Sometimes I feel I over-research stuff, but here goes...
Our original purpose for getting our first-ever RV was because we wanted to visit as many national parks and monuments as was possible, upon retirement. We determined that RVing was the best way to do this.
In 2017, we hope to visit the Grand Canyon, do the Tetons, as well as Yosemite and Yellowstone. So, the research has begun. I found a book, "Death in Yellowstone". I thought this book would help prepare us to enjoy a safe trip.
The advice about bears was very helpful. I am definitely going to buy bear spray. Yodeling lessons might be helpful too.
About the rest of the book, if I am not male and therefore don't stand up in a small fishing boat when I catch a fish, my chances of making it out alive increase. Also, no midnight strolls through the geysers and hot springs without a flashlight will increase my odds of survival. In fact, just being female and not getting drunk in Yellowstone greatly improve the odds.
So, if you want to know how to survive Yellowstone, then this might be the book for you.
Remember what Cousteau said about diving: "When you enter the ocean, you enter the food chain. And not at the top."
The same applies to bear country.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2010/11/amateur-photographer-captures-grizzly-bear-chasing-bison-down-highway
don't forget this...if you haven't already seen it...ouch
leslie:
I have been to all of the National Parks that you mentioned, often multiple times. With regard to bear safety, your CL will protect you (tents or tent campers are not allowed in some areas of Yellowstone). Also take sensible precautions about leaving food outside. Talk and make noise while hiking remote trails.
Specifics on each NP;
Yosimite- Yosimite Valley is a zoo. You have to take a bus to get around the valley. There are remote campgrounds that will be much quieter. One we like is up on a plateau overlooking the valley.
Yellowstone- Pick a campground near where you are entering from or one of the central ones and drive around to the sights.
Grand Canyon- The south rim is nice, but the north rim is special- quiet, somewhat remote and higher and cooler. We once got near there late in the day in mid May and tent camped in a USFS to the north. We had snow on the tent in the morning. We drove into the park early and the scenery was magnificently snow covered. We had breakfast at the lodge that overlooks the GC and at first it was disappointing- covered with fog. Then about a half an hour later, the fog lifted and the canyon was revealed. Magical!!!
Also don't miss Sedona, Az to the south. There are a couple of USFS campgrounds along the river to the north of Sedona. Sedona has a magical/mystical feel to it.
Grand Teton- Somewhat of a disappointment. The campground that is lakeside is nice. Jackson Hole is a bit of a western hoot, but mostly contrived for tourists.
David
I found this for Leslie, [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5cMZymSr0"]how NOT to deal with a bear[/a].
[quote source="/post/17578/thread" author="@pinstriper" timestamp="1452265809"]I found this for Leslie, [a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU5cMZymSr0"]how NOT to deal with a bear[/a].
[/quote]I watched that video carefully and two things came to mind: One is that the bear seemed habituated, that is, unafraid of humans. There is no more dangerous bear than a habituated bear. Two is that the young woman was using her bear spray improperly, although it's completely understandable. She was too far away. You could see the wind taking it.
That bear has been in that camp before and scored, so it keeps returning. The young woman had just hauled her gear inside a cabin but there may have been some food odor on the boat, and bears have "bionic" noses.
Good bear spray (and it must be specific to bears, not the kind you carry in the city for personal defense) has a pretty limited range. A Yellowstone ranger told me that even rangers tended to spray when the bear was too far away---more than 30'---and the situation worsened if there was a wind. She said that unless the bear gets a solid faceful of concentrated capsaicin, bears can actually develop a tolerance, and even a taste for pepper!
Leslie, there's good general advice here. Don't be fearful, just be careful. Best practice is to store all food and anything with an odor (even deodorant and hand lotion) in a bearproof if provided. Otherwise it should be inside the locked trailer or a locked car with all windows up. It helps to tarp things in the car as well since bears know all too well what coolers look like, and if they see or smell something they want they can open a car like a can. :)
100% right Chuck, and the way she was whining, I was rooting for the bear.
I always take too many photos:
Took photos of the mama bear & cub at Many Glacier Park MT and the sign just outside of Yellowstone Park WY!
[a href="http://s657.photobucket.com/user/vstromklr/media/2015%20Camping%20Trip/IMG_8395_zpsfgek98xk.jpg.html"]
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2015%20Camping%20Trip/IMG_8395_zpsfgek98xk.jpg)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/Camping%202014/IMG_4587_zps6e46c778.jpg)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2015%20Camping%20Trip/IMG_8394_zpsubh1wkaq.jpg)
I told my husband that if we see a bear, he should hold the bear off until I can bring help!
I have a Pelican Pro cooler. They are bear proof + hold ice for seven to ten days. An excellent piece of gear. It is a great supplement to the small -not so mighty- fridge we have in our small but mighty Camplite 11FDB.
Here's a youtube video of a Pelican Cooler in a bear attack:
[video src="https://youtu.be/B0iChz6bDcQ" size="large"][/video]
PEIslander,
Good score! I'm a big fan of the pelican coolers for the their toughness and resistance to unwanted dinner guests...also like like these for same qualities:
http://yeticoolers.com
Both brands are a bit pricey out the door, but like the CL, they are a forever purchase...
P.S. Click on the video, I think Yeti captures the spirit of a lot of the folks on here! Including the bear lovers (or not)!
P.P.S. RideandFly - fantastic pic of the Bison! - mad skills with the camera!!
We have two 35Q Engle coolers and no refrigerator in the CampLite. This video shows brand X cooler and Engle cooler demonstration:
https://youtu.be/2IfmtqCbOIc
Leslie, we have camped in Yellowstone 2 times. Once tent camping and once in our camper. Absolutely no problems with bears! You are making way too much of this. Bears are just as scared of you as you are of them. Go have fun and take it as it comes.
The majority of wildlife photos taken while driving our pickup!
Here's a shot of the Tetons:
[a href="http://s657.photobucket.com/user/vstromklr/media/Camping%202014/IMG_4590_zps9ce7f914.jpg.html"]
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/Camping%202014/IMG_4590_zps9ce7f914.jpg)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/Camping%202014/IMG_4462_zps626644e0.jpg)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/Camping%202014/IMG_4357_zpsbfdb39fc.jpg)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2015%20Camping%20Trip/IMG_1147_zpsqojfzbfh.jpg)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2015%20Camping%20Trip/IMG_0756_zpshwes7erp.jpg)
(http://i657.photobucket.com/albums/uu299/vstromklr/2015%20Camping%20Trip/IMG_1047_zpsbzbssboc.jpg)
[quote timestamp="1452384271" source="/post/17610/thread" author="@ammobob"]Leslie, we have camped in Yellowstone 2 times. Once tent camping and once in our camper. Absolutely no problems with bears! You are making way too much of this. Bears are just as scared of you as you are of them. Go have fun and take it as it comes.[/quote]Tent campers are the soft taco of a bear's world.
Actually, I started this thread for a duscussion of all the factors that come into play for a safe trip to our national parks, but everybody latched onto the bears, which are not exactly insignificant. However, after reading the comments here, I did not know bears would find toothpaste tasty and have to take precautions.
More people seem to die from stupid actvities, particularly walks after dark without a flashlight. Getting drunk all by itself is a risk factor. Getting drunk while camping near a cliff, well, you can imagine.
There are several books about death in particular national parks. Only this one is available on Kindle. I am not going to accumulate a library in my camper of physical books. It has to be on Kindle, or forget it. Hasn't anyone else read any of these books on death in national parks?
[quote source="/post/17616/thread" timestamp="1452391868" author="@leslie"]Actually, I started this thread for a duscussion of all the factors that come into play for a safe trip to our national parks, but everybody latched onto the bears, which are not exactly insignificant. However, after reading the comments here, I did not know bears would find toothpaste tasty and have to take precautions.
More people seem to die from stupid actvities, particularly walks after dark without a flashlight. Getting drunk all by itself is a risk factor. Getting drunk while camping near a cliff, well, you can imagine.
There are several books about death in particular national parks. Only this one is available on Kindle. I am not going to accumulate a library in my camper of physical books. It has to be on Kindle, or forget it. Hasn't anyone else read any of these books on death in national parks?[/quote]You are absolutely right! I missed your point completely! I looked up common causes of deaths in national parks and found this useful graph: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/What-are-the-top-causes-of-death-in-national-6449157.php#photo-8478849
So the principal cause is drowning, followed by vehicle accidents and falls. Note that bear attacks and "other wildlife" are at the bottom, and the statistics cover a 6 year period. So yer right: don't stand up in boats or goof around at the top of waterfalls and the NP System is probably survivable. (rofl) (And I never drink so there's that.)
I got thinking about "other wildlife" and remember an incident in Yosemite years ago. There has been a herd of mule deer on the valley floor forever, all deeply habituated to humans who feed the little flea-and-tick infested brown-eyed Bambis copiously despite it being strictly forbidden. A young dad held his toddler daughter up to an equally young mule deer so they were nose-to-nose, "for a picture" of course; something spooked the deer, which spun around and bolted, kicking the child in the head, killing her. That is more rare than bear attack, but there is a reason why the NP's want you to stay away from the wildlife.
[quote timestamp="1452539690" source="/post/17661/thread" author="@chuck893"][quote source="/post/17616/thread" author="@leslie" timestamp="1452391868"]Actually, I started this thread for a duscussion of all the factors that come into play for a safe trip to our national parks, but everybody latched onto the bears, which are not exactly insignificant. However, after reading the comments here, I did not know bears would find toothpaste tasty and have to take precautions.
More people seem to die from stupid actvities, particularly walks after dark without a flashlight. Getting drunk all by itself is a risk factor. Getting drunk while camping near a cliff, well, you can imagine.
There are several books about death in particular national parks. Only this one is available on Kindle. I am not going to accumulate a library in my camper of physical books. It has to be on Kindle, or forget it. Hasn't anyone else read any of these books on death in national parks?[/quote]You are absolutely right! I missed your point completely! I looked up common causes of deaths in national parks and found this useful graph: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/What-are-the-top-causes-of-death-in-national-6449157.php#photo-8478849
So the principal cause is drowning, followed by vehicle accidents and falls. Note that bear attacks and "other wildlife" are at the bottom, and the statistics cover a 6 year period. So yer right: don't stand up in boats or goof around at the top of waterfalls and the NP System is probably survivable. (rofl) (And I never drink so there's that.)
I got thinking about "other wildlife" and remember an incident in Yosemite years ago. There has been a herd of mule deer on the valley floor forever, all deeply habituated to humans who feed the little flea-and-tick infested brown-eyed Bambis copiously despite it being strictly forbidden. A young dad held his toddler daughter up to an equally young mule deer so they were nose-to-nose, "for a picture" of course; something spooked the deer, which spun around and bolted, kicking the child in the head, killing her. That is more rare than bear attack, but there is a reason why the NP's want you to stay away from the wildlife.
[/quote]That shouldn't be attributed to "other wildlife". That should be "death by stupid".
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-deer-vs-dog-video-goes-viral-on-youtube-1.945346
pets & wildlife don't mix either...apologies in advance for all you dog lovers...
A few years ago in Cape Breton Highlands National Park (Nova Scotia, Canada) a hiker was attacked & killed by a coyote. Coyotes aren't indigenous to most (or all?) of Canada but as they've moved in some have been hybridized with wolves resulting in coyotes that are considerably more aggressive than the typical American ones. They are likely hungrier here too...
The wolf/coyote hybrid is becoming an increasing problem here in NC. There is essentially an open season on coyotes but as they inter breed with the wolf population it creates a very dangerous hybrid with a grey area in regards to hunting.
Leslie dont worry about the bears... just make sure you can out run hubby.......
Fishing buddy of mine just reported a recent (2 weeks) sighting of bear tracks along the Wilson River. Not to worry, that must be a good 50 miles away from Ft. Stevens. That bear would have to cover like 300 yards a day to reach the park by late July.
Hello,
Enjoying the great out doors in Alberta we tend to see allot of bears. Kinda goes with the territory. When out hiking we always carry bear spray and will consider using flares and whistlers. Even at our camping spot a bear spray is always within reach. The flares and whistlers are small cartridges that are shot using a spring loaded pen like device. Some like using bear bangers, we generally do not like them as some grizzlies have been conditioned to the sound of gunshots. Generally means that there could be an easy meal. Sorry, but I don't like ringing the dinner bell! Also, if you are going to use them you must be aware of the wind, your location and the bear. Some instances you do not want to use them at all. National Parks these devices are not permitted. Bear spray is the best, as long as you know how to deploy and use it effectively.
Our last bear encounter occurred while we were sitting having a snack when two young juvenile grizzlies came out of the woods about fifty yards from us. When these two eventually figured out we were around they stood up and looked directly at us. Man they were big! The bear spray defiantly came out with the safeties removed. We eventually continued on our way but I could have sworn they came around and were following us from behind. We fired off a few flares and whistlers just to make sure.
Really the only wildlife that we are uncomfortable with are moose. They are just plain nasty.
Enjoy!
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Bear spray <<< .44 Remington Magnum
Defense in layers.
Pinstriper,
That was very funny and unexpected. I had to look up what a .44 Remington Magnum was. That would surely perform the task at hand.
I think it would leave one heck of a mess!
Still laughing! Bravo.