[pct-l] Bear Canisters

[Virgillius]

On Wednesday 21 March 2007 12:52:21 stillroaming wrote:
> Why are bears/humans a problem in very specific parts of the Sierras and
> not the Pacific Northwest?
>
>  Scott

Bears are legal to hunt in Washington and Oregon; I suspect that tends to make 
them more wary of humans. 

In those areas where hunting isn't allowed, ie National Parks, there aren't 
nearly as many people, so there isn't as many opportunities for human/bear 
interactions.  A few years ago on the Elwah trail in the Olympic National 
Park, a summer ranger told me I was the first hiker they had seen all week.  
One is more likely to see more hikers on any given summer day on the JMT than 
you will see all summer long in the backcountry in the PNW.

Even so, the Rangers at ONP (and I believe at Rainier as well) are trying to 
prevent problems from developing:  many (most?) established camp sites below 
the tree line have bear wires and the Park Service is loaning canisters for 
free.  While I don't think they are actually requiring you to use them, 
they'll fine you if a bear gets your food.  On that same Elwah hike, at the 
Low Divide, some equestrian group left their dirty dishes out overnight; one 
of the local bears came in, licked the dishes clean and ate the dish soap.  
The response of the Ranger was that if another incident happened, they were 
going to close that area for camping.

On the Olympic coast, hard sided canisters are required.  Not because of the 
bears, but because of the raccoons.

-- 
"I came into this game for adventure - go anywhere, travel light, get in, get
out, wherever there's trouble, a man alone."

Robert De Niro as Harry Tuttle in Brazil.