Nantahala AT Hike - Bear Activity Report/Hammock Suspension

[Sweeper]

I just returned from a Memorial Day weekend hike from Rock Gap to Standing Indian in NC. Trail conditions were excellent with plenty of water, but there were several reports of bear activity each day. I have enclosed a trip report from one of our group to the Nantahala Forest Service folks and also to the GATC.

On a positive note, I used the "new" (to me) ring buckle system on my HH and can report that it worked as advertised. My thanks to the many people on this forum that have spent hours refining the procedure and equipment. I did notice that the extra heavy duty spectra line is difficult to work with when wet, and will take the plunge and remove it in favor of webbing straps. We had heavy rains on two of the three nights on trail this time. Between my Python skins and drip lines, I no problems with water in the hammock. I will be upgrading to a cat shaped tarp at some point, as we had high winds and the coverage of my Speer 8x10 was just a tad short of what I was looking for. All in all, however, they were the best nights of sleeping on the trail I've had in probably 10 years. Thanks again to all!

Bear Activity:

I just returned from a backpacking trip along the Appalachian Trail in the Standing Indian area. Now that I am back home in Atlanta, I wanted to be sure that the Forest Service and the Nantahala Hiking Club are aware of the current bear activity along that section of the Trail. Before leaving for my trip last Friday (May 22), I called the Franklin office of the Forest Service and was told that there had been no reports of bear activity, so I hope that this information will be useful.

There have been numerous bear problems during the past week. I feel fortunate that I cannot give you first-hand reports, but I encouraged other backpackers who personally observed the bear activity to also inform the Forest Service. However, several of them are through-hiking, and may not get the opportunity to do so.

At least one bear, with no fear of humans, has been pulling bear bag ropes down and getting food. This was reported at Carter Gap on Wed. May 20th, on the summit of Standing Indian Mountain on Fri. May 22nd, and at Beech Gap on Sat. May 23rd. We ended our trip on Sunday, so I don't have any news from that night. I talked to people who personally experienced the more recent of the two events when I met them on the trail on the mornings after.

I spoke for a more lengthy time with a dad out with his two young children about the Beech Gap incident. They had a bear canister which now has teeth marks in it, but they also watched from their tent as the bear climbed up in a tree and clawed and chewed on the cord on which another group had their food suspended. The bear was unsuccessful in getting the food that night, but then went right up to the other people's tent and nosed around it. The young woman inside the tent said that she saw scars on the face of the bear when she peeked out and found herself face to face with it no more than three feet in front of her. The bear also brushed up against the tent as it nosed around.

In all my 30+ years of backpacking in north GA and in the Nantahala, I have never been worried about bears, but having one that is not fearful of humans and able to associate ropes with food was quite worrisome.

[BillyBob58]

That sounds a bit risky! I wonder if that bear needs a dose of bear spray in the face, or if that would make it more aggressive? I would probably want a gun for backup before doing this. A bear nosing into an occupied tent is a dangerous thing. This bear needs to be dealt with before some one gets hurt.

I have not forgotten the bear killing one child and mauling another at a NC swimming hole a few years back, or the bear killing a woman on a SMNP trail while her man was in the creek fishing, also in recent years. Both of those southern Appalachian killings ( as opposed to less serious maulings) were predation, if memory serves. Another was an 11 year old in Utah, dragged from his tent and killed by a black bear, just a year or two ago.

[DougTheElder]

I had a near-bear encounter a couple of years ago on the AT at Standing Indian Mt. A squeaky-voiced solo-hiking woman with a handful of rocks and a desperate scream kept the bear at bay on three approaches to the shelter while I slept peacefully 100 yds away. Just goes to show that what you don't know won't hurt you.

[MintakaCat]

I was also up there this past weekend, just north of Albert Mountain. Saturday's weather was just great and the light rain that came in Saturday night wasn't too bad.

But as to seeing any bears, I didn't see any where I was at. It's good to know if there is any bear activity in the area.

By the way, did you run into that group of high school seniors that were out on some kind of senior survival hike? We talked to one of the counselors of the hike and he was pretty cool. I think his name was Arron. They were headed to Standing Indian Mountain.

[sbdrbyman_212]

Im so glad I am going hiking up there in a few weeks. Thanks for the heads up. Im hoping to get my first hammock in time for the hike.

[nighthawk156]

Ill be at Standing Indian in a few weeks. Im starting there and heading NB to the Natahala.

[Sweeper]

MintakaCat - we ran into a bunch of folks that weekend, we may have seen the High Schoolers on Sunday afternoon...if so there was a HERD of them, lol.

As far as the bear, we think it was the same one that was basically moving east from Gap to Gap each day and hitting the campers at night. The FS replied to us this morning thanking us for the info and saying they were going to look into it.

The funniest thing that happened was at Carter Gap when a couple of the guys did an elaborate bear bag hang and then after it rained couldn't get the bag down. Since they surrounded the food with a couple trash bags, they had to rig a long spear with a hiking pole and a long stick with a knife taped to the end to get their food. Doing all of this during a heavy rain. Naturally, they won't live it down, and the one that did the hang just completed his thru-hike last year, so experience doesn't count for much . The bad part of all of it was that they had to leave the line and bags hanging. Based on what I saw, they weren't the first to have that problem there!

[east_stingray]

That sounds a bit risky! I wonder if that bear needs a dose of bear spray in the face, or if that would make it more aggressive? I would probably want a gun for backup before doing this. A bear nosing into an occupied tent is a dangerous thing. This bear needs to be dealt with before some one gets hurt.

I have not forgotten the bear killing one child and mauling another at a NC swimming hole a few years back, or the bear killing a woman on a SMNP trail while her man was in the creek fishing, also in recent years. Both of those southern Appalachian killings ( as opposed to less serious maulings) were predation, if memory serves. Another was an 11 year old in Utah, dragged from his tent and killed by a black bear, just a year or two ago.

Be careful to check the rules and boundaries if you're going to carry. I always carry when I'm out... mainly because I go by myself. I'm not so worried about bears as two-legged critters.

If you are legally allowed to carry in the state the park is in, and if it is Forest Service controlled, it's perfectly fine. If it's National Park Service, it was fine for a few months after Bush, then a court injunction made it illegal again. NPS carry was just signed into law as part of the new credit card regulations bill, but it doesn't take effect until February, so between now and then it is illegal.

Just want to make sure you were up to date on the recent back-and-forth with the laws if you're planning on carrying... getting caught up in the legal system would not be fun.

[MacEntyre]

Carrying discretely without anyone's knowledge is better than not carrying and getting mauled by a bear.