[pct-l] Snakes and bears

[meadowed at comcast.net (ed)]

Meadow Ed here....if you believe nothing i have said for 11 years of advice
BELIVE me when i say rattlesnakes are around. Check out the book TREKKING
ALONG by Hal Margolis, on page 372 he describes our incounter 1 mile out of
Lake Marina. In 99 when hiking out of Pines to Palms HW i was just behind
Charlotte Clews and Johanthan Ley, they were nice enough to leave a hastly
written note telling me of rattlesnake ahead on the pct. I walked a hour and
never saw it! I have had to destroy a rattler at Walker Pass CG after it
crawled next to a feller who was sitting on his chair just about passed out
and the snake was next to his foot. We have had snakes for years in the
campground at Keneddy Meadows in fact a few dogs have been bitten up there.

Those of you who take the JMT to Yosemite Vallry from the PCT i will tell
you about the bear who at 3am was eating the candy breath mints i had taken
out of my pocket and laid next to my head. Imagine waking up and the bear is
almost prone over my body chewing my mints. At least his breath was not
foul. How about finishing my hike up Whitney and spending the night at
Whitney Portal and yes i hung my food bag BUT going to the coffee shop there
the bear ripped the top of my pack and got the food bag. Now this was 8am
and the pack was right outside the store door AND of course i will tell you
about the Keneddy Meadows bear IF you show up in mid june.

Yes lots of people have hiked the whole southern PCT and never saw a
snake...some folks go all the way to Canada and may not see a bear....SO
beleive who you want to......