[pct-l] Bear Attack.... or Food for thought

[pfreiman at popmail.ucsd.edu (Paul Freiman/Vicki Cavataio)]

I'll tell about my bear attack now, then post another for my section 
C and D trip and water report...............

I got to Little Jimmy in the San Gabriels about 5:30.  I usually hike 
'till 8, but it was getting cold and the if I was going to climb any 
further I was going to be camping at 8500 feet.  Besides, there were 
several people already there.  I have a bad memory for names, so 
earlier on the hike I was writing the names down as I passed, but I 
had lost my pen, so I wasn't doing that anymore, but two of the 
co-campers with me were Ertman and Bobby Compton.

Anyway, when the first hiker got to Little Jimmy there was a big ol' 
bear in camp.  Now, I'm not sure how he knew, but he said there was a 
scout troop there the day before and they were quite hassled by the 
bear.  The others hung their food, but I didn't have a rope, or any 
experience in the Sierras (I'm from San Diego and do most of my 
hiking in the desert) with bears.  I kept the food in my pack and use 
my 30 year old Kelty Tioga as a head rest.  The hip belt pad is just 
the right height off the ground for a head rest.  I was sleeping 
restlessly, but quite, when the bear pulled the pack from under my 
head, dropping my head to the ground.  BEAR IN CAMP........BEAR IN 
CAMP, I yelled.  Only Ertman stirred.  I borrowed his photon (my 
light was in the pack) and walked up where I thought the munching 
sound were coming from.  Two reflector eyes caught the beam of the 
light.  GGGRRRRRRRRR..........GGGRRRRRRRRR, I SCREAMED.  The bear 
returned my yells and took the pack further uphill.  Ok, that was 
dumb.  Instead of warding the bear off the pack, he dragged it 
further away.  Time to go to sleep and wait 'till morning.  It was 2 
am.

They had problems with a bear at Little Jimmy last year.  All the 
locals I talked with said, "I heard they solved the problem last 
year, they shot the bear."  So, I guess were have a new bear.  I also 
heard that they use to have a bear box........until the bear 
destroyed it.

We wrote notes on the camp bulletin board, and since I was going 
southbound I told everyone.  I talked to Billy Goat about it and he 
said he does the same thing as me......just keeps his food next to 
him.  I'm going to rethink that option.

Captain Bivy