[pct-l] Where exactly are Bear Canisters required?

[m.karon at comcast.net (Marshall Karon)]

Unless they are removed, you can use bear boxes all the way from Kennedy 
Meadows to just past the turn off to Independence via Kearsage Pass.  Thus, 
you could pick up a canister at Independence. Then, you need it to past 
Yosemite (Dorothy Lakes) which gets you to Sonora Pass. Unless you are a 
very fast hiker or want to hike in the night (this is suppose to be a scenic 
trail, right?), the sections are too long between bear boxes. At Sonora 
Pass, you can hitch east to Bridgeport and mail your canister from there or 
find someone to mail it for you at the pass. Otherwise, you need to carry it 
to South Lake Tahoe.

So far, I have never seen any bears in the High Sierras (3 trips - 2 in 
spring, one in fall) and had no bear problems anyplace on the PCT. I always 
stealth camped, cooked at noon, and slept with my food. But, who knows what 
will happen the next time.

Marshall Karon
Portland, OR
m.karon@comcast.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gary Wright" <radar@pocketmail.com>
To: "Yellow Jacket" <yellowjacketlite@gmail.com>
Cc: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2004 6:56 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Where exactly are Bear Canisters required?


>
> On Nov 1, 2004, at 8:38 PM, Yellow Jacket wrote:
>> Where exactly are Bear Canisters required on the PCT?  I've read
>> several journals in which folks didn't carry one at all.  And claimed
>> they were only in "violation" in a small section.  Any ideas?
>
> I hiked the PCT this year and to be honest I don't know *exactly*
> where they are required but it basically boils down to carrying
> a canister (if you so choose) from Kennedy Meadows to South Lake
> Tahoe.  That was the standard practice this year (for those choosing
> to carry a canister) and takes care of all the areas where you have a
> chance of being ticketed/fined for not carrying a canister.  I hope 
> someone
> will correct me if there are areas outside this section where might be 
> required.
> This also happens to be the recommended section to carry an ice axe if
> you choose to do so.
>
> There are bears all along the trail.  Priest and Prophet lost their
> food in section C last year and used a canister from there to Etna
> just before Oregon.  There were a couple of bear problems near Little
> Jimmy Campground just north of Wrightwood. So regardless of your opinions
> on bear canisters you need to have a bear "strategy" (bear bag, sleep
> with food, carry a canister) almost everywhere on the trail.  One very
> common strategy was to cook and then hike on 2-3 miles to camp.
> Radar
>
> homepage.mac.com/at2002/
> AT2002,PCT2004,PCT2005?,CDT?
>
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