High Sierra Topix

rlown wrote:A friend of mine caught this pic during the Koke spawn in ~Sept at Taylor Creek near Lk Tahoe.

TAYLORCM.JPG

This is what they were after:

TAYLORCL.JPG

He had his Golden Retriever with him, but given the situation, he put him back in the truck. Granted, this is a different situation from what we see in the back country.

Not sure if i'd want to be that close to a bear holding a fish in his mouth.

Nice Pics of the Koke and the bear. The bear looks hungry. Thanks for sharing.

Texan

My only two nights in the Sierras this year were two nights in Young Lakes north of Tuolomne meadows in July, and it was my first trip to the Sierras in years.
Sure enough, had a bear scurry right past our tent at about sunset on our second night. So that's one bear per two days - a pretty high contact rate!
I figure they're more common in and around Yosemite than in other places, right?
-Ryan

rlown wrote:I asked because I haven't seen a bear since 2007. In the backcountry, they don't even seem interested anymore in us since we went to bear cans.. Probably a good thing.

I haven't seen a bear since 1982. I think it's because I now avoid the bear magnets like Little Yosemite.

bcrowell wrote:

rlown wrote:I asked because I haven't seen a bear since 2007. In the backcountry, they don't even seem interested anymore in us since we went to bear cans.. Probably a good thing.

I haven't seen a bear since 1982. I think it's because I now avoid the bear magnets like Little Yosemite.

Hi all. My first post. My first backpacking trips were in Tuolume Meadows in about 1974. That was before bear canisters. The only bears I've seen or heard (with the exception of The Marble Mountains in Northern California) were in Yosemite. But in many off and on-trail areas and after the introduction of bear canisters, I've seen only one other--a cub, not far from Tuolumne Meadows. A ranger told me that because of bear canisters, bears in other parts of the Sierra other than the Yosemite area, don't associate people as a possible food source, that more than a generation of bears have grown up with bear canisters and don't associate backpackers with a ready food supply. That's been borne out by my experience.

Welcome aboard SweetSierra!

maverick wrote:Welcome aboard SweetSierra!

Thank you!

Concur with SweetSierra--"because of bear canisters, bears ... don't associate people as a possible food source ... more than a generation of bears have grown up with bear canisters and don't associate backpackers with a ready food supply."

I have seen bears on the trail in yosemite and seki, always somewhat near the trailhead though, and as far as I know I have never been visited at night by a bear.

Cats, on the other hand, I am somewhat aware of as predatory attacks have happened in places I go a lot, I have seen them as well, tracks scat ect...more of a reality for me as bears habitat is rather small in so cal. Nothing you can do about cats though, so actually I don't worry about it just aware.

I've done about a half-dozen short, mostly exploratory trips this Spring in locations such as around Hell Hole and French Meadows Reservoirs, the Lost Coast, and Ishi Wilderness. I've seen fresh tracks and scat in all of these locations, but have had zero direct encounters. No problems whatsoever. I'm using a bear can at all times.