Yellow Yellow the bear

[hikem'all]

Spent two nights at Marcy Dam and boy were they long nights. I've been sleeping in the ADK park areas for a lot of years and had bears visit before but these two nights were bad. 1:00am it all started with bang bang bang. My canisters got pushed down the slope into the creek. Plastic against rock what a noise. I turned my light on and couldn't see anything but didn't go too far. Back to bed and what a noise from them crying or talking not sure what because never had I heard them before. It stopped for awhile then at 2:30 am again. The cry and my canisters against the rocks. What a feeling I thought they would go somewhere else but they didn't. At 5:00am I could see now. Bang bang plastic against rock then all was quite the next thing I knew a bear was walking right to our lean-to I believe it was Yellow Yellow because of the tags. With its nose in the air at our packs I yelled get and it ran but that was to close for me. The following night I put my food far into the trees and didn't hear them at all but my canisters were gone. I walked in circles and came across them after 5 min. of searching. Not sure if I did the right thing with just staying in the lean-to or should I of yelled at them sooner? Why so much noise with the crying? And I didn't think they would move the canisters so far. Was it more then one bear not sure.

 

[Tom Rankin]

I have no direct information to offer, but Y-Y has been discussed here recently.

BTW, Y-Y is described as small and shy, in spite of her talents.

 

[Peakbagr]

Yellow-Yellow is the bear thats learned how to open one brand of bear canister. I believe Y-Y is being watched to see if Y-Y is able to teach the technique to other bears.

 

[rdl]

Regarding placement of bear canisters: find as level a spot as you can, try to wedge them under roots/rocks/etc... Also paint them or add tape to make them as bright as possible to ease finding them the next day. Not much else you can do. I would not go chasing the bear when he/she starts banging on your canister.

When you're in the lean-to at night: leave your packs in the front of the lean-to or outside the lean-to with the pockets open and accessible.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Regarding placement of bear canisters: find as level a spot as you can, try to wedge them under roots/rocks/etc...

Someone correct me if I am wrong but if you wedge them in, this actually gives the bear an advantage, as they might be able to get a grip on the otherwise round, hard-to-grip canister.

 

[ColdRiverRun]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but if you wedge them in, this actually gives the bear an advantage, as they might be able to get a grip on the otherwise round, hard-to-grip canister.

Seems like pretty good logic. You should get into software design.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Seems like pretty good logic. You should get into software design.

Byte me!

 

[jbrown]

Tom is correct, and if I remember correctly, the instructions that came with my older BV model said not to wedge it or put it under anything.

Yellow-Yellow is one smart little bear. It appears that she cannot, however, open the older models of BV's (500's?) like mine with the shorter rimmed top. I loaned mine to a scout troop for a weekend trip a couple of years ago, and the troop leader had just bought one of the newer models with the double click design and taller profile top. She was able to get enough purchase on the top of the new design to dig a canine into the plastic and actually puncture the top enough to turn it while pushing at the correct point to unlock it twice. She emptied that canister. My canister had scratch marks on it where she had clearly tried to do the same thing, but her teeth had just skittered off ineffectively and the food remained untouched. Both canisters were deployed properly, a couple of hundred feet from the campsite, and in the open.

 

[rdl]

I'm just going by what the ranger at the Colden interior outpost told me last week. And he was rejecting any and all BV canisters -- either requiring they be stashed at the interior outpost in their bear can or swapped with the Garcia model they stock and loan.

 

[jbrown]

I'm just going by what the ranger at the Colden interior outpost told me last week. And he was rejecting any and all BV canisters -- either requiring they be stashed at the interior outpost in their bear can or swapped with the Garcia model they stock and loan.

That's good info to know in case I decide to do an overnight in that area, thanks for passing it along. I think just about all of the guys I hike with also own some version of BV canister also, I'll have to give them a heads-up.
Thanks again, RDL.

Side note, if a ranger is telling people to wedge the canister under a fallen tree or rocks or whatever, he or she is instructing them incorrectly. Wedging it gives the bear easier grip to work on it instead of trying to work with no opposable thumbs on a free-floating, round object.

 

[BoulderBum]

I am not up to speed on this issue, but why aren't they installing proper bear poles (ration hoisting systems) or large fixed bear canisters at the campsites? They are pretty much a given at most campgrounds in Canada... even eastern Canada. They pay for themselves in reducing incidents and "trouble" wildlife relocations. (The "trouble" being in quotes on purpose...)

 

[1ADAM12]

I am not up to speed on this issue, but why aren't they installing proper bear poles (ration hoisting systems) or large fixed bear canisters at the campsites? They are pretty much a given at most campgrounds in Canada... even eastern Canada. They pay for themselves in reducing incidents and "trouble" wildlife relocations. (The "trouble" being in quotes on purpose...)

Marcy Dam and other areas use to have the "Hoist System" in place. The bears actually learned how to get your food bags and lower the hoist.

We have smart bears here in the ADK

 

[BoulderBum]

Marcy Dam and other areas use to have the "Hoist System" in place. The bears actually learned how to get your food bags and lower the hoist.

We have smart bears here in the ADK

Perhaps... or perhaps the humans were not using the hoists properly (Bears smarter than people?) or they needed to be improved. Trust me, the well made ones work.... however, I have seen many half-cheeked ones that wouldn't.

just my 2-pence.

 

[Little Rickie]

The bears climbed up the polls and out the cables and swated the bags down.

 

[DuctTape]

would the bear poles (hoists) be considered non-conforming?

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

I have one of the older Bear Vault solo canisters. Any idea as to whether the rangers reject those anywhere other then in the high-use traditionally problematic areas of Marcy Dam-Lake Colden-Flowed Land?

 

[Aviarome]

I've been using a Bear Vault solo for some time, but I've always avoided the Marcy Dam and Lake Colden area (mostly because of the crowds). Last year, one of my hikes when I was still using the BV started from St. Huberts/Ausable Club, and I chatted with the ranger at the trailhead. He said that using the BV wasn't optimal and he thought I was far enough away from Marcy Dam. He didn't turn me around or make me rent a Garcia, however, I don't know how strict they are this year. I've recently bought a Garcia cannister, but haven't had the chance to use it yet this year.

Aviarome

 

[ALGonquin Bob]

Thanks. I'm headed up to the high peaks next week, but as always, I do not camp in the high-intensity areas.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

... (Bears smarter than people?) ....

WHile on average this is not true, however their intelligence most likely follows a bell curve. I suspect that the bell curves of bears' and peoples' intelligence are not entirely disjoint. IE there are smart bears who are smarter than dumb humans.

 

[peak_bgr]

IE there are smart bears who are smarter than dumb humans.

When it comes to camping in the high peaks area, I think there is a huge bell curve. I hear some of the craziest stuff at EMS. The latest was "is there a place to eat on the way up Marcy?", I can't even make this crap up.