Many Bears in Carvers Gap to Walnut Mt Road?

[bus]

Just curious for two reasons; one being the recent bear events in the Neel Gap Blood Mtn. area and wondering how to store food if camping on a bald.

Reading the Neel Gap bear thread it seems that one learned to get into bearbags hung in trees and on cables. If bears are not that big of a deal in this section I will probably keep it with me in the tent. Most of what I eat will be freeze dried and vegetarian. Our group would likre to camp on one of the balds if weather permits, so, that would make it hard to hang food anyway.

Camping in Florida where racoons are notorious for stealling food I have hung food with good results but have also slept with my foo din the tent with no problem. Then again a racoon( rabid ones aside) are a bit less intimidating than a bear.

Thanks for helping this noob!

Troy

[just dad]

The following trail update is from the ATC website. I was a couple days behind the referenced hiker inside the tent and I read the note that he left attached to a tree. His note suggested that he will never use his food bag as a pillow again.

Bear activity at Watauga Lake and Vandeventer shelters
Two incidents at separate locations were recently reported by hikers. Watauga Lake Shelter: During the night on Aug. 11, a bear ripped into a tent near the shelter. There was food inside the tent. The hiker inside the tent was not injured. Vandeventer Shelter: In early August, a hiker's food bag was stolen by a bear. The bag was hung seven feet off the ground -- too low to reliably out of the reach of a bear. Food bags should be hung at least ten feet from the ground, and should also be at least six feet from any tree trunk and six feet down from the branch. See Health and Safety (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/healthandsafety#wildlife) for more info on wildlife safety and proper food storage.

[Cabin Fever]

Watauga Lake Shelter and Vandeventer Shelters are next to each other (few miles apart) and several miles (20+) from Walnut Mountain Road and 40+ from Hump Mountain, the nearest bald. Camping on the balds will not be a problem with regards to bears. However, I would hang my food for the 19E to Walnut Mountain Road section.

Another note...Don't park on Walnut Mountain Road. High vandalism area.