Laurel Ridge Campsite is getting a bear box this spring. So is nearby Sages's Ravine. There was an incident late this fall were a camper at Sages had a bear claw into his (new) tent to get at food stored there. Before you jump in about Darwinsim in action, know that it took him nearly 20 minutes to chase the bear away, and he freely admits he did a stupid thing. Because the bear was persistant and not easily discouraged (perhaps habituated to viewing hikers as a food source) we will be installing the bear boxes. At present both sites are posted advising overnighters to hang their food. Once the snow melts (and the bears wake up) we will get these boxs installed. In the mean time make the effort to hang your food (and other stuff with interesting smells like soap and toothpaste) well away from your sleeping area.

Cosmo

Although not frequent, there are occasional bear encounters in this area. I've attended/worked at a summer camp about a mile from Bear Rock Falls and the AT and a black bear tried to get into the camp's dining hall. Laurel Ridge and Sages Ravine are beautiful places, but you should still take precauctions

Last summer a thruhiker named Hyde was followed for about 20 minutes by a black bear coming out of Sage's Ravine