a couple of years ago while hiking in the smokies i caught up with a
group which
had a dog off leash.  dogs are not allowed on the trail and these
folks were making
lots of noise and going verrrry slooowly.  i passed them and then
their dog passed
me.

about the time i was getting away from all their racket the dog came
running by me
just as i got to a very tight corner with a long dropoff on one side
and a vertical rock
face on the other.  i stepped into the corner just as mr. bear,
chasing the dog, came
into the same corner coming the other way.

now i don't know who was the more frightened, me or the bear.  we both
jumped
back and some sort of yelp.  he turned tail and ran while i stood and
shook... and
then went back and had a heart to heart with the dog owner.

so while a dog might warn you about a bear in your camp don't take
them on the
trail!

r

> On Thu, Aug 27, 2009 at 8:49 PM, Don Trowbridge <dontro@sti.net>
> wrote:
>
>> When camping out in the woods in your Vanagon Westy a whistle would
>> be better than bells.  Backpackers always have a whistle along while
>> in bear country.  A dog works to.  My neighbor always takes his dog
>> with him while hiking in our area. (Yes, we have bears) The dogs
>> name: Bear Bait!
>>
>> Don Trowbridge
>> '89 Westy Syncro
>> Oakhurst, Ca
>>
>>> ---- Original Message ----
>>> From: mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: Ultimate Camping List;
>>> Date: Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:30:00 -0600
>>>
>>>> "Some research has indicated that this is NOT a good thing as it
>>> makes them
>>>> curious and they come investigate."
>>>> Mark, tell them about the rest of that research .... the part where
>>> when the
>>>> bears die of natural causes, they do a post mortem and what they
>>> found in
>>>> their stomachs was bells.
>>>>
>>>> bob
>>>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Alan Felder
> Austin TX
> 82 Diesel Westy

I remain, as always
YrLyl&ObdntSrvnt,

r