Bearproof backpacking

Forget slinging sacks of grub over a branch. Bears in Yosemite National Park are wily, rangers say, and only bearproof containers can keep their paws out of your dinner.

Last week, the park enlarged the zones where bear canisters are mandatory, including within seven miles of roads instead of four. (For a map: www.nps.gov/yose/wilderness/bfoodstoragem.htm.)This covers about 80% of Yosemite, which recorded 390 bear incidents last year and 38 this year. Failure to use one of five approved drum-like cans in these areas could lead to fines of as much as $250.

The park rents canisters for $5 a night; they retail for about $60. Although the canisters are bulky and hinder packing, says Bill Schneider, author of two books about bears and hiking, they’re “kind of like seat belts. Some people don’t like wearing them, but they save lives.”

Ranger Deb Schweizer says the move is a response to more hikers in Yosemite’s less-populated areas. Researchers also suspect bears may learn how to swipe chow in the backcountry. The pickpockets then edge closer to the roads and become full-fledged food robbers.

-- Ashley Powers