[pct-l] Bear Canister "required" areas on PCT in the Sierra...
enyapjr at comcast.net
enyapjr at comcast.net
Sat Feb 2 11:22:14 CST 2008
FYI, FWIW... Below is a PCT mileage recap of bear canister "required" areas in the Sierra...
I think Warner Springs Monty did something similar last year, but I neglected to bookmark it... doh! :-(
Major change in regs for 2008 involves Yosemite NP North of Tuolumne Meadows - I don't see how the 'average' thru-hiker can be 'legal' in Yosemite without a canister now - and I don't think they will be able to 'talk' their way out of
being 'illegal', either!
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Bear canister “required” (for ‘camping’) areas on the PCT - 2008:
In Seki (Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP), thru-hikers with a valid permit must use a bear canister or camp at bear boxes/food lockers in the ** restricted areas specified below. In 2008, Yosemite area will be the ‘crux’ due to mileage S and N of Tuolumne Meadows without bear boxes/food lockers! Hanging food in ** restricted areas is prohibited!!
(See <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/map.html> for ALL Sierra bear box/food locker locations®)
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** [CottonwoodPass to Guyot Pass = ~13 miles / ~750 to 763]
Cottonwood Pass (749.6) to Seki NP boundary (753.3) – 3.7 miles; PCT is approximate canister required South boundary® No bear boxes®
Seki NP boundary (753.3) to Guyot Pass (762.8) – 9.5 miles; the Seki “Rock Creek” area®
Bear box ‘near’ Rock Creek crossing (~760), see <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/RS01.html>®
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Bear box TC05, ~766, Lower Crabtree Mdw., <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/TC05.html>...
(Bear box TC04, ~766, Crabtree Ranger Station, use for Whitney side trip, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/TC04.html>®)
Bear box TC03, ~770, Wallace Creek, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/TC03.html>®
Bear box TC02, ~774, Tyndall Frog Ponds, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/TC02.html>®
Bear box TC01, ~775, Tyndall Creek, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/TC01.html>...
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** [Forester Pass to Pinchot Pass = ~28 miles / ~780 to 808]
(BearVault older models not approved in this area, must utilize bear boxes/food lockers for food storage)
Forester Pass (780.0) to Pinchot Pass (807.9) – 27.9 miles; the Seki “Rae Lakes” area®
Bear box BC09, ~785, Center Basin Junction, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/BC09.html>...
Bear box BC08, ~787, Upper Vidette Mdw., <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/BC08.html>...
Bear box BC07, ~788, Middle Vidette Mdw., <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/BC07.html>®
(Bear box BC06, ~788, Lower Vidette Mdw., ~1/10 mile W, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/BC06.html>...)
(Bear boxes, ~790, ~1 to 2 miles E up Kearsarge Pass Trail, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/KA.html>...)
(Bear box KA01, ~791, Charlotte Lake, ~1 mile W, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/KA01.html>®)
Bear box WC10, ~795, Middle Rae Lake, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/WC10.html>...
Bear box WC09, ~796, Lower Rae Lake, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/WC09.html>...
Bear box WC 08, ~797, Arrowhead Lake, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/WC08.html>...
Bear box WC 07, ~801, Woods Crossing N, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/WC07.html>...
Bear box WC06, ~801, Woods Crossing S, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/WC06.html>...
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(Bear box LE02, ~877, Edison Ferry Pickup, ~1.5 miles W, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/LE02.html>...)
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** [Tully Hole+ to Reds Meadow = ~17 miles / ~890 to 907]
Tully Hole+ (~890) to Duck Lake Trail (895.3) – 5.3 miles; the Inyo NF “Duck Pass / Purple Lake / Fish Creek Areas”;
the PCT in this stretch is within Sierra NF, but administered by Inyo NF® No bear boxes®
Sierra NF/Inyo NF boundary (~902) to Wilderness boundary before Reds Meadow (~906.5) – 4.5 miles; the Inyo NF
“Duck Pass / Purple Lake / Fish Creek Areas”® No bear boxes®
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(Bear box AA03, ~907, Reds Mdw. Campground, ~6/10 mile N, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/AA03.html>...)
(Bear box AA02, ~915, Agnew Mdws. Campground, ~3/10 mile W, <http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/AA02.html>...)
NO bear boxes between Agnew Meadows and Tuolumne Meadows!! ~29 miles (~34 miles from Reds Meadow)®
(? Rent canister @ Reds Meadow / Devil’s Postpile NM / Inyo NF, Mammoth (?) & ship back from Tahoe® ??)
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** [Reds Meadow to Tuolumne Mdws. = ~34 miles / 908 to 942] (Must hike in one day without camping!) – or –
** [Agnew Mdws. To Tuolumne Mdws. = ~28.5 miles / ~914.5 to 942] (Must hike in one day w/o camping!)
PCT and JMT split (~909) to Donohue Pass/Yosemite NP boundary (929) – 20 miles, except for ~1/2 mile at Agnew Meadows (~914.6); the Inyo NF “Mammoth Lakes / Rush Creek Areas”...
Donohue Pass/Yosemite NP (929.0) to Tuolumne Meadows (~942) – 13 miles; bear boxes at Tuolumne Meadows®
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** [Tuolumne Meadows To Dorothy Lake Pass = ~56 miles / ~942 to 998] - or -
** [Tuolumne Meadows To Glen Aulin = ~7 miles]
** [Glen Aulin to Dorothy Lake Pass = ~49 miles]
Tuolumne Meadows (~942) to Dorothy Lake Pass/Yosemite NP boundary (998.1) – 56.1 miles;
bear boxes at Tuolumne Meadows (~942) and Glen Aulin (~948.7); NO bear boxes North of Glen Aulin!! ®
Rent canister @ Tuolumne (or Reds Meadow/Devil’s Postpile/Inyo NF, Mammoth ?) & ship back from Tahoe??
See <https://cms.pwr.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bearcanrentals.htm> for Yosemite rentals...
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IMHO, using a bear canister from Kennedy Meadows to Sonora Pass (or Echo Lake/Tahoe) is best for both the bears
(keeping human food from the bears) and the thru-hiker (giving more flexibility in camping locations plus peace of
mind, thus better sleep!)...
There ARE bears outside of the ** restricted areas, also - you can't let your guard down and get lax with your food
when outside of the ** restricted areas in the Sierra... The ** restricted areas are either very popular 'destination'
points for backpackers or have a 'habituated' bear population or both... The regulations (and enforcement) is getting
more strict as time goes on; it is unknown how long until Seki might do away with many or all of the backcountry bear
boxes/food lockers - if and when they do, thrus won't have any choice but to use a bear canister through the Sierra...
Why not do what's 'right' now - instead of fighting it, just do it - use a bear canister!
But... HYOH, YMMV, etc. ...
Happy trails!!!
Jim
"I speak the truth not so much as I would, but as much as I dare, and I dare a little more as I grow older."
- Michel de Montaigne
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