Bear Canisters - Maroon Bells Wilderness

[aliciaf]

Just an FYI... I was up at Capitol Lake Saturday night/Sunday and noticed a lot of people were unaware of the current regulations the USFS has put into place for the Maroon Bells Wilderness regarding hard-sided bear canisters. I think my husband and I were the only one at the campsites with a hard-sided bear canister. Many people just hung bags, and some were spoken to by forest rangers who were there Saturday during the day.

If you're heading into the Maroon Bells Wilderness, it is currently a regulation to have a hard-sided bear canister.

[CHWitte]

We were just up at North Maroon on Wednesday and Capitol Lake Thursday and Friday. Both trail heads mention bears in the area and ironically we saw a black bear and cub at North Maroon and a black bear at Capitol Lake. We brought a bear canister up to Capitol Lake as we backpacked. The trailhead sign for Capitol Lake even mentions that a bear canister is required.

We also spoke with the National Forest Service folks when we returned to the Maroon Bells trail head and they said that this one black bear mom and cub have been terrorizing the campsites at crater lake.

Good advice from aliciaf!!

[jrs1965]

Is there a requirement for day hikers to carry bear canisters?

[Wish I lived in CO]

Is there a requirement for day hikers to carry bear canisters?

Dayhikers do not usually leave their packs unattended, so no. However if you plan to leave your pack unattended for some reason then yes.

[apasquel]

Canisters are required...check. With canisters, do you hikers still hang bear bag (canister inside them) or you leave them out, buried...I have no idea here. I used bear canister on Mt. Whitney but it was all rock up there above tree line and we stashed our canisters in little rock caves. Ive been on 4 pass before and hung my food. I had heard this is no longer accepted in Maroon-Bell wilderness. What do you guys do with canisters overnight??????

[jrs1965]

Apasquel, I just stashed mine in some bushes. I assume if a bear messes with it they'll just push it around (downhill) since they can't do much else with it and would eventually get frustrated.

I bought a bear canister last summer for hiking Snowmass, if any Colorado Springs hikers want to borrow it shoot me a message...

[lordhelmut]

Canisters are required...check. With canisters, do you hikers still hang bear bag (canister inside them) or you leave them out, buried...I have no idea here. I used bear canister on Mt. Whitney but it was all rock up there above tree line and we stashed our canisters in little rock caves. Ive been on 4 pass before and hung my food. I had heard this is no longer accepted in Maroon-Bell wilderness. What do you guys do with canisters overnight??????

In Colorado, you can generally just walk what you deem a sufficient length from camp and either find a tree, rock outcropping or whatever and stash. You can hang the bear canister as well if you have a carrying case/pouch for it.

I used to hate bear canisters but have become accustomed to them as of late, even taking them when its probably not all that necessary. I find they aren't that much heavier and its easier (for me) to organize the food, trash, etc, easier to store in pack and then the peace of mind at night.

[apasquel]

cool..sounds like Ill find some bushes and stash. Im going to assume the the damn $70 canister works the way its suppose to.

[Steve Gio]

With the bear vault, you'll notice that you can twist the top open past the 2 notches if you try hard enough. If a bear gets leverage from the canister being wedged between roots or rocks it will be able to open it no problem. Best to just leave it out in the open far from yours or anyone else's site. Make sure if it rolls downhill it doesn't roll into the drink or off a cliff. Or into my site cause I can eat a lot.

I have never as much as seen my canister tipped over in the morning. And I can usually smell my food in the canister when going to retrieve it. I know there are bears in CO but I have personally seen one. And he was coming from a back yard. I have done the 4 pass loop 3 times, once without, twice with canister and no problems.

Keep bears alive

[dwoodward13]

With canisters, do you hikers still hang bear bag (canister inside them) or you leave them out

I would recommend against hanging the canister. If an animal or wind blows it off the tree you hung it in, I imagine it would be likely to crack rendering it useless. We have always stashed it in a bush or against a tree a ways away from the campsite and never seen the canister touched in the morning.

[Scott P]

With canisters, do you hikers still hang bear bag (canister inside them) or you leave them out

Don't hang them. Bear canisters are designed so that they can't get picked up by a bear. If you have rope attached to the canister and the bear gets a hold of the rope, the bear can drag the canister away by the rope.

[Voshkm]

Is there a requirement for day hikers to carry bear canisters?

No Bear canisters for day hikers however there is a requirement for Beer Canisters. otherwise locals might drink your beer.