Explorer Posted September 9, 2018 Share Posted September 9, 2018 (edited) My last backpacking trip this year was to Kings Canyon NP in late August. Did the Rae Lakes loop (counterclockwise). This was not a BF research trip and thus I did not bring any audio recorder or thermal imager. Nonetheless, I always kept my eyes and ears open for BF evidence given that BF presence was detected in 1968 at Bullfrog Lake (a lake side trip from the main loop trail) per the BFRO report link below. http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=2876 This area of KC is beautiful and the Rae Lakes loop trail is so popular that permits are required and there is a quota limit. So many people go thru this area every summer, that if BF was still present, we would hear more about it. I saw 3 bears during 5 days. Mother and cub up the Bubbs Creek trail and another down Wood Creek trail. On this trip, I finally made the switch from using a Garmin GPS unit to my i-phone using the Gaia GPS app. The topo maps obtained with the Gaia GPS app are much better than the Garmin maps and the iphone GPS appears to be more accurate than Garmin (when I tested both together earlier this year). The disadvantage of using i-phone is the short battery life. But I bought an Anker battery pack that can provide 5 full charges to my iphone. Edited September 9, 2018 by Explorer 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC witness Posted September 9, 2018 Author Share Posted September 9, 2018 Thanks, Explorer, for those spectacular shots. I also appreciated the inclusion of the map and the elevation plot, they add depth to the report. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMort Posted September 10, 2018 Share Posted September 10, 2018 I enjoyed your shots as well, Explorer! I have been in that area many times, though I think at this point those days are over. If you want to get off the beaten path a little more in that neighborhood I would suggest upper Sixty Lakes Basin and over into Gardiner Basin. Don't know if you will encounter anything squatchy but I have seen more than a few of the elusive bighorn sheep there... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC witness Posted September 17, 2018 Author Share Posted September 17, 2018 I got over to the same mountain that I was at last weekend, for a 2 day deer hunt with an old friend. The only buck we saw was a spike, not legal to shoot, and at about 10:30 today a blizzard rolled in, and after a couple of hours, it was clear that we had to get out while we still could. Camp was at 6,600', and the road out is steep. So here's my first snow shot of the year, and a couple of others 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted September 17, 2018 Admin Share Posted September 17, 2018 Its cold here too. May have an early winter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pdub Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Great shots Explorer, beautiful country. Funny seeing snow as it’s been unseasonably warm here in MN. Last few days 90’s and humid but supposed to turn colder in a few days. Heading to the BWCA for last fishing/canoeing trip of the year this weekend. Looks like highs in the 50s and low 30s at night. Should be good fishing weather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatFoot Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Guy I work with is taking his two daughters and wife camping in their popup to Grand Tetons this weekend. "You taking bear spray?" "No." "And you don't carry right?" "No, don't own any guns." ....walks away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWWASAS Posted September 17, 2018 BFF Patron Share Posted September 17, 2018 (edited) 2 minutes ago, NatFoot said: Guy I work with is taking his two daughters and wife camping in their popup to Grand Tetons this weekend. "You taking bear spray?" "No." "And you don't carry right?" "No, don't own any guns." ....walks away. Had he heard about the guide getting killed by the bears? While I have issues with human killer wildlife, most of the time it is stupid humans that put themselves in danger and that results in the wildlife getting killed too. Sad for all. Edited September 17, 2018 by SWWASAS 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatFoot Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Just now, SWWASAS said: Had he heard about the guide getting killed by the bears? I'm about to show him, just saw it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWWASAS Posted September 17, 2018 BFF Patron Share Posted September 17, 2018 Like with the cougar kill, they still have the section of woods blocked off and any cougars left in the area will be killed. They were testing the cougar for DNA but the results were not known as if this morning. In the mean time any cougar in the area will be killed until they know they got the right one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatFoot Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Was there a cougar kill recently? He's going to Cabela's after work to get some decent bear spray tonight....was complaining that it was expensive and wanted to know if he could return it if he didn't use it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWWASAS Posted September 17, 2018 BFF Patron Share Posted September 17, 2018 Woman hiker just West of Mt Hood went missing a couple of weeks ago. Did not know what happened to her until they finally found her body and it showed signs of a cougar attack. She had not told anyone she was going hiking but they knew she was a hiker and finally someone found her car at the Zigzag trail head. Cougar had got her and dragged her away from the trail and her back pack. They sent out a hunter with dogs who got one cougar in the area but so far testing has not shown it to be the killer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norseman Posted September 17, 2018 Admin Share Posted September 17, 2018 2 hours ago, NatFoot said: Guy I work with is taking his two daughters and wife camping in their popup to Grand Tetons this weekend. "You taking bear spray?" "No." "And you don't carry right?" "No, don't own any guns." ....walks away. I know around Cooke city? Its hard shell camping ONLY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntster Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 1 hour ago, SWWASAS said: .........In the mean time any cougar in the area will be killed until they know they got the right one. A similar event occurred in Alaska with brown bears after a fatal attack: https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wildlife/2018/06/20/anchorage-police-responding-to-bear-mauling-in-eagle-river/ Authorities flew around and killed bears, and they made no bones about it. They openly said that they were going to kill bears until the got the right one. Pissed off a bunch of “sportsmen” and hunting guides who, I guess, think the bears belong to them. I suppose the authorities are supposed to arrest the bears, interrogate them, provide them with a lawyer, put them on the docket, and convict them of murder. http://www.ktva.com/story/38643053/biologists-kill-bear-suspected-in-eagle-river-maulings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatFoot Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 2 hours ago, norseman said: I know around Cooke city? Its hard shell camping ONLY. He said it was a bigger campground in the park. Surely he would've looked that up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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