The Moon is Waxing Gibbous (57% of Full)
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I'm almost certain that is a ptarmigan--Alaska's state bird. As Chick-On's picture shows, the birds adapt to the snow. The birds are so docile that while there is no limit for hunting, ethics for hunters generally ask for self limits because they just don't run away.
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chicagocwright
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Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra As noted above a planned trip during this "shoulder" period is problematic but you could plan a trip and always keep a backup of just camping out in Yosemite Valley and doing multiple day trips. Yosemite Valley begins to get very quiet that time of year and if you have never been to Yosemite I would highly recommend that alternative. It would allow you to do many different hikes and s
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chicagocwright
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Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra Wow I had not read that article yet.
"embedding nails and spikes in window and door frames".---Really??? I have never heard of this and been out in Bush Alaska a couple times.
"rarely step outside without a rifle"---This is ridiculous. I will admit to buying a rifle recently but it rarely leaves my house. The closest thing to this sentiment I have heard is in polar be
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Love the mountains rising from sea level... And people wondered why I had a hard time acclimating for Mt. Whitney a couple years ago. "Why not use the high elevation mountains in Alaska?" Well because I regularly climb 4-5,000 foot elevation gain mountains but rarely, if ever, go over 6,000 feet. Anything over that and it is no longer "hiking" but instead real "mounta
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chicagocwright
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General Discussion Unfortunately I don't have a picture but the beaver that surprised and scared me ran up through brush and stopped just a couple feet away from me. And he was HUGE. 3-4 feet long, I would guess 50-60 pounds. I was on a narrow sidehill path in his downhill hill path to the water and he EASILY could have run right into me, and knocked me 20 feet down an embankment into the lake. As it happened,
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Bear spray, after expelled, is actually a bear attractant. They like to come and lick it.
Or, as the joke goes:
The Park Ranger at Denali park is advising hikers to be alert for bears and to take extra precautions to avoid an encounter. Park visitors are advised to wear little bells on their clothes to make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows the bears to hear the hiker coming from a di
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion I don't think it is necessary but what is the stated, or unstated, reason for the ban against bear spray in Yosemite? You know, besides a human has never been attacked by a bear. What about other parks or bigger JMT type trips? The worst misuse of bear spray I see hear in Alaska is improper access----too many folks carry it in their packs or otherwise inaccessible spot where it might as well b
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Quotesnorkus
Dogs aren't allowed "on" the trails in National Parks.
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chicagocwright
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General Discussion QuoteJpsfirstresponse
I enjoy backpacking in the middle of Yosemite alone without worrying of being mauled by a grizzly
**
Why would you be worried about being mauled by a grizzly in Yosemite?
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Well I have finally entered the world of smartphones (my blackberry went Salmon fishing last week) and looking for suggestions from you all for the best GPS, map, hiking, picture apps, etc.
What say you all?
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chicagocwright
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General Discussion I wonder if the trail closures were due to a specific incident. In the Anchorage area, the policy is to close a trail for one week after a bear attack. But those are only "enforced" with a sign at the trailhead with notice of the previous bear attack.
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion So 23 years of operating this scheme. At profit of $9,500 a year this guy made almost a quarter of a million dollars and gets off with a $500 fine, 50 hours, and $2,000 pledge. I wonder what the $37,500 of expenses were.
His webpage at rerez.com is taken down but the Facebook page with comments is still up.
https://www.facebook.com/CactusCrossFit/posts/182431658469592
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chicagocwright
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General Discussion QuoteParis92
I thought bear spray is not allowed in the parks?
Yosemite: no bear spray allowed.
Not sure about Yellowstone and other Lower 48 parks.
Alaskan Parks (especially parks like Denali where fish are not readily available and the bears are more predatory hunters): Bear spray is strongly encouraged.
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Quotechicagocwright
Quotephantum
Based on comments about the griz's nature and concerns for human interaction, maybe there are locations better suited to conduct this little experiment. The Middle East, for example . . .
Anchorage, AK, population 300,000, already experiences this. We seem to have at least one brown bear mauling a year. The latest incident was a runner who happened to run
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Quoteeeek
Quotechicagocwrightwhat about those near the Arctic Circle?
Wear a jacket!
"Near" is a relative term but this past winter many in the Lower 48 needed jackets just as much as I did.
But in another 6 weeks or so we will begin sending our ducks south!
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion QuoteDave
QuotemythumpaNever underestimate the arrogance of the uneducated. They are NOT ducks, they are inuksuit. ......We are not above the Arctic Circle so those damn things have no place here. Educate yourself about leave no trace.
Wait a sec...what about those near the Arctic Circle?
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Yogi Bear and Yosemite
Black bears living in Yosemite National Park in California are shunning human food and returning to their natural diets, research has found.
Unlike Yogi Bear, the cartoon character famously known for his fondness for 'pic-a-nic baskets', the black bears are turning away from raiding visitor’s supplies and going back to a natural diet, after years of dangerously high c
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Quotephantum
Based on comments about the griz's nature and concerns for human interaction, maybe there are locations better suited to conduct this little experiment. The Middle East, for example . . .
Anchorage, AK, population 300,000, already experiences this. We seem to have at least one brown bear mauling a year. The latest incident was a runner who happened to run by a brown bear and
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion As with most things, location is key. The grizzlies, or brown bears, are not the same in every location. The Brooks Falls brown bears have such a bountiful food source of salmon that people are able to be around with "little" danger. I would be much more suspect in Denali where the large amounts of fish are not present and the bears have to hunt things such as moose. A canoe trip on
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Hmm, I vaguely heard of this as I was out on a 20 year anniversary weekend near Denali and heard reports from some tourists. I'm amazed on how informed this forum is!
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chicagocwright
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General Discussion Quotechick-on
* 1.5 miles from the Curry Village Pizzer Deck ... not on any Too-pay
I'll post a picture later...but how fast do you think you could get down to that pizza joint if it had a trail like Mt. Marathon in Seward, AK?
I am running the Mt. Marathon July 4th and this past weekend completed my practice trip. The race is 3-3.5 miles--3,000 ft. climb. Winners take just over 30 minut
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chicagocwright
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Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra Sigh. Populous California and uneducated hikers mixing with grizzly bears? Oh boy! In Alaska and Anchorage specifically it is accepted that every once in a while someone is going to get mauled and perhaps even killed. When that happens, there is no outcry to go and hunt down the bear to kill it. I can't imagine that being acceptable in many places.
As far as carrying guns...nevermind. Pl
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chicagocwright
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Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. News & Discussion Full Album: Facebook Picture Album
Amazingly the day began in a rain soaked parking lot and a discussion on whether we call the hike off. The five of us decided to push forward. The beginning of the hike about an hour later was in light rain.
After about a 3000 foot climb we found ourselves in windy, snowy conditions!
I love this shot with Raven Glacier on the left of the pi
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chicagocwright
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General Discussion My problem is I have so many albums, trips, trip reports, pictures, and even different forums that everything is spread out.
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chicagocwright
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General Discussion Headed to Crow Pass tomorrow. I hope to post a Crow Pass 2014.
My mother asked me a question a couple days regarding keeping a journal of my hikes and adventures. I do not but realized my trip reports on forums could serve as my journal.
What do others do?
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chicagocwright
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General Discussion QuoteBearproof
Maybe not the moral of the story...but the result of eating all of that ice cream would be that you were even more sluggish heading up to Clouds Rest.
If you had that much ice cream you could just stack it and climb straight up the face of Clouds Rest.
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chicagocwright
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Backpacking and Hiking Yosemite and the Sierra