NI need an E.W. "mythbuster"

[John Kasaian]

Myth or reality?

Charis had a morbid fear of bears(.

When car camping with Edward Weston in the late 1930's, Weston would, on adjoining campsites, smear the undersides of heavy,WPA picnic tables with peanut butter which would it turn:
1) Provide entertainment as the black bears squirmed backwards underneath the tables to like off the peanut butter.
2) Keep the bears out of Edward & Charis' campsite since the food was elsewhere.
(the full bear would leave after gorging on peanutbutter.)
3)Terrified campers in the nieghboring camps would leave, giving Edward and Charis an extra measure of privacy while camping in public campgrounds.

So myth? Or not?

[vinny]

Either way sounds like a good idea.

[Dennis]

Considering the cost of peanut butter enough to gorge bears night after night and considering the poverty EW was plagued with, I have my doubts.
Dennis

[Preston]

Man, and bears, cannot live by bread alone. We must have peanut butter! :-)

It appears the trick would work, as long as one doesn't leave a trail for the bears to follow back to your camp.

--P

[Bill_1856]

Man, and bears, cannot live by bread alone. We must have peanut butter! :-)

--P

Attribute: Brother Dave Gardner

[domaz]

In the 30s all the bears were probably getting fed at the garbage dumps and by tourists in cars. I don't think they would bother with a little peanut butter.

[Drew Wiley]

Bears are omnivores and cannot subsist on a diet of only peanut butter and mayonaise.
Sometimes they need the extra nutrition of eating an actual tourist, or at least the
roughage in their digestive tract of picnic box plastic.

[Frank Petronio]

I bet Weston buried their tin cans and went poop using toilet paper, then just kicked some dirt over it.

In fact, I bet all the early Sierra Clubbers used to do that.

[Preston]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Preston
Man, and bears, cannot live by bread alone. We must have peanut butter! :-)

--P

Attribute: Brother Dave Gardner
__________________
wilhelm (Sarasota)

Bill, I always wondered where that saying came from. Thanks.

--P

[Lynn Jones]

I was only very slightly acquainted with Edward W., however his son Brett was my friend for over 20 years, in fact my son Brett was named after Brett Weston. When I asked Brett about the above, he chuckled and said that it was done occasionally but not all the time.

Lynn