North South Lake Question

[QueenBmaster]

Well, we finally booked our site for June  1st, Loop 3, site 79. I hope it's a good one. It is our first time camping in the Catskills. My question is, how are the bears at North lake? At a select few in the Adirondacks, you have to keep everything locked right up, including the daylight hrs, Golden Beach in particular. The Bears were not at all timid about coming into the sites in the middle of the day. If you didn't keep your coolers in your vehicle or away in your camper, when not on your site, you faced possibly being asked to leave.  We will be camping in tents, so we won't be able to stash a cooler there, when not on site. Will we be ok, in stashing the coolers, covered with a wooden box, while off doing activites during the day, or should we load them on the truck and haul them with us, (what a pain that will be).  Just want to know ahead of time, so we can plan accordingly. Thanks.

Becky

[dademt]

I would treat this area like any other area with bears and assume they will come in.  I have never seen a wood box stop a bear from food.  You really should have it in your vehicle to "seal" the smell so the bears will not bother it.  The only other choice it the hang your food from a tree limb but that is only if you are going to transfer everything to a sack.  Hopefully this helps.

[QueenBmaster]

I think you miss understood. The food totes will be the rubber storage totes, we have wooden crates, that we were going to put over them to disquise them and the coolers, because the Bears know that coolers mean food. We plan on locking them in the truck at night, of course, just don't want to have to lug them around during the day, especially when parking along 23A parking lot while we hike to see the falls. Some of the trail parking lots in the Adirondacks, have had the vehicles broken into. Just don't want our stuff to be gone when coming back from our hike.

[dademt]

Copcarguy would most likely be the best one to answer you directly about NS lake has I think he lives there about 1/4 of the year;) .  From what I was taught and what I teach the boy scouts about bears is their sense of smell is great and their eyesight stinks.  Ultimately, if they can smell it, there is a good chance they will go through whatever is in the way of them getting to it.  When you go up to NS lake I believe they give you a pamphlete on the bears.  I pasted this from the pa parks web site. Hopefully this helps with your decision.  Enjoy camping there as it is a great park and I am sure you will enjoy it.  
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/parks/rickettsglen.aspx
The Bear Truths

Many Pennsylvania state parks are habitat for black bears. Although they appear cute and cuddly like a teddy bear, black bears are wild animals. A black bear can scramble up a tree like a raccoon and sprint as fast as a racehorse. Bears use their claws to tear apart rotting logs to find food, and those claws also work well to open garbage cans and coolers. The size and strength of a black bear is astonishing.

Black bears have poor eyesight and fair hearing, but an excellent sense of smell. Aromatic scents coming from your food can attract a curious and hungry bear from a great distance.

Store all food items inside a car trunk. If a car trunk is not available, suspend food between two trees, ten feet in the air and three feet from either tree.

Black bears normally avoid people, but bears dependent on eating human food can become slightly aggressive when people get between them and food.

If you come in contact with a black bear, try chasing it away by making loud noises like yelling, honking a car horn or banging a pot. Notify a park employee if you have difficulties with bears.

Never approach a bear and be especially wary of mother bears and cubs.

[dademt]

I don't know how far you will be from there this weekend but we will be in loop 6 if you wanted to stop by and meet the group.

[QueenBmaster]

I'm quite aways from there, but I believe one of your group is going to be there the same weekend as me, June 1st, copcarguy, I think it is. I've been reading alot of posts on here.

[dademt]

Well, I know you will enjoy it very much and copcarguy is a great person to talk to up there.  Hope to see you on some of our other trips.

[QueenBmaster]

Well, I know you will enjoy it very much and copcarguy is a great person to talk to up there.  Hope to see you on some of our other trips.

I know a bunch of you were there for opening weekend. I hope all had a good time.  I'm looking forward to our trip.  I always count down the days to my camping trips. Nothing beats the crackle of a campfire at night.

[tlhdoc]

I was talking to a park employee this morning and she told me they have "a bear" in the park.  I don't think a crate will disguise a cooler from a bear.  I think I would keep the food in the back of the truck to be safe.  The rangers patrol all the time and the leaflet on bears says to keep all food and cooking equipment put away after meals.  Aslo to dump your garbage each evening so you don't attract bears into the campground.  Have fun on your trip, we did have a good time.

[jawilson]

From what I was taught and what I teach the boy scouts about bears is their sense of smell is great and their eyesight stinks.  Ultimately, if they can smell it, there is a good chance they will go through whatever is in the way of them getting to it.

You have been taught well; bears don't do much by sight alone, they work by smell instead. You can make it look like whatever you want, but if they can smell food they're gonna rip it apart. Disguising it won't work...

[dademt]

Well, we finally booked our site for June 1st, Loop 3, site 79. I hope it's a good one. It is our first time camping in the Catskills.  
Becky

Well, how was your camping trip?

[QueenBmaster]

the first day and half were great, nice weather. We were able to go to Kaaterskills falls. My son, daughter and her boyfriend climbed up to the basin at the bottom of the first falls. I made it halfway, but I made the mistake of looking back down, that and the fact that I ran out of hand holds , (tree roots). I'm not the greatest on heights, and that did me in there. I wish I had given them the camera, and camcorder. They said it was really great up there.  

Day two, the thunderstorms started rolling in. They were interminent at first. We weren't able to hike to the catskills house are any other sites.
We got up the next morning to more showers. We picked up the weather from radio station and found out there was a flood watch with 4 inches of rain forcast, so we hastly packed up, and none to soon. We were in the final stages when it really let loose.

So, we have decided we will definelty have to make a return trip. I have a few sites that we kinda looked at while doing a quick drive around the park. I really do like the campground. My only pet peeve, the showers. They should really have some sought of bench  for your clean clothing. You couldn't hang your clothes on either hook due to the condensation from other campers having taken a shower. I had to take one of my towels and wipe down the wall, just to hang my dry stuff on.

[tlhdoc]

There is another problem with the bathrooms.  The glass in the door is see through at night.  I am glad you had a taste of the good weather up there and plan on going back.

[copcarguy]

Hey all!
 
QueenB - I'm glad you had a nice time up there. I totally forgot you were going up there, I would've looked for you and introduced myself... There is a way to drive to the top of the falls, and then have a short hike in to the top.