[pct-l] john muir trail

[calliger@infolane.com (R.J.Calliger)]

>
>At 8:33 AM -0800 7/30/01, Jef Allbright wrote:
>>I would really like to know how you handled the bears poking their noses
>>into your tent, if you were serious.
>>
>>- Jef
>
>Yes- quite serious-- the first trip that happened on was several years ago I
>was scared %$#%$%# !! We yelled and they went away- painless so to
speak- and did not happen again for several years-- then:
>
>This last time was in Lyell Canyon (10 miles up from Tuolumne
>Meadows).  I had food stolen the day before (overflow from the
>bear cannister)-- I knew the bears were getting more aggressive
>from staying in the Meadows developed CG.  So- when I got
>in the backcountry I first tried stealth camping- one found
>me the first night at 3AM and I yelled and threw stones and
>it went away.
>
>
>The 2nd night, I was up at about 11,000 feet when the second
>nose-poker came along...I yelled and when he (she?) backed off
>I threw stones...she still hung around my camp...
>
>In anticipation of problem bears I had stacked a pile of wood
>before retiring, about 5' from my tent with some stove fuel for
>a quick start.
>
>-- I started a fire and had to wave burning branches before the
>bear desisted and finally moved on-- that was from 3:30 am
>till dawn about 5am. It was the first time in 25 years of
>probably 15-20 or more bear encounters that I felt really
>physically threatened, as the stones would not scare this
>bear away...I felt I had to hold her at bay until first light
>when she just probably went away bored and tired. I felt
>if it was not for the fire my tent and pack would have
>been destroyed..I have always been meticulous to keep
>food away from the tent-- so I do not know what happened.
>Try as I could I could not read the tag number- as this
>was a candidate for destruction- it was clearly totally
>habituated to humans!!
>
>Upon returning home I soaped and hosed down the tent- and
>I did not have a repeat incident the next trip. So apparently
>something got onto the tent delectable to the bear.
>
>Rich
>
>
>
>
>>
>>
>>hmmm- don't know about angry-- but last year I had several
>>hungry ones poke there nose in my tent (one at a time- they
>>took a number from the machine I set up outside) <smile>..
>
>
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