[pct-l] Food in tents

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

Here are pictures of the bears I saw on the PCT:
I saw this one in Yosemite north of the Tuolumne river. Actually, not  
on the PCT. I did my own route through Yosemite taking the Grand  
Canyon of the Tuolumne instead of the PCT. I camped (with my two  
friends and our bear canisters) a quarter mile from this one. He was  
eating a dead deer.
http://tinyurl.com/aob4j7x

I saw this one in Oregon near Mt. Hood. It climbed a tree right over  
the trail. What else could I do but take pictures as I hiked by him.  
I ran as soon as I got far enough away, you know, in case he was a  
cub. Then I had to stop for dinner because running made me hungry.
http://tinyurl.com/afasqyh

There's a tiny speck in the middle that is a bear. This is near  
Lilypad Lake near the California/Oregon border.
http://tinyurl.com/am777g6

Other than these, I saw a few others but didn't get pictures. They  
ran away. I saw them while hiking. I saw one near Golden Oak spring,  
one a day or two before Belden in California, one in Section O in  
California and two or three others near Santa Barbara (I started my  
2nd hike from Santa Barbara). There was the one in Tuolumne Meadows  
campground, too. Don't have any pictures even though I took a million  
of him.

I've seen tons of scat and prints in the Los Padres forest behind  
Santa Barbara, probably more than anywhere else. I've seen a few of  
the beasts there, too, and some of the damage they've done to  
campsites with food left out in them. I saw the most scat and tracks  
on the PCT around the Golden Oak spring area and in Northern  
California. I saw the least sign of bear in the High Sierra, Oregon  
and Washington. I've seen tons of mountain lion prints in the Los  
Padres near Santa Barbara and even seen/heard the beast in the Los  
Padres. I saw mountain lion prints in Northern California.

I can't throw a rock into a tree to save my life. Anything I would do  
would be out-smarted by a bear. I'd rather not give them the  
opportunity to learn any new tricks. I have never had a problem  
sleeping with my food. I don't leave it unattended and I use bear  
canisters if there are grizzlies. Shroomer can tell you.