High Sierra Topix

rogue,
Interesting theory on bears, but dang, in several decades of traipsing through the high country, even pretty early in the season (several May trips), I have never seen a bear above 11K. Have you? Coyotes, yes; I occasionally see them and their scat on high ridges (there was a nice coyote calling card on Dumbbell Pass when I went through in June). I'd guess they'd be more likely to recycle you (or, me) than bears. Or, even more lame is that I have been seeing crows/ravens in the deep Sierra in places I never saw them before. When I was last in Kaweah basin there were 2 crows making a racket. I think they thought I was dead meat, but I just smelled that way.
cg

cgundersen wrote:rogue,
Interesting theory on bears, but dang, in several decades of traipsing through the high country, even pretty early in the season (several May trips), I have never seen a bear above 11K. Have you?
cg

In the early 1990s my friends and I camped just west of Kearsarge Pass. It would have been somewhere between 10900 and 11100--can't quite pinpoint it. This was before portable bear boxes and we thought we were safe from bears at that elevation. Just to be sure, we hung our food as best we could from a couple of small trees--there weren't any decent sized trees. As you could guess, we were up all night driving off a persistant bear.

I've often wondered if bears follow the trails over passes sometimes, or if they stay in their basins.

Yes I have seen at least one bear up high which was noted in my report last year when it ran over Muir Pass and over the SE slope of Mt. Solomons into Ionian Basin.

Bears live on a variety of stuff based on the season. Their whole died is about 75% grasses and tubers of sorts. When the season is right their scat will show the classic berries but until then and sometimes just location in general the scat is much closer to horses.

As for Coyotes they also can be found commonly up very high. I have seen and heard them allot over 11,000 feet. If you happen to be at a high alpine lake and there is an unusual amount of Marmot frightened calls being their loud single whistle you may have a Coyote near by. The Marmots let each other know when trouble is near. The Douglas does the same.

I've often heard coyotes at high elevations in the Sierra, a sound I love at night. I miss them if I don't hear them. Bears may go over high passes on their route to lower elevations where they find their main sources of food. But from what others have observed on my trips, they don't linger at elevations above tree line any longer and perhaps haven't for many years (no scat at all or perhaps on very rare occasion very old scat). There may have been more bears up wandering through up high for a potential meal before bear canisters or bear boxes came into use. But since then, several generations of bears don't associate humans with food at high elevations and especially off trail where few people go.

My favorite memory is coyotes calling one another at Sunrise Lakes in Yosemite on a solo trip in the early 80s.

Coyotes were hanging out pack-wise at Tomahawk lk (~11,200k) in pack format on 9/21 and 9/22. the 9/21 was an evening celebration in song. The 9/22 was a morning ritual by the alpha female to locate everyone else. We believe they den at Square Lk, as one of our crew observed big holes in the ground; bigger than a marmot hole.

Two huge rabbits appeared at our camp on the East side of Tomahawk on the 21st. You can't use red-eye removal on a rabbit. They were thirsty and made their way around us, sometimes within 5' of us towards the lake. Big rabbits.. fluffy white tails and didn't have the gaunt look of a Jack.

OK guys, there you have it. Well, I always thought my food was pretty safe above 11k (I still can it, because then I don't even have to worry about marmots). But, if bears are trucking into Ionian basin, well, then they can get anywhere.
As for the coyotes, I think the whole Desolation plateau is a major coyote city. I've encountered more coyotes there than anywhere else. But, the stretch from the west side of McGee Pass down to Tully Hole is a close second with Cyclamen/Spring Lake being pretty good, too. Frankly, I've been surprised there are not more in the upper Kern, but I've probably just been unlucky.
cg

After 30 miles.. no Bigfoot.. go figure..

As I made my dinner at Desolation Lake while the last bit of useable light faded I was startled by movement behind me as a very large rabbit hopped by me. Although I did see a rabbit running through the forest near Horseshoe Meadows I was still surprised to this this guy running around up there.

And yes plenty of Coyotes at that lake.

RoguePhotonic wrote:The Deer that did not have a death in the family on this day:

oh thank you for posting these pictures.
what are the odds?
thank you for changing the fawns fate.

rlown wrote:Coyotes were hanging out pack-wise at Tomahawk lk (~11,200k) in pack format on 9/21 and 9/22. the 9/21 was an evening celebration in song. The 9/22 was a morning ritual by the alpha female to locate everyone else. We believe they den at Square Lk, as one of our crew observed big holes in the ground; bigger than a marmot hole.

Two huge rabbits appeared at our camp on the East side of Tomahawk on the 21st. You can't use red-eye removal on a rabbit. They were thirsty and made their way around us, sometimes within 5' of us towards the lake. Big rabbits.. fluffy white tails and didn't have the gaunt look of a Jack.

whilst in pioneer basin a few years back, we had our coyote clan singing in the mornings & the evenings... and had our fair share of wabbits (big ones) too...






i came across my first high altitude coyote experience many moons (like 30 years) ago, high up in the upper kern west of lake south america while i was coming back from lucy's & milles foot passes.... as dusk.... saw one dart right in front of me about 30-50 yards away. i never knew they were that high - but yeah, are quite common.

where there are wabbits, you can be sure there are coyotes.

regarding deer, while enroute to wales lake, i saw a multi-point buck coming down the knoll headed towards wallace lake. i love surprises like this.