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Post by usaken on Oct 1, 2017 8:55:02 GMT -8
I’m amused by the posts about bears above about 8,000 feet in the Sierra. Now I am an old guy. I did a lot of backpacking and light mountaineering including the JMT twice in the Sierra from the middle 60’s well into the 80’s. We never encountered bears above 8,000 feet. We were always cautious in little Yosrmite, but thats it. Never saw a bear on two john muir trail trips, except yosemite. Now we did always hang our food in forrested campsites just in case. Bear cans were unheard of and unneeded. We did the JMT in 18 days unsupported. I dont beleive that would be possible today due to the bear cans. If memory is right, I started out with just below 40 pound pack, about 18 when done. We didn’t really worry about filtering water in those days either. A few places we did boil it. You did need wilderness permits in the 80’s but not before about 1975. There was no rationing of permits. We cooked with very small wood fires about half the time. From a logistic standpoint, I think the muir trail would be very dificult today.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Oct 1, 2017 9:25:57 GMT -8
Amused by the statements that bears are now found above 8K ft, or what? I have seen photos of bear prints at a lake I know is above 10K, in Sequoia NP. I have read reports of bear at both Pear Lake (9500') and moose lake (10K). Lots of things have changed since the 80's. Cooking with even small fires is now prohibited over a certain elevation, 9K I believe. Since so much of the JMT is above that, people need to eat cold or carry fuel for stoves.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Oct 1, 2017 19:13:25 GMT -8
Well I was less than amused when I was kept up most of the night by a bear that just would not accept he/she wasn’t getting my counter balance hang, above Crabtree Meadow ((10,341). In 1982. As for wood fires? A decade before that stoves were already far more efficient in both time and lower impact along Sierra trails above treeline like the JMT or HST. These days with compressed isobutane stoves such as the Pocket Rocket 2 there’s no comparison. Legality aside. Bear canisters are simply a reality though for a Nobo with some creative use of the backcountry lockers and some counterbalance hangs to supplement the canister where allowed it might be doable. Though for a reasonably pleasant pace )(for me) the excessive weight to avoid unsafe weight loss simply to avoid a resupply just wouldn’t be worth it. sierrawild.gov/bears/food-storage-map |
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Post by hikerchick395 on Oct 14, 2017 9:19:28 GMT -8
I'm amused by your amusement. I've seen bears to at least 11,000 ft. Our biggest extended bear encounter was like High Sierra Fan's at about 10400 feet. All afternoon and into the night. Along the John Muir trail.
There are bears all over the Yosemite high country above 10,000' unless I keep seeing the same random one. Over a period of thirty plus years or so. And he/she changes its fur color.
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Post by johntpenca on Oct 18, 2017 8:27:49 GMT -8
Bears are frequent visitors at Donahue Pass (11,000') and have been forever. I think your reference base is not only outdated but erroneous.
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Post by johntpenca on Oct 18, 2017 8:46:42 GMT -8
And he/she changes its fur color. Made me laugh out loud. Thank you. |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Oct 20, 2017 9:10:19 GMT -8
And he/she changes its fur color. Made me laugh out loud. Thank you. Well, you know, bears have fashion sense too! |
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Oct 20, 2017 9:28:49 GMT -8
Transchromatic bears!
We get to choose our gender and race now, why can't a bear choose its color? Or would that be considered species appropriation?
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Oct 20, 2017 13:40:06 GMT -8
The polar bears at the San Diego Zoo went green furred for a while. Quite nice actually.
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Post by johntpenca on Oct 20, 2017 18:42:33 GMT -8
Well, you know, bears have fashion sense too! Didn't Yogi bear wear a tie on occasion? |
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davesenesac
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Post by davesenesac on Oct 27, 2017 12:01:38 GMT -8
There are places in the High Sierra where one is unlikely to ever see black bears. Places one is likely to see bears are along larger streams canyon bottoms and timberline lake shores, tall forest areas, especially those with red fir, along trails or popular cross country routes, popular backpacking destination, and where bears seasonally find natural food sources, especially berries, insect grubs, and meadow rodents. Where one is unlikely to see bears is in barren alpine zones, especially talus, steep cliff like terrain when there are obvious nearby routes to navigate in those areas, and steep timberline slopes where a bear cannot see anything interesting above to motivate the effort climbing up to find out. Of note bears may go into such areas if they think there is something on the other side of food or mating interest. Over decades as a photographer that often rambles about in such areas and camps in out of the way pristine places, there are fair numbers of areas where I have never seen a bear. Black bears greatly prefer dense forests with large trees because when frightened the first thing they want to do is climb up a trunk. And that especially includes being scared by other larger bears. Such forest areas also allow them to hear sounds of other animals walking about because of all the noisy twig crunching.
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Post by johntpenca on Oct 27, 2017 18:34:05 GMT -8
David, you have some good points. I've had few encounters with bears in the sierra. Most were in Lyell Canyon to Mammoth.
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speacock
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Post by speacock on Oct 29, 2017 10:04:08 GMT -8
With a few friends from here a few years ago we were at 13,200' in Colorado and definitely proved bear's don't always do IT in the forests. There was a large mass next to the trail as we went over the pass. The Conundrum Hot Springs were a welcome sight on the other side.
Bears (and mountain lions) take advantage of man made trails at times apparently. I had a mountain lion follow me on a trail on northwestern side of Glacier NP. She leaped 20 feet to the side of the trail and crashed to the bushes to get around me. Apparently she was bored with my pace.
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Post by johntpenca on Oct 29, 2017 12:37:41 GMT -8
Bears (and mountain lions) take advantage of man made trails at times apparently. Yes. animals frequently use man made trails. I've seen many deer and othe creatures on the trails. It gives them an easy way to get through their habitat. And for bears, they know trails lead to possible human food. |
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