[pct-l] JMT Happy Isles to Tuolumne - Solo Advice

[kdpo at pacbell.net (Ken Powers)]

Ahh, that cinnamon bear. I remember it well. And it recognizes bear
canisters. When it saw ours it made a U-turn and went back to the camp with
campers banging pots and flashing camera.

Ken
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion Davison" <mardav@charter.net>
To: "PCT List" <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 8:59 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] JMT Happy Isles to Tuolumne - Solo Advice


>
> >The Inyo NF Ranger out of Bishop tells me that, though bear cans are not
required in this area, he HIGHLY recommends them. He says there's a bear
who's been "trained from a cub" to take down ANYTHING hung...
> >
> >Really....
> >
> >I'm inclined to think this is ranger hyperbole. ANYTHING hung? That's an
impressive bear!
> >
> >
> >
> Good places to camp on this route, if you want to be around lots of
> people:  Lower Cathedral Lakes, Sunrise Hi Sierra Camp (backpackers
> section) Clouds Rest Junction, Little Yosemite Valley.  This is by far
> the most crowded trail in the Sierras,  its closest rival being Lyell
> Canyon.  I would not expect any of the old cables or poles to be
> provided or operational anymore, as this whole area is now a bear-can
> mandatory area.
> We once camped at Cloud's Rest junction, summited Half Dome in the
> morning, and did Cloud's Rest in the late afternoon.  Both were
> superlative experiences.
> The last time we ever hung our food in a tree was at Lower Cathedral
> Lakes.  We did it all correctly as far as height and distance  out from
> tree and so forth.  A really large cinnamon bear just climbed the tree
> and tore the limb off and feasted on our bags all night.  The next night
> our remaining food went on the poles at Sunrise camp;  a bear took all
> our water bottles out of the open pockets of our packs and bit every one
> that had ever held koolaid or gatorade.  On the third night at Clouds
> Rest junction,  a bear pulled out one of the day packs that had been
> mauled the first night and sucked on it and shredded it for hours.  Then
> there were the air horns, the screaming and the pot banging.  The
> scenery is just amazing, but you will be lucky to get a decent night's
> sleep.
> For several years after that we stealth camped with great success.  For
> the last few years we have used bear cans, and this year we are adding a
> slingshot to the arsenal.  A rather assertive bear last summer seemed to
> want to dine on our llamas.  Also,  a llama was killed by a bear (or
> lion) in Sequoia NP last year.  So we will be prepared to defend our
stock.
> I no longer doubt that the persistent and experienced bear will do
> whatever it takes to get anything you hang out of a tree. If they can't
> bring down the bags, they will just bring down the whole tree limb.
> Never underestimate an animal that can learn to ride a bicycle.
> Marion
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