Smoking in Grizzly Backcountry: Concerns

[claypipesarchaeologist]

So, my husband and I were planning to do some backpacking in the Sierras this summer, but have decided to backpack in Glacier National Park for two weeks and sport climb in the Tetons for a week after that.
I'll be honest, I don't mind black bear, but grizz scare me. We first backpacked in Glacier three years ago. Even though we didn't see any grizz then, and we are far more bear safe now, I find myself with a sense of mortality that I did not have three years ago.
We want to smoke in the backcountry, but we don't want to lead a bear into our tent because we carried a smoky smell in with our hair or clothes. The only solution I can think for this is to smoke naked and rinse off in the river after. I have no problem smoking naked, but jumping into a river or lake of glacial melt to wash off sounds horrible.
Has anyone smoked in grizzly country, while camping or backpacking, for a fair period of time? Did you encounter any problems?
Nice photo from our last trip:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pk2KnbuDlZA/ToPhwyxrW4I/AAAAAAAAAGc/d0Ik8FGLB0I/s1600/058.JPG

 

[lonestar]

Fantastic picture!

 

[numbersix]

Sounds like an amazing trip. I am no Grizzly expert of course, but I recall reading a story of a hiker who happened upon a person that was attacked by what he believed was a Grizzly - still breathing but unconscious.
The hiker decided to run for help - after only a short distance, he decided to turn around and put his jacket over the person to help keep him warm. When he returned the body had already been dragged off.
Scary.
I would investigate and inquire with the Park service. My hunch would be that the smoke would keep the bears away. The worst thing you want to do is to surprise a Grizzly and the smoke should give it plenty of warning that you're there.
But on the other hand...

 

[papipeguy]

Avoiding Vermont Meat Candy would also be a good idea.

 

[daimyo]

I grew up in Alaska and spent quite a bit of time in Montana bear country. I would not worry about it. First off, the bear has a better sense of smell and they are unlikely to confuse burning leaves with food. They are after the smell of flesh, decay, berries, fish etc. not the smell of smoke. If they were attracted to smoke then your campfires would bring them close. In my experience, anything they associate with humans besides food is usually a deterrent. The easiest way to avoid bears is to make your presence known. The odd exception might be a bear that has become a dumpster diver and is no longer put off by the presence of people but that type of bear will nose through your campsite with no provocation regardless.

 

[claypipesarchaeologist]

rsuninv: Andy ran track in high school, so I guess I'm as good as dead.
numbersix: The good ol' "ask a ranger" is a fine idea. I'll make a phone call.
Everyone else: I get the picture. Don't smoke anything with the word "meat" or meat type words in it. Thanks.

 

[simnettpratt]

daimyo has it. Hey archy, I had a pet bear for a while. He was an orphan, and little, and he was black, though I'm not sure he was a black bear. He was really cool. He was super loyal, super fast, and super strong. I have no doubt he could have chomped either of my legs in two any time he wanted, but he just wanted to play. Letting him out of his cage meant wrestling. Thing was, he was keeping score, and every time you scored a point, he would escalate. Play always ended with you being a little bloody and bruised up, but he was really sweet, very loyal. I have no doubt he would have given his life to save me if he needed to.
I don't have any history with grizzlies. I would say they will be way stronger, and way faster than you're imagining. Pow! Chomp! But they're not trying to kill you; that's what big cats do. I think daimyo has it, make your presence known. If you *do* encounter one, he will know that you're the man and he's the bear, you can communicate with him. Back off if you need to, but he's reasonable. Big cats, they're fucking crazy, and you're in a fight for your life. Bears are sweet and loyal, but way faster and stronger than you're thinking.

 

[theediabeticman]

HAHAHA

No Honey Blends would probably be best...or Trout Stream

 

[claypipesarchaeologist]

daimyo: Thank you. That is reassuring.
rsuninv: :rofl: I'll have my lawyer edit my Last Will and Testament, posthaste.
simnettpratt: As far as my research indicates, grizzlies are not nearly as predictable or "reasonable" as black bear. That's a great little story, though
:laughat:Honey blends! Didn't think of that

 

[daimyo]

One thing to keep in mind is that bear fears are a lot like airplane fears, nothing is likely to happen. For each horror story you hear, several hundred people have seen bears, both parties left one another alone and went on their way. Grizzlies are omnivores and we are several times their desired prey size. They are not looking for a challenging meal in general and rarely hunt for larger game. The only real danger is if they are angry, afraid or feel challenged. Or if you happen to be in their fishing spot with a bunch of fish in a basket or what have you. My great grandma lived where one of the national parks dropped their problem bears if they had to be removed from the park. In her 90's she was still scaring off any bear that came around with yelling and a stick. I never saw a single bear mess with that old woman and her stick. I can only assume they knew better. So while it's good to be cautious and smart, the fear is mostly unfounded. Rest easy. :wink:

 

[conlejm]

Pretty sure bears like to have a good smoke now and again. Offer it a seat by the fire, a drink, and a nice pipeful of some choice tobacco. You should be fine.

 

[claypipesarchaeologist]

ae1pt: I think the ranger might tell me not to smoke because it "could cause a fire." So, I'll be asking that question over the phone The rangers up there mean business. They even carry semi automatic assault rifles in the cars.
conlejm: Awww That is both beautiful and cute.
I guess my main concern is tobacco smoke calling to a bear in a similar fashion as a campfire. We don't usually have campfires when we backpack due to restrictions and exhaustion, so this would be a new risk for us.

 

[7ach]

I was in the grand tenons last summer backpacking for a week. Smoked my pipe every night after dinner and had no bear encounters. We noticed "evidence" of nightly visitors but had no trouble.

 

[7ach]

Ps. For what it's worth I did leave my pipe and tobacco with my food in the bear vault.

 

[claypipesarchaeologist]

Good to note! And hell yeah, that stuff is going in the bear vault at developed campgrounds and strung up with the rest of our stuff in the backcountry.

 

[kanada]

Bears are drawn to all types of unknown scents. Up here(alberta rockies) when I go hiking I keep anything that has a scent in a bear locker and away from my tent site. Deodorant is one that a lot of people forget to get out of tents. Anything that may smell should be locked up when you're sleeping or not around. If you are out and about and active I would not worry about it, but overall bear safety is a good thing to keep in mind at all times

 

[daimyo]

44 Magnum is not sufficient to consistently penetrate a Grizzly skull, especially in a front face shot where the curvature often deflects bullets up and over the skull. Here in Alaska, we recommend no less than a 454 Casull. I have never had to shoot a bear in defense but it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

[kanada]

I am a fan of guns, but if you're going into the back country a lot times you are looking to save weight and gun may not be feasible. Common sense goes a long way in most situations

 

[hiplainsdrifter]

I have carried both, including both at the same time, but if I had to choose I would rather have bear spray than a gun for bear defense. I mostly carry a gun when backpacking to protect women I am with from two-legged varmints. Be sure to respect fire bans if they are in place, which would include smoking. I would be much more worried about smoking in windy, dry conditions than I would be about attracting bears with my stanky tobacco breath.

 

[dochudson]

do you already have your back country permits?

Backcountry Camping