Weekly Bear Activity (From http://www.nps.gov/yose/daily2.htm 17JUL06)

Bears have been active in almost all developed areas of the Valley. Parking lot incidents this week are all from Camp 4 where a bear is easily finding the vehicles with food in them.

There is a bear that continues to frequent the Mist trail. It has been observed with in a few feet of visitors! This is not o.k.! Please be sure to keep your food with arms reach when you sit down for lunch or look for a place to water the plants. Also, if a bear approaches you, make loud noises. Throw small sticks or stones towards the bear (aiming only for the rear of the bear and choosing smaller than quarter size stones). Always leave the bear an escape route. While this bear may seem tame, she is not. She is a wild animal with unpredictable behavior. Help save her life. Do not feed her and do not approach her.

This bear also travels to Illilouette creek and sees bear canisters as items to play with. Make sure to keep your canister away from the creek as she threw 8 of them in the creek last week. Store the canister away from your tent, but not next to the water!

Finally, this bear also spends time in Yosemite Valley (quite a home range!). We have been focusing on this bear in an attempt to change her behavior. We spent an entire day following her and using negative conditioning on her any time she came close to developed areas. After a day of this the bear left the Valley.

Amazing bear fact

Bear Grooming: The bear we followed in the Valley swam across the river, essentially taking a bath while moving away from us. She also spent quite a bit of time rubbing on a tree. Bears have other grooming habits that include combing their fur with claws, licking their fur dry, licking to remove dirt, scrubbing on grass and wallowing in the mud to remove insects and other items. (S. Lisius - 7/14/06)

Planning Your Resupply

When planning your resupply date, consider trail and weather conditions, the hiking abilities of yourself and your group with your planned itinerary. Allow an extra day of provisions with your timing of picking up your resupply. Please make arrangements with us on the event of a now-show at the designated meeting place and time. A secondary plan has specifics on what you want us to do with your provisions. We can leave your provisions in the nearest bear box, provided there is room, for up to 24 hours, according to Park Service regulation. We highly recommend you schedule to meet us on your lay-over day. If we meet you, our staff will take out your refuse, mail, whatever's. If we do not meet you, and leave your resupply in a Park Service bear box, you can not leave us your refuse, etc. for us to return on our next trip to retrieve it, as we can't leave this in the Park trail boxes. Pack it in and pack it out timely. Please pack any wet refuse in double zip-lock type bags which don't leak.

You can arrange for us to bring in fresh provisions and fuel. We have a section in this information addressing that. Sequoia Kings Pack Trains provides resupply services along the JMT and its laterals, from Shepherd's, Kearsarge, Sawmill, and Taboose trailheads. Pine Creek Pack Station provides services to destinations reached from Pine Creek, Morgan Lakes, Lake Italy trailheads, including Evolution Valley areas. There is a minimum fee for all resupply services. Fees are based on destinations.

Packing Up Your Provisions

Use sturdy cardboard boxes or plastic buckets. You can use as many parcels as you need to accommodate your gear. Maximum dimensions for any one parcel are 20"x16"x12". Maximum weight for any one parcel or bucket is 50 pounds. Apple, orange, copy paper boxes work well. Banana boxes do not work. Double-bag all powdered items, containers holding liquids in plastic bags to prevent leakage. A larger plastic bag lining your bucket or box is suggested, but not always necessary. Number each parcel in your resupply as 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3. On the outside of each parcel place the following:

1. Pack station name and address
2. Party name, delivery date, destination
3. Envelope with final payment due station, labeled 'Message to Packer'. Include specific instructions with a name, phone number of a party who may need to be contacted by us concerning your trip. Include your itinerary.

Provisions Purchased by Pack Station

You give us specific instructions on what you need us to purchase for you, such as fuel, fresh food. Minimum handling fee of $50.00, plus the estimated costs for your provisions are paid with your balance. We give you sales receipts for items purchased. We sell white gas at $12/gal, includes Ca sales tax. You send us or we refund the difference, if any, of actual costs of items purchased.

Receiving Your Provisions

For all Independence trailheads, you can deliver your resupply in person to us at our station in Onion Valley or our station in Pine Creek. For Bishop trailheads, you can deliver in person at Pine Creek. It is necessary to make arrangements for when you plan to arrive at the pack station (AM or PM), so we can be sure we have staff there for you if we have to be on the trails. We store your resupply with bear-proof storage.

By mail to all Independence trailheads, send priority mail to Sequoia Kings Pack Trains, PO Box 209, Independence, CA 93526. By UPS or FedEx services, ship to Pine Creek Pack Station, 85 Pine Creek Road, Bishop, CA 93514. We will transport from Pine Creek to Onion Valley.

By mail to Pine Creek trailheads and locations, send priority mail to Pine Creek Pack Station, PO Box 968, Bishop, CA 93515. UPS or FedEx services ship to Pine Creek Pack Station, 85 Pine Creek Road, Bishop, CA 93514.

We charge a $50 handling fee to retrieve your resupply from the Post Offices in Independence or Bishop, and take it to the pack stations.

If delivery to us by mail, we recommend you ship your resupply to reach us two weeks prior to your scheduled pick up or meeting date.

Meeting You at the Pack Station headquarters

You can hike out of the Backcountry over Kearsarge Pass to our station at that trailhead, or out over Pine Creek Pass, Morgan Pass, or Italy Pass to our station at that trailhead. Hot showers and overnight camping are available. A fee is charged to store your resupply. Be sure to let us know the day you expect to arrive. Call for current prices.
Berners' Pack Outfits

Meeting You on the Trails

We meet you on the trail at specific pre-arranged locations, date, and time. You do not have to meet us at a bear box. However, we can not leave your resupply on the trail unless in a bear box, or in bear-resistant canisters you provide. Bear box locations are available from the Park Service, Sierra District Wilderness Office, Three Rivers, CA 93271. Tel: 559-565-3761. Costs are by destinations with Resupply rates. Call for quotes.

Cancellations and Returns

There is no credit given for cancellations. There are no refunds. This is new for 2006. If you need us to return your provisions because you didn't pick them up at the station, or in the backcountry, as planned, you pay us or we send C.O.D. via the mail service of your choice, less a packing fee to retrieve it from the mountains, or a fuel charge to take it to a mail service. Call for rates.

Thank you and enjoy the High Sierra!

Your hosts,

Berners' Pack Outfits