Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board hike JMT legally without bear canister?

let's call it for what it is: a ranger canister

due to time constraints, I would need to hike the JMT quickly--ideally nine days, no more than ten. Obviously, I will be going light; I do not want to carry a ranger canister.

Is this legal to do provided that I do not bed down in the bear zones?

“let's call it for what it is: a ranger canister…”

No, let’s actually call it what it really is…an attempt to protect the bear’s welfare, not the other way around. This is where they live…their natural habitat…not yours. You have to love this “ME first” mentality.

Upon checking the regulations closely, I see no mention of any rules stating that anyone who backpacks/travels through designated areas such as Yosemite, the Rae Lake’s area, or the Whitney Zone, carrying food, is exempt from not having to have in their possession an authorized food storage canister. Using canisters prevents bear incidents, and as such, enables bears to survive in an ever-shrinking natural environment. It would be nice if my grandkids have the same privilege as us…the opportunity of seeing a wild bear.

Oh wait…in small print, it says “ms2119 is honored… above the rules of all others, and as such, does not have to have one”. I don’t think so.

Let me state this another way: NO. To expand further…Soon enough, everywhere in our High Sierra will require the dreaded can. Live with it….buy or rent one and use it…Save the bears.

Some may have a rational argument about what type of can is legal…hard or soft, but regardless of this conundrum, the rule clearly states, “if you carry food stores and travel the Sierra through a required bear-can area, you must have a can.”

Ranger canister my ass! When we awoke from our brief nap last trip, the damn rangers had broken in and eaten 1/2 of my frosting!

Seriously though, I hate the darn things. Well, I hate watching my brother carry it! LOL Being the "lil bro" has it's advantages sometimes.

We actually only take it on trips over 24 hours. Anything less than that is a "dayhike".

I guess if you picked up the pace on the JMT to around 3 days (maybe 4) you wouldn't need one.....................DUG

My son and I hiked the JMT a couple of years ago. We carried bear canisters and took 9 days. I understand a lack of enthusiasm for carrying extra weight, but it's just a couple of pounds. It's not going to add a day to your trip!

BTW, no rangers tried to break into our canisters the whole time!

never heard it called that before. maybe there's a reason why not?


the real issue emerges.


no, it's not. there are no bear free zones. the bears never got the "do not go near the john muir trail" memo.

there's an 11 mile stretch where it's almost guaranteed you'll lose your food if you don't use a canister. are you feelin' lucky?

What if - you do it in four days and eat all your food day one? Sure, you're gonna get a little hungry but you won't die. And being hungry will might make you hike even faster!

Or, do it in 6 days, BUT -

Don't sleep.

Just thinking outside the box. ........................DUG

I did it in ten days with a canister. Nine or ten days is not a super fast time. Some people do it in much less.

Yes, you will pass through jurisdictions where canisters are not required. But can you guarantee you'll be camping there? No, you can't. Do you want to make some days extra long death marches, or too short, just to camp without a canister? Think this through.

Just suck it up and carry the canister. There are lots of other places to cut weight.

http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/TC03.html
http://www.jmt-hiker.com/techniques/tech_4.html

I've known people to hike the JMT without a can, but they were in good shape, and could make the extra distance between areas that didn't have boxes, and slept above timberline when they could not.

I had my first bear container hike this June, using one of those big polycarbonate jars (a bit lighter than traditional cans). It was great to put the food out at night, and not worry about the ritual of finding good trees and hanging the stuff. There were likely no bears (slept at 12000'), but I'm sure there were marmots, and you'd be amazed what they can do to your gear to get food. I had lots of junk on that trip (ice ax, crampons...) and the canister seemed a rather minor extravagance.

Edit: http://www.bearvault.com/
I painted the top of mine orange.

Consider it one of the rules of the game.

If carrying 2.5 pounds will add days to your trip, you aren't in shape for a 9 day hike. If you still think you can't handle the extra weight you might try doping with Epo and Steroids to improve your performance.

Seriously though it isn't that big a deal. Just like I wear a seatbelt even though I haven't needed one in a million miles driving, I carry a bear can even though no bears visited my camp hiking the JMT last month.

When I hiked the JMT in 2000 I did carry a Garcia canister. I did however meet up and hike with a guy for several days who was into this "new" ultralight backpacking stuff. He had all the Golite gear and did not have a bear canister or Ursack. Basically he planned his trip around where the bear boxes were located and camped there. It is possible- check out this link for the locations or them:

http://climber.org/data/BearBoxes/AllBoxes.html

Best of luck

When we were planning our trip, we discussed this possibility. We decided that being able to camp wherever we ended up on a given day was the best bet for us. But it has been done.

Note, however, that bear boxes are not ranger-proof.

it is worth mentioning that the regulations have evolved in the last few years, such that it makes doing such a trip functionally almost impossible now.

Yes, it can be done. I hiked the JMT in nine days back in 2003 or 04. Only came across one bear on the trail up to Sunrise. If and when I do hike it again I will carry a lightweight can more for a feeling of security and to do my part in bear protection.

The bears go where the food is, Rae Lakes, Boy Scout areas, etc. We camped above the treeline away from the populated areas. The one bear we did see was right off the trail when we plopped down to sleep for a while. We just yelled at him and he ran away. I think he was headed up to Sunrise to see what he could scare up there.

Good luck to you on your journey. South to north is my preferred route!

Maureen

Even if you plan to camp where they are not required, you may have to do some fancy talking as you pass through areas where they are required. A ranger may stop you and ask to see your permit and your canister. Depending on the mood of that ranger, you may or may not be able to convince said ranger that you are going to comply with the rules and camp where you can either use a bear box or where canisters are not required. Getting checked by a ranger is hit or miss - some years I don't get checked at all, but this year on an 8-day trip I was checked three times (once by a Sierra National Forest ranger on Piute Creek, and twice by rangers in Kings Canyon).

Also note that planning on using the bear boxes may not be an option in the very near future. In Sequoia/Kings Canyon, they have already stopped repairing the damaged boxes, and are talking about removing all of them. And it looks like by next year bear canisters will be required everywhere in SEKI, not just in the Rae Lakes, Dusy Basin, and Rock Creek areas.

I think you should go without one. Maybe we can get you one of those Darwin awards.

I bumped into a bear the last time I was in the portal *campground*. She just made a sort of disgusted sound and took a couple of steps toward me to warn me off (then I saw the cub). Even bears shouldn't be so bold around people in *our* habitat. IMHO, these bears wouldn't be dangerous to people at all, if they didn't keep getting reinforced with snackfood.

My understanding is if you pass through a bear canister required area you are required to carry one, even though you do not plan to camp in one of those locations. Your entry point is one such area.

If you don't want carry one, don't carry one. However, do not complain if you are stopped, cited and asked to leave the trail. I have done something similar and was prepared to pay price if found out.

If you can argue that you don't plan to camp in the canister-required areas, they may not cite you. After all, the Whitney Zone requires canisters, but not for dayhikers.

No, that doesn't fly, you still need a canister. The reason being if because of weather or injury you may end up in canister required area.

Day hikers do not have a reason to safeguard their food while they fast asleep in a tent; thus, no requirement.

I got through a few times with there forest service regulars at the IVC and White Mountain RS.

I think one needs an official answer. It seems dayhikers could have the exact same situation; sickness or injury may force them to stay overnight. Yet they don't force all dayhikers to get overnight permits. If they suspect the dayhikers always intended to stay overnight, the not-really-sdy-hikers will get fined. If your hike takes you through a pay-for-overnight public campsite, the rangers can't charge you on the suspicion that youreally will stop there to camp.

Aren't officials at two forest service facilities official enough? It was enough for me.

What percentage of day hikers for whatever reason stay out overnight vs. backpackers? Answer this and you answer you own question.

The rules are the rules, and you and I may not like the rules. Make a choice, if you are not going to use an approved canister be prepared to be fined and removed from the trail. The odds this is going happening are slim...very slim.