YABP: Yet Another Bear Problem - Standing Indian Shelter

[Uncle Joe]

Just FYI: There has been some bear activity at Standing Indian Shelter. When I was there a couple of weeks ago a log entry noted a bear had made off with a backpack. Though we had no issue at all the night I was there, it sounds like the bear has been coming back. This was posted in Guthook a few days ago:
"Carolinahikes:
Was going to stop here till I checked the shelter log. BEAR activity for the last four nights. Bear was successful at getting several food bags and destroyed some gear. Nice shelter and surrounding area. Stay at your own risk. (5/21/18)"
I sent the ATC an email this morning and they responded that they were aware as was the USFS.

[ghostman74]

Ugh... this shelter is just... why? And what do we do to break the cycle? The standard “leave no trace” and “use a bear canister” advice seems to be either unheeded or ignored by backpackers or Bears alike. Don’t the bears understand that we really don’t want to interact with them?


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[BuckeyeBill]

Ugh... this shelter is just... why? And what do we do to break the cycle? The standard “leave no trace” and “use a bear canister” advice seems to be either unheeded or ignored by backpackers or Bears alike. Don’t the bears understand that we really don’t want to interact with them?


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You are kidding aren't you? The only way to successfully break the cycle would be end all hiking on the trail until a generation of bears passes. If the bears relate humans to food, they will continue to behave in this manner. After a generation of no human activity on the trail the bears will learn to forage on their own again. If humans would strictly adhere to leave no trace, it would help immensely. I am sure we have all seen people who don't really give a d**n about LNT, but how many people call them out on it? How much trash have we found in a fire pit or discarded along the trail? How many of us pick up this trash? I know I sound preachy but this is what we have to do on our part to break the cycle.

[ghostman74]

You are kidding aren't you?

Yeah, I was being a bit tongue in cheek.


The only way to successfully break the cycle would be end all hiking on the trail until a generation of bears passes. If the bears relate humans to food, they will continue to behave in this manner. After a generation of no human activity on the trail the bears will learn to forage on their own again. If humans would strictly adhere to leave no trace, it would help immensely. I am sure we have all seen people who don't really give a d**n about LNT, but how many people call them out on it? How much trash have we found in a fire pit or discarded along the trail? How many of us pick up this trash? I know I sound preachy but this is what we have to do on our part to break the cycle.

All good points, and couldn’t agree more. The one that I struggle with myself is hiking buddies that feel that burning their trash is the same as LNT. Depending on the trash it can be LNT, or not. Some trash, when burnt, still leaves the scent of burnt food. This keeps the cycle going with the bears as it keeps them thinking, “I know there is food here somewhere because I can smell it.”

This particular shelter has been problematic with bear activity for years. The shelter itself is pretty small and not in good shape. I’m wondering if the best solution would be to dismantle the shelter and build a new one further along the trail.

Hike On! (And LNT.)



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[Gambit McCrae]

Unfortunately here is my millennial generation addressing bear problems


https://youtu.be/nU5cMZymSr0

[rocketsocks]

Every time I see that video, I find myself pulling for the bear...every damn time!

[Uncle Joe]

This particular shelter has been problematic with bear activity for years. The shelter itself is pretty small and not in good shape. I’m wondering if the best solution would be to dismantle the shelter and build a new one further along the trail.
Hike On! (And LNT.)

I'm fairly new to hiking (past 2 years) but have been to this shelter twice and in this area a good bit the past year or so. This year is the first I've heard of bear activity there but certainly it has a history beyond my experience. I don't recall anything mentioned last year and I spent a good bit of time in that area. Just prior to hearing about this I met a couple of people on my hike up there who had just finished the Beech Creek Loop. They saw a lot of scat on that loop, one bear on their hike, and a bear or bears visited their site that nite and climbed the tree trying to get their bear bag. This was at Caseknife Gap which is very near the shelter and Deep Gap. BTW, according to the ATC response I got Deep Gap has seen activity too. Given the proximity of these three sites it could likely be the same bear.

As to the shape of that shelter, it is rather smallish but I found it to be in decent shape. Certainly not particularly worse than others I've seen. Not to be argumentative by any means. lol I'm just not sure it's a candidate for being torn down.

[Uncle Joe]

As another FYI:
Apparently there is a bear being "aggressive" in the vicinity of Addis Gap on Wildcat Road. I'm not sure what is meant by "aggressive." There are a number of USF campgrounds along that road so it's likely a bear is frequenting campsites and simply not leaving then attempts are made to scare it off. I'm not sure how many people use Addis Gap as a campsite but I know it's has flat areas for doing so and there is a water source down the double track that becomes Wildcat Road.

I wonder if the extended cold this year is simply making the bears more desperate to get a jump on their food gathering this year. It would make sense. They've been dormant a little longer than they;'re used to or even if they did come out to forage they likely found little food sources earlier in the Spring with extra cold and snow. Could make for some grumpy and hangry bears when things do start warming up, as we're seeing.

[ghostman74]

I wonder if the extended cold this year is simply making the bears more desperate to get a jump on their food gathering this year. It would make sense..

That was what the NFS Rangers told us.



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[glenlawson]

I'm going to suggest that this isn't as much a bear problem as a camper problem. I'll bet there are some garbage issues down in the Standing Indian FS campground and issues of campers leaving their coolers and food boxes out at time. I will also bet that as those campgrounds are filled up for Memorial Day, there are a lot fewer bears up on the AT and near the shelters.

You'll probably find few bears on Blood Mountain since bacon and hot dogs out of a camper cooler down in Vogel are much better than trail mix and a snickers bar. Same for the vicinity of Chattahoochee gap. We need to get the Forest Service and the state parks to start installing food boxes in campgrounds in order to protect the bears.

I remember when the bear problem was that we didn't see bears because they were so few. I'd hate to go back to that.

[daddytwosticks]

I have to agree with Uncle Joe about the Standing Indian shelter. It was in good shape when I stopped for a break about 4 weeks ago during my Standing Indian loop hike. It sleeps about 8 or 10 hikers. Typical Nantahala design. I've stayed there a few times in the past years with no problems. Never saw any indication of bear activity during my loop hike either. :)

[Malto]

Not yet another bear problem, it is yet another hiker problem. Between poor food habits, concentrated people at shelters and completely piss poor hangs or unattended packs and food it is no wonder there isn't more. How is a bear getting a pack? Carelessness.