Backpack Snatching Bears Whitney Portal

[maverick]

Inyo NF:

Our Mount Whitney District recreation and wilderness staff have been notified of bears snatching unattended backpacks under the cover of darkness while hikers were getting ready to hit the trails at Whitney Portal.

Please do not leave any items unattended in areas where bears frequent (trailheads, campgrounds, etc.) and pack up any food or scented items in bear-resistant containers. This is also required of you when camping in the backcountry (see link above for specifics).

We are also aware that bears could be getting into unlocked or overflowing dumpsters. Please know that we working on that in partnership with our concessionaires and waste removal companies, but it is also your responsibility to not simply drop trash next to the full dumpsters. If it doesn't fit inside the LOCKED trash receptacles, you must pack it out and dispose of somewhere else. To lower the changes of this happening, be sure to ditch any trash BEFORE heading to a trailhead when possible, and do not leave scented anything in your car. When packing your backpack, be mindful to minimize the amount of things you bring that have a scent.

It is not only for your safety, but for the bears' safety as well. It is your responsibility to be educated on the rules which include wilderness regulations and sanitation laws (link above). Help us keep bears wild!

[Jim F]

Friday night 6/21 I was organizing some gear just outside the open trunk of my car at the Trail Head at Whitney Portal. A Black Bear with a Collar stopped by for a quick look in the trunk, as if he intended to offer some assistance with my chores. He quickly moved on to socialize with others in the lot. In the darkness here it is not uncommon to hear a hiker exclaim that he cannot understand how he could have misplaced his pack!

Jim