Greetings all! In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be heading up to the Adirondack High Peaks, and I’m curious about bear activity. I’m thinking of hiking a couple miles into the region, setting up a base camp and doing several hikes in the subsequent days. Where do you recommend setting up basecamp?
Bear-ly Curious
Lake Colden, Flowed Lands, and Marcy Dam are all good locations with lots of options to setup base camp. I believe bear canisters are now required in these areas (eastern high peak section).
alphabet
Years ago I was doing a few days of hiking in the High Peaks region by setting up base camps and hiking a couple of days from the camp. The first night in the MT Dix area I stayed in a lean-to and a bear came right in the lean-to during the night looking for food. After we chased him out and emptied our underwear we could hear him/her rooting around the shelter all night. After that we hung our entire packs from trees and camped away from shelters. That was 20 years ago. I can only imagine that the bears are more habituated and agressive now.
Big B
I was in the High Peaks region a few weeks ago, and the ranger mentioned they were about to start enforcing bear canisters for all overnighters in the area. He said it wasn’t as bad as what is seen in the Sierras, but it was becoming policy anyhow. The Mountaineer in Keene Valley sells the newer Bearvault, the best canister from what I can tell. But I’m not sure about rentals. I’m sure someone does.
Enjoy!
Cap’n
EMS in Lake Placid rents bear canisters … and so does the ADK at the Loj.
Bear canisters are required for overnights in the High Peaks Wilderness area (started July 5th).
You can also set up a base camp at Johns Brook Lodge (access from Keene Valley via the Garden).
kevinc
I just returned from 6 weeks in the ADK’s. The berry crop is poor so far this year. The bears are very very active this summer. On of my staff and her hiking group had their food “bearnapped” up by Avalanche Pass. She did hang it but used a very small tree on one side and it (the tree) was actully pulled down.
The camp that I was at had bear running thru it every night.
Hammock Hanger