Wildfires and bears

[bbmq]

I have a five day permit starting at Sunrise trailhead. I'm planning on an easy first day to Middle Sunrise lake while acclimating to the elevation since I've had some issues with that the last few years. Day 2 I head over Cloud's Rest and stay at Sunrise Creek. Day 3 I do Half Dome (I reserved a permit), then come back and pick up my pack and camp on lower Echo Creek Trail. Day 4 I go over Cathedral Pass and stay at one of the Cathedral Lakes, then head home the next day.

I'd like to sleep under the stars more as a way of bouncing up quickly in the morning and getting an early start. What type of sleeping spot should I be looking for? Generally I guess I should be looking for a spot sheltered from the wind but I'm also concerned about a "visitor" I might get coming into my campsite? I've dealt with bears many times but usually when standing up and they scare away easy, never from a defenseless position such as lying on the ground. Can anyone offer any input?

I'm also concerned about wildfires given the second straight year of very light snowpack leading to another very dry summer, are there currently any fires to be concerned with in the areas of my hike? I'm not too thrilled with climbing Half Dome and experiencing limited visibility (as was the case the last time I did it).

[AlmostThere]

There are many fires all over the mountain range, and there may or may not be smoke depending on the wind direction. There has been an ongoing haze for weeks EVERYWHERE - since the lightning fires all started in a round of storms.There are 10 fires (or were) in Yosemite, around 15 in the national forest south of it, another dozen or so in Kings Canyon area, and the smoke travels for miles. Yet last weekend we had clear blue skies hiking up to Dinkey Wilderness not a dozen miles from the largest of the fires.

You are not going to find a spot safe from animal incursions based on geography. You store all smellable items a bear might be interested in - food, trash, lip balm, lotions, soaps, etc - inside the bear canister and move it 50 - 100 feet away from where you sleep. Ideally in a spot where it won't be easily rolled off a cliff or into water. This is easier than you think. If you sleep out without a tent, you may or may not have a bear, squirrel, marmot, etc visit you and investigate... I've never had any animal disturb me or my gear, but bears have come back repeatedly to roll around the canisters. As long as you do not stick candy bars in your ears or leave food smeared all over your face you'll probably be fine... put salty/sweaty things in your tent or under your feet tho, as deer and marmots will lick and chew pack straps, trekking pole handles, gloves, socks...

I usually take a tarp and sleep out if there's no mosquitos to worry about. Usually in a hammock. Above treeline I take a tent that sets up with trekking poles. If animals want in they will chew or tear into the tent, which has never happened to me but has happened to others I know. But that is a rare thing.

[Grzldvt]

I've never had any animal disturb me or my gear, but bears have come back repeatedly to roll around the canisters. As long as you do not stick candy bars in your ears or leave food smeared all over your face you'll probably be fine... put salty/sweaty things in your tent or under your feet tho, as deer and marmots will lick and chew pack straps, trekking pole handles, gloves, socks...

OMG that is hilarious The visual of candy bars in the ears has me laughing, I can see two Butterfingers sticking out . Food smeared all over has visions of a little kid with spaghetti all over the face!!! Good one!!!! If you are going to sleep under the stars, you should have a spotless camp. As AlmostThere states take the canister far away from the camp. I also take pots and pans and put them in the same spot. They maybe perfectly clean, but it is a visual clue that food was or can be present. The only thing we have within 25 yards of our camp when we go to sleep are the tents/tarps.

[AlmostThere]

It isn't far from what a friend told me about - she worked on trail crew for quite a few summers, and they would get care packages from home. Instead of storing candy bars with the kitchen supplies one worker tried sleeping with her care package candy under her pillow. She woke to a bear breathing in her face.

In RJ Secor's High Sierra he recounts an incident in Vidette Meadow (along the JMT) in which a hiker sleeping with his food in similar fashion had to have his ear sewn back on.

The only injuries (never a death) caused by bears in Yosemite have been incidents where food was in the tent with people.

There are bears that will steal a backpack if you leave it unattended and they happen to be around when you do.

Bears are highly motivated to get our food in the Sierra, and the only thing that works if a bear happens to come through camp are the canisters - it's a rare, rare person who can adequately hang food, and there are too many lazy people rewarding bears for them to give up easily. I get it all the time in the hiking group - sleeping with the food worked every other time, why wouldn't it work this time? It only works when the bears don't walk through camp... the place with the highest frequency of bears who seek out campsites and actually have a route - Yosemite and its immediate vicinity. The bears along the JMT are tenacious and brave. I'm a firm believer in the canisters from the approved list on the Yosemite page.

[balzaccom]

Yep--when I was about 12 I had a bear wake me up by smelling my face. And to this day I am convinced that it smelled the toothpaste on my breath.

Luckily it walked away. Sadly, it mauled a couple of women in a tent in another part of the campground. They had candy bars in the tent with them.

[bbmq]

This is some great feedback, everyone, I can better envision what I need to do now. I usually only keep my canister about 25 ft. away but will keep it much further if I'm sleeping under the stars. It's also a good idea to keep a pot or a pan or utensils there as well, just make a bundle and store it away. Then I'll look for a good, sheltered spot and sleep on my tent footprint.

Thanks also for the heads-up on candy as I'll try to think of something different to use instead of peanut M&M's for earplugs (grin).

Hike on!