High Sierra Topix

As I was getting my permit last month at Roads End for the hike to Granite Lakes via Copper Creek Trail the ranger mentioned a particularly aggressive black bear that had been causing problems in the Granite Lakes/Pass area. He mentioned that one of the rangers had returned in the spring to find their canvas tent ripped to shreds (the bear was the prime suspect). More disturbingly, he said that late this spring a backpacker had returned to his tent one afternoon to find it and his sleeping bag destroyed by the bear (we can only speculate as to whether food was left inside). I was advised to leave my tent door open if I were to do some day hikes from my base camp to avoid any possibility of this happening. The ranger had seen this particular bear himself and described it as being "very large" and somewhat aggressive. Thankfully, during my weekend trip I didn't happen to cross paths with this or any other bear.

I know the Copper Creek Trail has the reputation of being a sort of "super highway" for bears and I almost always see their tracks when I'm hiking it. Has anyone here seen or heard any other incidents along this route this year?

While this doesn't help you this year, I can vouch for the bear presence along the trail a couple of years ago. I ran into three in one trip! One just over the N end of the lip of the descent into Granite Basin, another below the start of the climb to Granite Pass and another in the Shorty's Meadow area on the other side of the pass...

Alan