Emily Post Would Not Be Happy

6/1/2013

Bethany took this photo on her way to Myrtle Point yesterday.

I first want to apologize to anyone who might get offended by this photo of bear scat. I thought it would be fun to share this and tell you what a conversation between crew members consists of. First off the crew comes in from their awesome hike out to Myrtle and the first thing they show me is a picture of this bear scat that is right in the middle of the trail. For those of you who hike during the warmer months, you know this is not unusual to find bear scat in the middle of the trail. Our conversation consisted of wondering why they choose the middle of trail. My answer was, they did not read the latest copy of Emily Post's Etiquette. I do not know if they can smell our scent and they are trying to mark their territory? If any of you are bear experts, we would love to hear your answer. With this post comes the usual bear warnings. We have not seen any in camp, but as you can see in the picture, they are out and about. They have been spotted around the shelter and the top of the mountain. Remember, do not leave your packs unattended. I figured this will be a great post to get the comments going. I am eager to read your theories. I will also leave you with another amazing sunset from last night. I thought that would be a better parting shot.

Tony Ga

6/1/2013 12:51:20 am

LOL! Comments should be interesting today. We got a picture of a pile from our hike to Mount Cammerer last fall. It was full of "red berries" and it was in the middle of the trail too. What was unnerving is that when we hiked in it wasn't there and on our way out we found 2 piles on the trail.

6/1/2013 12:53:07 am

Steve D, one more comment for you on yesterday's post.

Jeff

6/1/2013 12:52:16 am

Does a bear $#!+ in the woods?
Evidently the answer is NO

6/1/2013 12:55:12 am

We hike the trails, so we go in the woods, the bears live in the woods so they go on the trails.

6/1/2013 01:02:35 am

So it's like a revenge thing? : )

doug y

6/1/2013 12:53:16 am

I'm not a bear expert. I've encountered plenty of them throughout the years and for the most part they all seemed to want to avoid me, except for one instance when a bear with her two cubs stood her ground and at the time I thought she actually made a move toward where I was standing on the trail. I backed away as I had been taught, slowly, with arms raised. I don't remember if I was shouting or not to add to what I hoped was an intimidatiing appearance to the bear, but luckily I made it far enough away where I could turn and make a little faster pace ! Pepper, or bear, spray is something I only recently started carrying. A loud whistle is also recommended I believe, but I'll leave all the expert advice to those better educated and up-to-date. Allyson's advice was good.

Dan

6/1/2013 12:53:52 am

Excellent sunset picture. Can't help you on the bear poop but my kids think it's hilarious.

Tom B

6/1/2013 01:02:06 am

This answers the question " Does a bear #$@* in the woods"? The answer would be, not always.

Debi

6/1/2013 01:08:58 am

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one that takes a picture of bear poop. I took a picture of some right before the lodge on Alum trail last Aug 5th. I think they set back in the woods hoping someone will step on it so they can laugh at us. Yep, were easily amused. :)

Linda Goulder

6/1/2013 01:09:24 am

Well, I Googled the question didn't get much of an answer except that a bear poops wherever he wants to, usually after exercise or being startled by humans. Well he's certainly likely to be startled by humans on the trail. I would think the humans would be even more startled by him! Hmmmmmm

Gina

6/1/2013 01:43:55 am

Love the sunset photo! I wouldnt know bear shit from dog shit myself, LOL

6/1/2013 01:54:05 am

The SMELL is the difference!

6/1/2013 12:58:46 pm

and Jeff I aint gonna smell it, LOL

6/1/2013 05:38:22 am

LOL! It would be a Marine who used the "S" word first.

6/1/2013 12:58:11 pm

LOL, that's me, I think it and it comes out

Mark

6/1/2013 01:47:12 am

I have seen a lot of bear scat in my time while hunting them. I have never seen bear scat that was solid as is shown in the picture. It is always loose bowel that sticks together just enough to make a small pile. This may be some humans idea of a funny place to relieve themselves.

6/1/2013 01:57:17 am

Looks like this bear needs to re-hydrate

DannyH

6/1/2013 02:27:30 am

Constipated bear? Doesn't look like a normal bear patty

Larry O

6/1/2013 02:47:07 am

I think we have some bear poop experts, or maybe they just spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express.... lol

6/1/2013 05:39:33 am

Poopologist

6/1/2013 03:22:13 am

I once met a bear expert while hiking, he told me the way to keep bears away was to wear bells and eat cinnamon. On my way back a few hours later I saw what appeared to be fresh poop, I could tell it was from a bear because I saw several little bells and smelled cinnamon.

jean d

6/1/2013 03:39:34 am

The folks who frequent this blog site are a clever bunch.. I'm LOL today.

Once at Girl Scout camp at the area where Tremont is now, I had to use the latrine at night. None of my tent mates would go with me so I went alone. The next morning we found what appeared to be muddy bear paw prints on the side of the little outhouse. Our counselor told us to never go alone after that and that if anyone asked for a buddy to go, someone should get out of bed and go as asked. We often smelled bear (we think) It smelled a little like skunk and we assumed that bears often had encounters with skunks. Of course what we smelled could have really been skunks.

jay

6/1/2013 04:02:57 am

Are you sure that doesn't belong to BigFoot ?

mike klassen link

6/1/2013 04:15:54 am

most fun bear poop is in cades cove when they're feasting on wild cherries

1) bear spends most of afternoon in a cherry tree eating as many cherries as possible
2) crowd gathers around and under tree
3) bear starts down the tree and cuts loose a big ol' wild cherry splatter
4) watch the crowd

note for the "bear hunter":
bear poop is what the bear eats
all the bear poop you've ever seen is in bear season
there's other seasons and other things to eat

Kent

6/1/2013 04:25:22 am

Yeah, I wondered about that last July while descending the Husky Gap trail and came across a fairly fresh deposit of berry-laden bear poop right in the center of my path. I was coming around a blind curve at the time, and was rather glad my timing wasn't bad.

Perhaps they hide in the brush waiting for unsuspecting hikers to slip on the duty and do a butt-plant on the trail. It's not the worst way bears could amuse themselves, I suppose.

6/1/2013 04:32:56 am

Just looked at the pic again. Maybe a whole bear family thought this was the "place"

Meg W.

6/1/2013 04:51:03 am

Former LeConte Crew here. The *piles* I saw were softer. More Jabberwocky style... and purple - full of berries).

Glenn OH

6/1/2013 08:05:02 am

Thanks Allyson,Chris and Crew my wife and I had a great time last night, beautiful sunset and we got to see that rather large pile of scat on the way to the shelter ha ha and got my new Leconte t-shirt !!!

6/1/2013 09:39:45 am

Maybe the bear pooped on the trail because he didn't have a key to the latriine at the lodge !?

Steve D

6/1/2013 09:43:09 am

I don't know if I can quit laughing long enough to type! Hahaha!
Where else could you go and have this much fun? Nothing like a good discussion on bear POOP! There was a big pile on Alum today too when I hiked. Guess they are out for sure.

Brian N bama

6/1/2013 10:14:17 am

My youngest will get a kick out of the bear doing his "doody" as a bear and pooping on the trail. Hope to see y'all on the 4th of July.

RJnLA

6/1/2013 12:15:09 pm

PLEASE,PLEASE. CAN'T SOMEONE TALK ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF THE MOUNTAIN AND NOT ABOUT ALL THE ENCOUNTERS WITH POOP? PLEASE!!

6/1/2013 12:45:11 pm

Don't be a PARTY POOPER!!!

6/1/2013 01:01:20 pm

Good one Larry

6/1/2013 01:59:08 pm

YEAH YOU GOT ME LARRY O. I GUESS I HAD THAT ONE COMING. ANYWAY, I'M ALL POOPED OUT AND CALLING IT A NIGHT

6/1/2013 03:45:21 pm

RJnLA, good come back, glad to see that you have a sense of humor, and you are right, it is a beautiful mountain and my favorite hiking destination.

Tampa Deb

6/1/2013 02:46:55 pm

My first thought as many of you have stated, was, what was that animal eating? Bears don't eat hay or straw. Hummm.

CBabb

6/2/2013 01:50:44 am

I love poop! Thanks.

Dd//Mich.

6/2/2013 06:16:05 am

On one of my trips up I encountered this very same; a HuGe pile smack in the center of the trail - and all that I initially thought was; " Gross! What kind of a dude would DO such a thing??" (Sorry men) then I saw the orange berries in it and figured it out :).

Dar

6/3/2013 03:22:14 am

this time of year my cows can poop through a screen door, but like already said, the consistency of "it" all depends on what they are eating.

I would think your hearing would get a little more sensitive after seeing that in the trail.

Antonio

6/3/2013 07:06:59 am

Our time lapse video on the top from Saturday midday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMZ7z1tnX7g

Susan S NC

6/4/2013 12:42:15 pm

Saw the pile first hand. Despite the seeing several piles during the day, it was great to be on the mountain.

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Emily Post Would Not Be Happy

LeConte Lodge

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