a bit until you come
> across:
>
> http://www.nps.gov/seki/bear_bc.htm
>
> There you are presented with three ways to properly store your food:
>
> Quote:
>
> Plan ahead to store food in one of these three ways, listed in order of
> effectiveness:
>
>    1. Rent or buy National Park Service-tested bear-resistant portable
> food canisters (available at markets and most park visitor centers).
> Canisters are by far the preferred method of food storage throughout the
> backcountry. They are required on the Rae Lakes Loop and in Dusy Basin
> (both in Kings Canyon National Park) from the Friday of Memorial Day in
> May through October 31.
>
>    2. When available, camp at an area with a metal storage box. Keep in
> mind that you must share these food boxes with other hikers; locks are not
> permitted on them. Carry rope for hanging food in case the box is full or
> you don't camp where you intended.
>
>    3. Carefully hang food by the counter-balance method. Only use this
> option if the others are not available, and practice it before your trip!
>
> Un-quote
>
> Note option 3.  No restrictions or other qualifiers.  Note the last line
> in option 2.  Note that Rae Lakes is on the PCT.
>
> I'm sure a search of the website further would produce documents saying
> something different.
>
> Alright, lets check out what Yosemite has to say.  At
>
> http://www.nps.gov/yose/wilderness/bfoodstorage.htm
>
> we see that
>
> Quote:
>
> Use of "bear canisters" is required in these locations:
>
>     * Little Yosemite Valley-Half Dome-Moraine Dome area
>     * Rancheria Falls area
>     * High Sierra Camps
>     * Above 9,600 feet
>     * Beginning in summer 2004, bear canisters are likely to become
> required within approximately 15 miles of trailheads. If/when this
> regulation takes effect, a map showing areas in the park where canisters
> are required will be added to this web page.
>
> Unquote. Note that you drop below the 9600 ft level rapidly after coming
> over Donahue Pass into the park.  When you leave Tuolumne, you break the
> 9600 ft level a few times.  So, to be completely legal, you'd have to
> avoid camping in these areas. Note that the PCT goes by at least one
> of the High Sierra Camps right after leaving Tuolumne.
>
> The document continues with:
>
> Quote:
>
> Although the counter-balance method of food storage is permitted in some
> areas of the park, it is strongly discouraged due to its lack of
> effectiveness and the damage that is caused to trees by persistant bears.
> If you choose to store your food using this technique, consider it only a
> delaying tactic. Be prepared to actively defend your food and repeatedly
> scare bears out of your camp through the night. Without this negative
> reinforcement, bears will figure out a way to get your counter-balanced
> food - some bears will go so far as to literally chew the branch off the
> tree to get at food bags. Help Keep Yosemite's Bears Wild - Use a
> Bear-Resistant Canister!
>
> Each year, bears outinely obtain properly hung food!
>
> Unquote.
>
> So, the official park websites for both places discourage the use of
> hanging food, but do not declare it to be illegal except in certain
> circumstances noted above.  Of course, I'm sure someone will find
> other documents contradicting these ones.
>
> Suge
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, 9 Mar 2004, Steve Courtway wrote:
>
> > just as it's illegal to be riding bicycles on the Pacific Crest Trail,
it is
> > also illegal to hike in Yosemite National Park and Kings Canyon National
> > Park without properly storing your food.  Hanging and stealth camping
don't
> > count.  heh.
> >
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>
> ----------------------
> Christopher Willett
> Department of Mathematics
> Indiana University
> 831 East Third Street
> Bloomington, IN. 47405-7106
> (812)-855-1448
> chwillet@indiana.edu
> mypage.iu.edu/~chwillet