Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Bears/ Quick trail report

Hi Bears are home ! Started several weeks ago but now we are seeing them during the day time , so means they are short on food and searching. Last weekend one walked up to a grill in the campground and had a fish for dinner!
I think this is the bear we had the last several years but thought it had been injured and pasted on, maybe not the case. Picture from a visitor this am looks like the medium sized almost black with a brown nose. This one will not move off easy so give it lots of space, store your food and never leave the box open or food out.
Packs are another target for this bear, pattern is: waits near the trail head/overflow parking lots and moves in, grabs a pack then back into the tree cover. If you loose your pack search around about 100' circle and you should find the pack.

Never leave your pack outside the bathroom or back of the car for a second it may be taken by this bear. Another target area is the food boxes near the trail head , the bear will hear the door open move in and as the hikers run it grabs the food inside.Same trick at the campground.

Have everything ready when you reach the trail head exit the car and hit the trail , wait for daylight on the way back for the photo. Also the last few details should be taken care of long before you get to the trail head.

Lets try this year to keep the food away from the bears and make it a trouble free season, The only reason the bears stay in the area is for the easy food supply. Remove the food and the bears will travel out of the area in search of food.

Oh that grunting sound is the grouse. uhmm,uhmm,uhmm deep sound off the trail.

Forgot about the trail, snow still a problem above trail camp , Switch backs still covered and not being used , if you plan to reach trail crest and to the summit expect snow and ice. had our first melt run off today in the Portal so this means upper elevations will be a mess , soft snow during the day and turning to ice late night, so the early starts will get you into the ice before sun up and post holing in the midday , bring extra socks, sunscreen and for sure sun glasses,also several layers as the days will be very warm but turns cold as the sun moves over the crest.
A one day trip now should focus on trail camp ,look at the slope and vote! After the snow is gone and return for the summit.

Over night trips, most are staying at Outpost , high winds and cold chased everyone out last week, another front may move in so watch the long range weather on Noaa site for the Western States.

Thanks Doug

Doug, that can't be a grouse. You know the book says they're not anywhere near the Portal area.

I hope you have another great season on the mountain. I'm looking forward to my non-gluten burger.

Burt

Wow Doug is this really the same bear that's been hanging around for a few years? I thought he'd disappeared. I never saw him last year.

Yes give him space but don't give him any excuses to come around. I think he's just gotten used to people moving away as he comes closer and this has made him more bold. Don't leave anything unattended. If you open a bear locker have your buddies nearby watching so there's no surprises. If you're alone and need to use the bathroom bring your pack inside as well.

Maybe if he didn't get any food in the campgrounds he might leave and go fishing

People really need to follow this advice. It's not just about losing food and getting your pack torn up, it's about saving the bear. Continued success getting food will probably lead to a sad ending.

Forget about saving the bear. If this particular bear is a constant problem & is tolerated, it's behavior could escalate into more aggression. Maybe it needs to be relocated.

If a bear or bears are such an issue why hasn't there been anything done about them? There's at least one guy/outfit with bear dogs. I know Mammoth Lakes employed him several years ago to chase out problem bears there. Can't recall his name at the moment but would hiring him or someone like him be feasible? The bears are not harmed, just harrassed enough to leave the area.

JMHO.....

That's probably Steve Searles, Animal Planet's "bear whisperer". As far as I know, he's still working for the town of Mammoth Lakes, training people. ( If the people are trained, the bears will be, too!)

Is Steve going to stay for the entire summer? Everyday its a new group of 'visitors'. It only takes a few each day; who behave like they are still in a city park or BBQing in their backyard ... to 'train' the bears for easier food sources.

The cause isn't the bears- its the ignorant humans who enter the bears' territory. Signs, CG Hosts, notices left on cars/ on websites; seem only to 'preach to the choir"...

Maybe an electric fence around the perimeter of Whitney Portal would help protect the bears from the humans......

I think he's there year-round. He has a web site with good educational info & interesting bear encounter video clips: http://www.thebearwhisperer.com/

I thought whispering to a bear was a good idea.... Boy was I Wrong!