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Status: R

Sounds like a great hike. Bears are becoming more numerous in Washington
since hound hunting and baiting were abolished. Any bear with cubs is a
female. The males are strictly solitary. It's a good idea to let bears
know you're there before they get too close, especially the ones with
cubs. They don't appreciate surprises but will leave immediately unless
they're habituated to raiding camp sites. Black bears in Alaska cause
more injuries and deaths than grizzly and brown bears. If you want to
avoid confrontations in bear country forget about bells on packs and
rattling pebbles in a can, etc. I tried an experiment to see how far such
sounds carry in the woods, although I don't hear as well as a bear, of
course. Not far. Although it's unesthetic, the only thing that really
works is a police whistle.
In Alaska I also carry police-sized pepper spray (illegal in Canada and
CA) but have never had to use it. If you want to see some beautiful
cinnamon (blond) bears go to the foothills of the Blue Mountains east of
Walla Walla; they are gorgeous. Some good birds there, too.
-----Herb Curl