I know in Spring-Fall you have to be really careful about leaving anything in your car that is scented, but what about in winter? How critical is it? Are they mostly inactive in the valley this time of year?

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hotrod4x5
I know in Spring-Fall you have to be really careful about leaving anything in your car that is scented, but what about in winter? How critical is it? Are they mostly inactive in the valley this time of year?

While the probability is down bears do come out and look for food in the winter.

I wouldn't risk it.

I've heard from the rangers that the Yosemite bears are active year round.

Although I've never seen a bear during the winter.

I think others will have more informed statements.

Rangers have told me there are a few bears who come out in winter. They still expect you to carry the bear canisters too.

Bears are out now. This coming snow may put those at higher elevations to sleep but down low they will probably be around for a while.

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Old Dude

You also need to make sure you properly protect your food from Chick-On as he is also out and about during the winter. Keep those twinkies locked up.

This past March in the Curry parking lot I saw a ranger removing food from the back of someone's pickup, I think she was going to be writing a ticket. This was after having camped in Little Yosemite and seen litter from a bear having gotten someone's stuff.

Same month, I saw a bear while skiing at Squaw Valley (I forget the name of the area, its the infrequently open area along the far edge between Granite Chief and Silverado).

Hotrod,
Last week on da way to Womp-a-ma Falls:


The statement by Almost about rangers wanting you to carry a bear can is probably true.
They probably "want" you to carry one year round. But... it's not the whole story.
There are places and times that you actually don't need a bear can in the backcountry.

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eeek

Whoa! Cool. Da bear let you sit next to em?

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chick-on

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eeek

Whoa! Cool. Da bear let you sit next to em?

I'm not that old!

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eeek

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chick-on

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eeek

Whoa! Cool. Da bear let you sit next to em?

I'm not that old!

Hmm.... dat guy lookie about 57 to me.

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I remember seeing a vehicle in the Yosemite Lodge parking lot that was cited (warning actually) for having "cleaning supplies" that were in full view in the passenger compartment. This was a February and there was snow everywhere. I suppose the concern was that some of these items were scented and their odors might have been mistaken for food.

Black bears don't "hibernate". They go into a deep sleep if they can't find food. In areas where it doesn't snow, bears will be active year-round. Sometimes winter bears sleeping will wake up and look around for food. They might not even "hibernate" if it's not cold enough. I didn't actually see a bear in the snow, but I saw what looked like an bear footprint once and too a picture.

A couple of years ago during a (failed) attempt to see Fire Fall, there was a lot of bear activity (FEB) A group of people had witnessed a bear taking down a deer close to the Yosemite Lodge.

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The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.

Pretty sure that the food storage laws in Yosemite for cars and campsites are year round laws.

hotrod,
Just got back from a jaunt in da woods... saw bear trackies at these elevations:
3800, 5100, 6200, 6400, 6900
The 6900 one was a bit of a surprise. Another one looked like the bear was
digging into the snow and then shoving it's snout into it.

Took pictures of all of them.... but this is my favorite:



o... also... looking for what da heck u ended up doing ... did u go to
top o da Yose Falls???

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Chick-on we did not go to the top of Yosemite Falls. It rained 3 of our days, snowed another and the one day it was not raining or snowing we drove around the valley for photos and then in the afternoon went to the Vernal Fall bridge. My GF is recovering from a serious illness that she is still in therapy for and she wasn't able to do as much as we hoped. On the snow day we went up to Badger and did the snowshoe walk with the ranger, which was pretty cool.

Two cars at Curry Village were broken into by a bear last night.