[pct-l] bear canisters

[Aaron Wallace]

The answer depends on which portion of the JMT you're asking about, but
in general a canister will be required to travel the JMT without putting
in some long days.  There are no exceptions or special considerations
for thru-hikers in terms of food storage requirements in the Sierra
parks and wilderness areas.

Canisters are reqired for virtually all of the JMT within Yosemite:

http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/wilderness/bfoodstoragem.htm

There are food lockers at Little Yosemite Valley, Sunrise High Sierra
Camp, and Tuolumne Meadows.

However, canisters are also required along the JMT within Inyo National
Forest, which is from Donohue Pass to roughly 1 mile north of Silver
Pass (this includes the portion of Sierra NF that is administered by
Inyo and presumably follows the same reguations), except for the Agnew
Meadow/Reds Meadow area that's not in the Ansel Adams Wilderness:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/bear.shtml

A strong hiker could make it from Tuolumne to Reds Meadow in a day,
"racing" through one of the most scenic stretches of the JMT.

Sierra NF does not appear to require canisters anywhere, so the next
canister-required areas (heading south) are in Kings Canyon-Sequoia:

http://www.nps.gov/archive/seki/snrm/wildlife/food_storage.htm

Specifically, canisters are required in the Rae Lakes and Dusy Basin
areas, even for thru-hikers:

"These  regulations apply to all groups. Through hikers along the
Pacific Crest Trail and the John Muir Trail with a valid wilderness
permit must use portable, park approved, bear-proof food storage
containers or camp at sites with food storage lockers and use the
lockers. Hanging food (e.g. counterbalancing) in restricted areas is
prohibited until snow prevents access to food storage lockers."

Canisters are also required in the Mt. Whitney Zone east of Trail Crest,
should one be able to get an overnight permit for this area:

http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/wild/bearmaps/Whitney_bear_canis
ter_map_revised.jpg

Finally, the list of approved canisters:

http://www.sierrawildbear.gov/foodstorage/approvedcontainers.htm

Note that some Bearvaults (the older, lighter ones, of course...) are
not approved for the Rae Lakes area.  The Ursack Hybrid is no longer
conditionally approved due to several failures in '06.

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Len Roughgarden" <lrough at nwlink.com>
> To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 3:23 PM
> Subject: [pct-l] bear canisters
> 
> 
> Last year I did the John Muir Trail and was required to use 
> Bear Canisters. 
> I heard theat thru hikers weren't required to use them. Is thatat so?