Aspen-Sopris Wilderness Trail Manager provides an overview of approved Bear resistant containers and how to use them for hikers planning to visit the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area. The Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area has both a high number of backpackers and a high black bear population.
Prior to the bear-resistant container requirement, negative bear-human interactions at campsites were common and bears were becoming increasingly bold. The food-storage requirement has greatly reduced these negative and dangerous interactions. Keeping bears from getting food from humans and campsites helps keep you safe, as well as the people who camp in the area after you, and the bears themselves. (Forest Service video by Rebecca Dunn)