High Sierra Topix

Strider wrote:What music do you recommend to rock the bears?

Why, "Yellow House" by Grizzly Bear, of course. (It's a great album too, although probably a bit too dreamy to scare real bears.)

I was thinking more like "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin. I think I can pack in a CD player and mount some speakers to the side of my backpack and crank the volumne to #11. (one louder than 10). That would keep the bears away!! . . . and probally everyone else too.

Vic

So that story about the guy who was dragged off by a bear in his sleeping bag isn't true?

Strider:

Good and bad news. Basically, I don't know of anyone who's actually been "dragged off." Bad news: I do know of a number of injuries to people who sleep with their food -- though none where I've thought the reason is that they're sleeping in the clothes they cook in. I think almost everyone does that and if it were a risk factor, we'd see a lot more injuries.

[hope to see you on the trail in a few weeks!].

Other notes: I don't think it makes a huge difference to be so-called "stealth camping" (gotta tell ya', that phrase grates on me...). Camping off trail will definitely reduce the odds of encountering bears but, in some areas like Bubb Creek, much of Yosemite, other crowded areas, it's probably close to the same odds. The main thing nowadays is a cannister. I hate to say it, because I don't like the weight either, but they work. The Bear sacks may sort of work, but if a bear runs across it, he'll spend hours trying to get into it. You'll still be up all night chasing bears away, which kind of defeats the purpose... .

Also, one of you mentioned RJ Secor sleeping with his food. That is the absolute dumbest thing anyone can do. I believe he does it as do a few others, especially PCT hikers. But every case of an injury has involved food, either in the tent or immediately by the person in the sleeping bag. Every case. And, worse, once a bear picks up the habit of breaking into tents, they keep doing it whether there's food or not. So the actions of one bozo reverberate for quite some time.

As another note, RJ was in a serious accident two years ago but seems to be recovering well:

http://angeles.sierraclub.org/news/SS_2 ... JSecor.asp

g.

Hike on trail and camp off trail at a lake with no name

Bingo!

Bear story:

Camped at 1000 Island Lake where there just happened to be two good trees 25' apart starddling my camp site. I strung a line between the two trees and then hung my food in the middle. I learned long ago that hanging directly from a limb does not stop smart bears from getting the food. Anyway, middle of the night I awoke to a vicious wind storm. I looked out and saw the top of one of the trees just whipping back and forth violently and my food was swing in a fairly impressive arc. I then noticed that none of the other trees were moving...hmmm, it isn't wind. That is when I unzipped my tent and looked at the base of the tree. there was a big blackie, standing up, the higher(thinner) part of the tree between its paws, whipping that thing back and forth like crazy. I jumped out of the tent in my skivvies and ran screaming at the bear as loud as I could. Poor thing took one look at me, dropped to all fours and split in the direction of the outlet. The next day I was fishing near the outlet and some folks camped nearby asked me if I was the one that yelled at the bear. They said thet the bear came tearing through their campsite at full speed(about 1/4 mile away from my site) and never slowed down as it disappeared into the darkness. LOL!