[pct-l] PCT's birds and other critters

[blisterfree at isp01.net (Brett)]

>Nice campsite, nice river, nice
> fire-ring, not so nice bear. After that I got a bear 
> cannister - <$10 for
> two weeks rental from Devil's Postpile office. Mailed it 
> back from Tahoe.
> Great deal for a little extra peace of mind.


Bears love nice campsites, rivers, and fire rings at least 
as much as hikers do. They gravitate to these places, often 
nightly, because past experience has shown them that they 
can sometimes acquire food here. And the odors of food can 
linger for days after the last party has used a site. In my 
experience, stealth camping well away from established 
campsites greatly minimizes the odds of a bear encounter 
and, where legal, usually obviates the need for a bear can. 
UNLESS, of course, it's an Ursafloat. Those things are the 
best!

I understand Devil's Postpile NM occasionally sends a staff 
member into the backcountry with a bear suit. Federal budget 
cuts to blame. <bg>

- bf