[pct-l] Bear Canisters

[Tom Reynolds]

Why are bears a problem?
   
  First, specific parts of the Sierra see a lot of camping traffic, both car campgrounds and backpackers. Over time the modern with-it Sierra Grbage Bear has emerged; trained from birth to rely on human food, unafraid of humans, and very clever at procuring it. Sierra Garbage Bears are unique. Until you have seen what a modern "with-it" Sierra Bear in action you have no clue what these critters are capable of. Based on my experience of 20 years, one thing is sure. You cannot equate the Sierra Garbage bear with bears in other locations. Many, many people, with experience from other locations, just couldn't imagine what we were talking about until they saw it themselves.
   
  Most thruhikers will not see a bear and most weekenders won't either. This leads people to believe that their tactics worked; they completed their hike without losing food. Actually, they were lucky. In fact, if a bear shows up he will almost always defeat a counterbalance. 
   
  This year bears are likely to be a problem for thruhikers if the low snow condition holds. Bears are likely to be out in force early and the normal supply of weekender food won't be available early in the season.  If you run across a Garbage he will be bold and unafraid. The bear may very well stalk your tent or even reach in. 
   
  Second, the authorities are stupid. They kept advising prevention measures like counterbalancing long after it didn't work in the Garbage Bear's locations. Even now they aren't demanding that everyone who has a backpacking permit carry a bear canister with all their food in it. In large portions of the National Parks, counterbalancing is allowed, even if it is discouraged. Counterbalancing is a HUGE pain. Finding the right tree and doing it correctly often takes hours. Almost nobody does it right. Instead they do it halfassed or sleep with their food if a box is not available. In 2002 virtually all JMT thruhikers slept with their food. The result has been more and more instances where bears come close enough to humans to injure them. True, the injury is unintentional. Humans are not yet food for bears
   
  Third, people are stupid. Weekenders carry a canister but don't bother to pack it correctly, getting maybe three days of food in one. The rest they carry outside the canister. They figure if they get hit they'll still have enough food to not ruin the trip. Very true, but the bears learn that backpackers are the most reliable source of food in the Sierra and another wild bear becomes a garbage bear.

stillroaming <pct at delnorteresort.com> wrote:
  Why are bears/humans a problem in very specific parts of the Sierras and not 
the Pacific Northwest?

Scott

>>>>
Well said, Tom. Cannisters are all about protecting the bears, not stupid 
humans and their food. If we stupid humans are protected as a result, 
that's a bonus, not the point.

Our food is extremely high in fat content compared to what bears normally 
eat. This not only makes them junkies for our food (like doing meth once 
and getting hooked), the higher fat content increases their birth rates, 
putting too many bears on land that can't support them.

It is virtually impossible to re-train an adult bear to return to eating 
bear food once it's had human foods. They can relocate them to the most 
remote places, and they will find their way to the nearest garbage can or 
human outpost, and go back to causing problems. To the point that others 
have made, where they are not hunted, they quickly lose their fear of people 
and think nothing of bluff charging humans to get what they want. At this 
point they are considered dangerous and sadly must be (and are) killed. Talk 
about humans screwing up the balance of things.

This is such a travesty, I would rather see the idiot humans who caused the 
problem in the first place killed.

The rules are set up to TRY to keep nature natural. If you can't accept 
that, instead of hiking you may as well go hunting somewhere where it's 
allowed, because you effectively do the same thing. Not protecting the 
bears effectively leads to their demise. Carrying a bear cannister is a 
small price to pay to allow these magnificent creates to live as they always 
have. And, if you don't, and a bear does get your food, IMO you have the 
blood of dead bears on your hands.

Dead serious and not bored of the topic,

L-Rod
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