Hi folks,

Just wanted to let you all know - I emailed Tom at Ursack today about the status for the Ursack in the 2009 season. He says they have a meeting with SIBBG on 02/27 to discuss. I am not getting my hopes up, but I wanted put something up before people go buy a can. He says he will post something on the website after the meeting.

Chris

nice, I am def crossing my fingers. Doing the JMT in August and would love to not carry a canister....

just a guess, but i'd say that they won't be allowed!

Edited by DaveT on 02/11/2009 14:20:29 MST.

prob right Dave, but my fingers are still crossed

Mine are crossed too. I sold my Ursack with aluminum liner last year, after I did the Sierra High Route the summer before. On that trip, it was pretty ridiculous to have to carry a bear cannister of any type, since it was all SNOW for most of the trip! I didn't feel like a bear was about to run up to me looking for M&Ms.



And there is nothing as demoralizing as putting a BearVault with 5 days of food in it into an otherwise ultralight backpack load. It feels like you are adding a block of granite.

how did you manage on the snow - did you use any footgear?

I can't imagine going barefoot....

Nah, Greg- He went BEARfoot... (groan...)

ooof. puns. the lowest form of comedy!

that trip started in mid june 2006, after the crazy late storms of that year. there was a lot of snow in the high country.

i wore vasque velocity shoes, and just wore socks or sometimes neoprene booties. feet were fine most of the time, though wet always, and cold sometimes. it was usually blue skies and sunny (love the sierra!). occasionally used Camp crampons early in the morning to ascend or descend steep hard snow, before it softened up. no mosquitoes, no people.

best trip ever! (though not easy)

Dave T, did you post a trip report?

Dave,

Do you think the Sierra High Route was easier or more difficult in the snow?

Now that this thread is totally hijacked, I'm rolling with it...
I can't ever seem to resist posting photos to compare my pictures with Dave T's.
Here's a dry year.
To keep somewhat on topic, I carried an Ursack w/ liner, it worked. I've since stopped using the liner.



- Klas

"March 5, 2009
There has been some movement in Ursack's lawsuit against federal officials. The parties and their lawyers met in San Francisco on February 27, 2009. Some progress was made, but at this time there is no determination if Ursack will be approved for use in Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks, or Inyo National Forest in 2009. All parties are continuing to work toward a prompt resolution."

Doesn't sound like much progress at all... methinks we'll see a Guantanamo resolution sooner...

In the meantime, my Ursack/liner are both enjoying early retirement inside my gear closet.

Thanks for the update, Chris - I've been waiting to hear on this, too.

Gotta love that cottage industry karma!