[pct-l] Bear 'Can Requirements

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, all,

One of the greatest services of the PCTA has been to advocate for, and see
the implementation of, a common backcountry permit appropriate for all of
the diverse jurisdictions along the entire PCT.  This one little easy-to-get
PCT hiker permit is of inestimable value to a long-distance hiker.  Just
think about the incredible hassle we would face if we were required to
contact all of those agencies separately for a permit.



For me the most disquieting aspect of the current bear ‘can discussion is
that jurisdictions within the SIBBG control area have backed away from the
philosophy of providing one common food protection recommendation.  This
year http://sierrawild.gov/bears/allowed-bear-canisters says to visit the
website for each jurisdiction to view their specific requirements –
requirements which may be different from the other jurisdictions.



This opens the door to a real mish-mash of food protection rulings.  What
hiker can change their protection mode in the middle of the Sierras to
comply with an agency that feels it must do something different from the
others just to cover their own butts?



This is moving the wrong direction, and the higher the level within
government structure in which this gets “resolved”, the greater the
likelihood that the result will be onerous to hikers.



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


 <Pct-l at backcountry.net>