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[Yosemite]

Is leaving supplies/equipment in bear box trailheads safe?

Hiking, backpacking, running, biking, climbing, rafting, and other human-powered activities in Yosemite National Park

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Is leaving supplies/equipment in bear box trailheads safe?

Postby HikerJIB » Sat May 22, 2021 3:20 pm

Hello there. My group will be backpacking starting from the valley/4 mile trail up to glacier point, then continuing to LYV to camp. We want our car down in the valley so we can complete the hike with a loop exiting happy isles and have our car nearby without transportation. We are thinking about driving up to Glacier Point the morning we start the hike, leaving our heavier equipment (stove, sleeping pads/bags/tent/etc) in the bear boxes at the glacier point trailhead start, and then driving down to the valley to start our hike. The goal is to lighten our load substantially while hiking across the valley and up the 4 mile trail.

Has anyone ever done something similar before or have any comments/suggestions on this plan. My concern is having our equipment/etc taken out of the hikers bear box and if there was anything I could do to help prevent this. Thanks in advance for all your time!
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Re: Is leaving supplies/equipment in bear box trailheads saf

Postby AlmostThere » Sat May 22, 2021 4:23 pm

Since you can't put a lock on a public box, you have no way of preventing someone from taking the stuff. Unless, of course, you leave a person with it. Set him up with food, beverage, and maybe a book, and go drop the car. Or, leave the group - they can take turns doing restroom or snack bar runs, seeing the sights at Glacier Point, while the driver drops off the car and spends a couple hours hoofing it up the trail.

I've left stuff in bear lockers all over without issues. But I've never left a whole set of gear. I've actually known someone who had expensive sleeping gear and tent swiped out of Little Yosemite Valley while they were hiking Half Dome. A locker in a parking lot is easy pickings, by comparison. I doubt it happens often, but it could... everyone chooses out of their own level of comfort. And it would suck to hike all the way up, find the stuff gone, and have to just turn around and go home.
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Re: Is leaving supplies/equipment in bear box trailheads saf

Postby snowcreek » Sat May 22, 2021 6:36 pm

why hike the 4 mile? Its mostly steep and hot and semi paved. at the end you can get an ice cream cone at the store. kind of pointless to hike it for a backpacking trip
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Re: Is leaving supplies/equipment in bear box trailheads saf

Postby Phil » Fri May 28, 2021 5:50 am

If you value it and need it, don't leave it unattended, even in a bear locker, especially in the Valley, GP, LYV. Simply Good Policy 101. Everybody but one person (the strongest and fastest hiker in the group) stays at GP with the gear. That one person does the drive back down and the hike up the Four-mile.
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