"Because both compressed music and the iPod's relatively low-quality earbuds have many limitations, music producers fret that they are engineering music to a technical lowest common denominator. The result, many say, is music that is loud but harsh and flat, and thus not enjoyable for long periods of time."

Earlier this summer, I got in contact with Wilderness-Solutions, a joint venture between Brian Frankle of ULA-Equipment and one of the fine gentlemen at Titanium Goat that manufactures bear-deterrent devices. They offered to send me a Palisade EST to test in the park. The product is basically a normal food storage sack with some electrical strips on the exterior that are run by a small controller. The idea is that any bear who tries to mess with your food is given a surprising shock every time they get too close, so not only is your food protected, but the bear is also given aversive conditioning. I think it's a wonderful idea, really. Especially because it is SO MUCH LIGHTER and more packable than the current standard: bear canisters.

After mentioning the device to my supervisor, she let some people in bear management know about it. It turns out that they contacted the company and had them build a prototype tent (basically a stock Columbia tent retro-fitted with the same electrical strips as the bag) to use for bear hazing purposes.

We've had some problem bears in the Hellroaring area, so the tent was recently set up there at campsite 2H1. A bear management ranger, Karen Loveless, has been stationed at the Hellroaring patrol cabin to monitor the equipment in the area and generally try to keep track of the bears. On Wednesday night, she had a bear come up to the cabin, about 10 feet from the open door, at 7.30pm. She closed the door, but it started to approach the windows, sniff at the glass, etc. Eventually, the bear backed off enough that she could close the shutters over the windows and lock everything up. Still, she was understandably upset, and wanted someone to keep her company. So, because I was available and had something to do with the park learning about Wilderness Solutions, I was asked to go down to the cabin.

I hiked in starting around 6.30pm on Friday. The sky was very cloudy, lots of lightning and a high threat of rain. It never rained, but the storms were really beautiful. I did this same hike last year, so the different weather and time of day made it much more interesting. Once I got to the cabin, I met Karen. She was very nice and easy to be around. The cabin itself was comfortable and charmingly rustic. Well built, stocked with food, gas lanterns, a propane stove, bunk beds with mattresses and pillows, a water filter with the creek just a few steps away. I suppose someone not accustomed to backcountry travel would have found it too rustic (the mice were pretty gross), but for someone used to sleeping under a tarp on the hard ground, it was sheer luxury! There's nothing like reading Fathers and Sons by the light of a headlamp in a cabin miles from the road with the sound of a creek flowing a dozen feet away to lull you to sleep.

The next morning, we got up early and headed to the campsite with the tent. The cameras hadn't recorded any movement; we were disappointed. Since there wasn't going to be anyone there that was authorized to haze a bear until late in the afternoon, we decided to just hike out around 10.30am.

No bears were seen, but I got to:

• Get paid to hike
• Meet a nice new person
• Be in the backcountry
• Stay in a backcountry cabin

so I can't complain.

Enjoy the pictures!

Funny, but also a good lesson for life. God bless being a poor artsy dude.