How to Survive Yosemite in July

We stayed in the White Wolf tent cabins - fun experience. Cold at night, even in summer. Great sky viewing at night.

Bears were all around that place and they were brazen, so I can understand how your experience could happen. Now I believe they won’t let you backpack unless you have approved bear canisters.

When we got back to White Wolf the campers there were having a fit over bears trying to get at their food--but they at least had vehicles to hide in which would probably protect them. Down in Pate Valley you are very vulnerable--can't outrun a bear and can't climb a tree to get away from one...you just have to hope that all they want is your food.

I've been to Lassen National Park a couple of times--spectacular place, not nearly as well-known or crowded as Yosemite. Volcanoes rather than granite cliffs.

There are impenetrable, anchored down bear boxes at White Wolf now. You’re STRONGLY advised to keep all food, drink, and toiletries in the box-padlocked. It’s not even safe in your car. There was a car there with windows broken by a bear who saw a bottle of water in it and went after it.

One stupid couple left their food out on top of the bear box and went to the rest room. In an instant a bear grabbed a loaf of bread and bounded through the campground with it. I got a good photo of it.

The workers were SO ticked off. That bear had become a real nuisance and they were hoping to get to the end of the season (another couple of weeks) without having to kill it. Too bad.

But we’ve been camping in central PA when bears roamed through the campground daily, so it’s not only bear country out there.

Haven’t been to Lassen. There are a good many lesser known AND better known national parks and monuments out west that are on our bucket list. We’ve been to most of the big name ones at least once.

When we retire in a few years, we’re going to take time to RV out there and stay a while exploring. Long drive from VA, so might as well make it count after we’ve driven all that way.

Have you ever hiked on the Muir Trail? We stayed at Vermilion Valley (near Shaver Lake and Mono Hot Springs) a few years back. That was an interesting place with a harrowing drive to get to. It’s a popular “refueling” stop for hikers on the Muir Trail.

Yes, I know that bears can break into cars. When we were in Pate Valley there was one bear box but I think it was too small (there was at least one other group camping there).

I don't think I have been on any of the John Muir Trail but have hiked a few miles of the Pacific Crest Trail in Lassen NP, perhaps elsewhere. (We also went backpacking in the Sierra National Forest, between Yosemite and Kings Canyon NP, but I don't remember if we were actually on the PCT or just very close to it. Likewise when hiking near Lake Tahoe.)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.