[pct-l] Bear Cannisters

[Jim "PITA" Payne]

> We will be hiking Walker Pass to Sierra City starting in September of this year.
> There are long portions of Yosemite and Kings Canyon NP that do not have bear storage boxes.
> Are we required to carry bear canisters through these stretches or can we go without?

Short answer: carry a bear canister...  Freedom in camping/stopping wherever you want; peace of mind; not having the hassle of 'hanging'; doing the "right" thing...  IMHO, you will need one from Agnew Meadows to Dorothy Lake Pass at a minimum - so why not use a bear canister all the way through the Sierra?

However......
Seki still has a "thru-hiker...with a valid wilderness permit" exemption - one MUST utilize the food storage lockers (bear boxes) when CAMPING in the restricted areas...  Whether you wish to "discuss" the similarities of a section hiker and a thru-hiker and the 'legalities' with a backcountry park ranger is up to you...
But......
Yosemite - a DEFINITE change this year - one must utilize either food storage lockers or bear canisters within Yosemite...  Only food lockers near the PCT in Yosemite are at Tuolumne Meadows and Glen Aulin - very few people can claim to be able to travel from Tuolumne (or Glen Aulin) to Dorothy Lake Pass without camping!

I've attached a couple of documents to give you more info and links (to your personal email address, the pct-l doesn't 'recognize' the attachments)...
See <http://www.onthetrail.org/Outdoors/PCT/bearbox.html> for similar (NOTE: the "998 Glen Aulin to Dorthy Lakes Pass (Possible for 2008)" - it's a DEFINITE change!!)...

Happy trails!!!
Jim / "PITA"