Any bear news yet this year?

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el cuervo

Car attacked at Onion Valley

Post by el cuervo »

I returned yesterday from a week-long trip to the Bubbs Creek area.

While visiting with the Charlotte Lake backcountry ranger on Friday, he told me that the owner of a biodiesel burning car watched as a bear tore apart the rear panels of his car. There was no food stored in the car.

The car did not burn vegie oil, but biodiesel purchased from a station. The owner did nothing to intervene (rocks, shouting) and the car was heavily damaged. No word on the bear.

There is an acitve bear at Charlotte Lake and one of the bear boxes at the west end of the lake is inoperable.
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hikerduane
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Post by hikerduane »

Thanks. I thought you couldn't camp at Charlotte Lake?
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el cuervo

Post by el cuervo »

This was my first visit to Charlotte Lake. Spent one night. Many people camped there. Many campsites on the north side of the lake.

Currently a 20 person CCC trail crew camped at NW end of lake. They will be there for 2 months. Their main objective is to replace the steep section of the trail just west of Kearsarge Pass with a series of switchbacks. They will be drilling and moving lots of material.

I wonder if they will deploy flagman at each end of the work and stop traffic for a time in each direction?

I reported the broken bear box at the Lone Pine visitor center earlier today.
Last edited by el cuervo on Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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hikerduane
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Post by hikerduane »

After I posted, I was thinking is that right? Bullfrog Lake is where you can't camp.
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el cuervo

Post by el cuervo »

Correct. Bullfrog no camping

Kearsarge Lakes, Charlotte Lake are OK.


On another note:

There are 2 signs on the trail up from Onion Valley alerting anglers that Slim and Matlock Lake have been returned to their natural fishless states.

I do not believe these signs were there last year and applaud the more open communication of DFG.

There are still plenty of fish in Flower, Gilbert, upper and lower Pothole and Robinson Lakes to catch.

I caught and released dozens of the largest Sierra fish ever for me on this trip. Not at the lakes mentioned, but not far away.
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Phil R
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Post by Phil R »

Hooray for the switchbacks to Kearsarge Pass!!!

When we got our permits for South Lake to Onion Valley (July 7-14) in Lone Pine we were told the bears were a problem in the Rae Lakes area. But we didn't see any signs of bears when we camped there.

The new facility in Lone Pine is very spacious and seemed well staffed. Problem is they will not use a lock box for any permits that include entering a National Park...a bummer for those people who can't make it by 6 p.m.
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MountainMinstrel
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Post by MountainMinstrel »

I just got back from doing Rae Lakes Loop. The ranger at Roads End suggested that we not stay at Junction Meadow because of a very active mom with two cubs. We took her advice and went the extra two miles to Chatlette Creek. It made of a very long day from Rae Lakes (10 miles +1440/-4618), but it was worth it for a good nights sleep. One group I talked to had three bears in 20 minutes as soon as they hit camp. He said he set His pack down pulled out his tent and before he got it set up, there she was sniffing at the pack. I heard this type of story from several groups. They would case them away, but as soon as they turned their backs they would return. The only amimal encounters we had were with three Rattle Snakes.

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Steve Bearman
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Post by Steve Bearman »

I just came back from a couple weeks in Sequoia. While we were out, a bear tore open someone's Ursack (the newest version, and it had an aluminum insert in it). The result was that SEKI removed the conditional approval for Ursacks, at least until Ursack can try to come up with a new design.

There was also a Bear hanging around the JMT/HST on the West side of Whitney ravaging people's backpacks and tents while they had stepped away.
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Alpenbro
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Post by Alpenbro »

thanks for that update Steve. too bad about the Ursack.. I wanted to buy one but I'm glad I went with the BearVault now.

Here's some actual "bear news" on the problems in Tahoe FWIW..

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... RC7NR1.DTL
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hikerduane
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Post by hikerduane »

Well, I never saw a bear or heard anything on my Rae Lakes Loop trip. The second day out after coming over Kearsarge Pass, I was at Lower Paradise Valley and a couple guys I talked to had seen a bear there twice within a hour or so but I never did, plus some people who came in after they continued with there hike saw it also.
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