High Sierra Topix

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Hi Palmermd,

Welcome to HST!
Thank you for sharing your experience, TR, and photo's.

Bear canisters NOT a mistake in Desolation! You were right to bring them, however bulky. Saw a bear make breakfast of some other campers' chow there last year. Surprised they aren't required. Thanks for sharing, BTW.

Respectfully, I have to disagree regarding the need for bear canisters in Desolation. While true that bears are present, most of them are at low elevation along the periphery of civilization on Lake Tahoe.

The other factor is that most of Deso is below tree line, particularly the locations where one is likely to camp. Tandem suspension requires far less weight and volume than a canister. You do have to know how to stack the cord just as carefully as climbers do a rope. You also need to know how to tie a figure eight and a bowline. My 40' cord and mini-biner weigh only a couple of ounces. In 40 years of packing, I have never gotten the cord tangled in a tree. A trekking pole or limb is sufficient for pushing the lower food bag up and equalizing the suspension height. The extra length is coil-stacked on top of the same bag with a small loop on a bowline on the end hanging slightly to the side so that it can be snagged in the same manner the following morning and used to pull the one bag down. After detaching that bag, the other is gently lowered and the running end of the cord pulled over the limb. On a limb of correct height, no black bear will come even close to reaching the bags.

Tandem suspension saves a lot of weight and volume and works very well in areas outside the HIGH Sierra. Canisters are not required in Desolation, and in fact when I pick up permits rangers tell me that tandem suspension is their preferred method of use there. You DO need to know how to do it correctly, so learning the technique and practicing before you go is essential.

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Thanks for the report and pictures. Ambitious route. What tent is that in the pictures?

Tom_H wrote:Respectfully, I have to disagree regarding the need for bear canisters in Desolation. While true that bears are present, most of them are at low elevation along the periphery of civilization on Lake Tahoe.

Respectfully, I have seen tracks and poop in the Tablelands, among other high places, and never leave home for the Sierra without the bear can, period. They'll follow you if they're motivated.

Too many dead trees out there now -- easily pushed over. Also there are rarely trees with which to make a proper bear hang -- too many branches, too few branches low enough,all the branches are too fragile to hold the bag, too short, too *something* -- and I've long since tired of pitching the rope over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over -- bear canisters also make good seats. And there is already FAR too much rope left hanging in branches all over the darn place, since paracord is LOUSY for hanging and getting the rope back -- it snaps, rebounds into the branches, and gets left there. Effectively cutting the trip short if you have no more rope. As happened multiple times to friends.

Add that to the fact that not enough people practice, or know about, or have the energy at the end of a day's hike, to execute a proper hang -- somewhere I have some great pictures of a dead stupid bear bag job where the bag was slung about two feet above the roof of their tent. A pinata with a really lousy landing spot underneath it, just waiting to happen. So, nope, I am never going to be a fan of bear bagging.

I go into Desolation two or three times every year, since it is my closest wilderness. THey do not require bear cans; I have never seen a bear or a need for a bear can. I use an Ursack. I will only take a bear can when one is required. I do not think you can extrapolate experience in SEKI with that in Desolation. If bears getting people's food were a real problem, bear cans would be required. Conditions do change, but for now bears are the least of my worries in Desolation.

By the way, Desolation charges a per night/ per person fee. They say little about this, but you can request a seasons pass ($20). THis really saves the $$ if you go there more often.

I've been going into Desolation from my home in northern Mono County for more years than I like to admit and I agree wholeheartedly with Tom and Daisy. Bears aren't a big concern there and cans are overkill. I've used an Ursack on recent trips without incident or sightings. Let alone being followed!