Unopened food allowed at Mendenhall?

[Pinkbudgie]

In my research I've seen pics posted of signs at the Mendenhall Glacier park that warn of bears and not to bring food or drink in.

 

Two questions- does this apply to water bottles? And if I had some sort of bar unopened and not taken out in the park, is that allowed? I ask because I am allergic to seafood. After the park I don't know if we'd go back on the ship or go somewhere else or what. But I worry about not being able to get a safe meal off ship in Alaska where the main attraction seems to be salmon and crab. A bar would hold me over in case I didn't find anything safe to eat.

 

On the other hand, certainly don't want to get eaten by a bear! :p And I don't want to flaunt any rules. I'm just trying to understand what they mean.

[Budget Queen]

There are far more food options than fish and crab. You have the wrong idea. It won't be much different than what you can get at home.

 

There aren't food options at or near Mendenhall without a car. Wrapped bars aren't going to be any problem.

[martincath]

The signs mean exactly what they say - if you walk about smelling edible, you're more likely to have a bear come for a nibble... but unless you're hiking away from where the hordes of visitors are it's very unlikely you'll see any bears close enough to be worried about. Rangers are not going to search your pockets for contraband candies.

 

Sealed snack bar wrappers are excellent at keeping smells inside - they stop air getting in after all. You probably want to avoid actually opening them while in the park, there won't be convenient trash cans to dispose of wrappers in so if you are off the beaten track you'll have to walk back with delicious-smelling pockets - good ziplock freezer bags, the ones with at least two seals, are great for putting your food-smelling wrappers in so you can pack them back out.

 

As to water - you're in a rain forest environment, water is *everywhere* and all of it except the still frozen stuff will have more scent & flavour than filtered/distilled water from a bottle. Unless you stick those berry-flavour sachets of powder into your bottle and wave it around near a grizzly you'll be fine!

 

Ditto on the eating off the ship. Alaskan food establishments might offer a bigger proportion of salmon & crab - that's what most tourists want to try - but unless it's a specifically seafood-only business like a crab shack there will be other choices available. Try the reindeer sausages sold all over the place like hot dogs if you just want a snack, but cafes & bars will have all the usual burgers & soups & whatnot as well as fish & seafood.

[donaldsc]

Alaskans eat exactly or nearly exactly what the rest of us eat in the lower 48 - even McDonald's. I am sure that you can something other than salmon or crab.

 

DON

[Pinkbudgie]

Thank you for your answers. Very helpful.

I do realize there is other food to eat, but even at home, if a restaurant cooks fish, I have to be very concerned about cross contact in the kitchen. So even if I wanted a burger and fries, I would first have to check to make sure that the burgers aren't grilled on the same surface as the fish. And that they don't fry fish or shrimp in the same fryer as the fries. Not to mention the hidden anchovies in some BBQ sauce. With seafood everywhere the possibility of cross contact goes up. But that's just life with food allergies. I'm not going to let it keep me from traveling but I do have to be prepared. Thanks!

[CowPrincess]

I ask because I am allergic to seafood.

 

As someone who is allergic to most fish, and lots of other seafood, I can assure you that there are plenty of other choices. Just make sure (if you order fries) that the seafood is not fried in the same fryer. I haven't starved in Alaska yet :)

 

edited to add: oops we were posting at the same time :D

Edited March 2, 2015 by CowPrincess

[Pinkbudgie]

As someone who is allergic to most fish, and lots of other seafood, I can assure you that there are plenty of other choices. Just make sure (if you order fries) that the seafood is not fried in the same fryer. I haven't starved in Alaska yet :)

 

edited to add: oops we were posting at the same time :D

 

Good to know! I have to laugh that I'm visiting the "Salmon Capitol of the World" at Ketchikan! I always tell myself I can usually have a safe dessert. Never ran into cross contact issues there. :D When I eat out I usually do have to pass on the fries, but probably healthier for me to anyway.

 

[CowPrincess]

Salmon and shrimp are safe for me. Was eating crab up until a couple of years ago, but that's no longer allowed. Sigh.... I think you'll be okay, you are well aware of the questions to ask, and the hidden hazards. It isn't as though you are going to be looked at like you are crazy when you ask for chicken or a hamburger or a baked potato :D

 

Have a wonderful time in Alaska!

[bottom-dragger]

Alaskans eat exactly or nearly exactly what the rest of us eat in the lower 48 - even McDonald's. I am sure that you can something other than salmon or crab.

 

DON

 

 

i don't eat at McDonald's

[agabbymama]

i don't eat at McDonald's

 

I have enjoyed McDonald's in England, Hungary, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Belgium and even the good old USA. While I do enjoy the local cuisine, there is nothing better after being on the road for 10-28 days of travel in foreign countries than a good old American staple like McDonald's.

 

Different strokes for different folks! Happy travels to all!

[chipmaster]

My 2cents on wilderness hikes in Alaska water, camera/phone and NO food. Or be sure to have your running shoes and not the slowest, tastiest smelling of the bunch :D

[donaldsc]

Thank you for your answers. Very helpful.

I do realize there is other food to eat, but even at home, if a restaurant cooks fish, I have to be very concerned about cross contact in the kitchen. So even if I wanted a burger and fries, I would first have to check to make sure that the burgers aren't grilled on the same surface as the fish. And that they don't fry fish or shrimp in the same fryer as the fries. Not to mention the hidden anchovies in some BBQ sauce. With seafood everywhere the possibility of cross contact goes up. But that's just life with food allergies. I'm not going to let it keep me from traveling but I do have to be prepared. Thanks!

 

Wow. You are really allergic. Just as a matter of curiosity, are you allergic to all types of fish and shell fish or just specific types. or example, my wife is allergic to oysters although in no way as badly as you appear to be.

 

DON

[CowPrincess]

My 2cents on wilderness hikes in Alaska water, camera/phone and NO food. Or be sure to have your running shoes and not the slowest, tastiest smelling of the bunch :D

 

When we moved to bear country a friend told me that I didn't have to be fast, just faster than one other person in the group :D

 

donaldsc, I'm not the poster you were asking the question of, but I am deathly allergic to cod. Not so good with haddock and halibut, but cod... I won't eat fish that has been in the same display case as cod. I react to french fries that have been cooked in the same oil that was used for cod :(

 

The other thing is that food allergies can morph, and something that was only a minor irritant can (without warning) turn into a major problem. At least that's been my experience. If I get a minor reaction that item is off my list of allowed food.

[bearbait]

The signs mean exactly what they say - if you walk about smelling edible, you're more likely to have a bear come for a nibble... but unless you're hiking away from where the hordes of visitors are it's very unlikely you'll see any bears close enough to be worried about. Rangers are not going to search your pockets for contraband candies.

 

Sealed snack bar wrappers are excellent at keeping smells inside - they stop air getting in after all. You probably want to avoid actually opening them while in the park, there won't be convenient trash cans to dispose of wrappers in so if you are off the beaten track you'll have to walk back with delicious-smelling pockets - good ziplock freezer bags, the ones with at least two seals, are great for putting your food-smelling wrappers in so you can pack them back out.

 

 

This is not true at all. A bears sense of smell is 2100 times better then a human. A flimsy wrapper on a Snickers candy bar will not keep a bear from smelling it and rooting it out. Sadly I've experienced that first hand with black bears in Ketchikan.

 

When working at the Rainforest Sanctuary in Ketchian as a Trail Guide we would regularly ask people to turn over all food items they had brought with them. Often we'd inspect backpacks and purses cause sometimes the odors where just too obvious. Even though the cruise ships say you're not supposed to remove food from the buffet it might shock you as to what and how much people sneak offa the ship.

 

On one particular tour I asked for the food items to be turned over and I collected a single Snickers candy bar. I placed it inside a container on the atv we used to go back and forth between the trailhead and the end of the tour. 15 minutes after we left another guide called on the radio to say that we had a bear at the trailhead. The only thing taken, 1 Snickers Candy bar.

 

I'd also strong suggest that you don't try to make an egg, bacon and sausage sandwich on wheat toast from items harvested at the buffet if you're going on any type of excursion where bears may be present. That thing gave off an odor that everyone except the offending party could smell.

 

http://sectionhiker.com/bears_sense_of_smell/

 

Bears are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal on earth. For example, the average dog’s sense of smell is 100 times better than a humans. A blood hound’s is 300 times better. A bear’s sense of smell is 7 times better than a blood hound’s or 2,100 times better than a human.

Edited March 3, 2015 by bearbait

[Pinkbudgie]

Wow. You are really allergic. Just as a matter of curiosity, are you allergic to all types of fish and shell fish or just specific types. or example, my wife is allergic to oysters although in no way as badly as you appear to be.

 

DON

 

Very allergic to all fish. I don't know if I'm allergic to shellfish or not, but avoid because my allergist said not to have due to cross contact issues with fish. This came upon me suddenly almost two years ago. Before that I could eat a tuna sandwich no problem.

 

This is not true at all. A bears sense of smell is 2100 times better then a human. A flimsy wrapper on a Snickers candy bar will not keep a bear from smelling it and rooting it out. Sadly I've experienced that first hand with black bears in Ketchikan.

 

When working at the Rainforest Sanctuary in Ketchian as a Trail Guide we would regularly ask people to turn over all food items they had brought with them. Often we'd inspect backpacks and purses cause sometimes the odors where just too obvious. Even though the cruise ships say you're not supposed to remove food from the buffet it might shock you as to what and how much people sneak offa the ship.

 

On one particular tour I asked for the food items to be turned over and I collected a single Snickers candy bar. I placed it inside a container on the atv we used to go back and forth between the trailhead and the end of the tour. 15 minutes after we left another guide called on the radio to say that we had a bear at the trailhead. The only thing taken, 1 Snickers Candy bar.

 

I'd also strong suggest that you don't try to make an egg, bacon and sausage sandwich on wheat toast from items harvested at the buffet if you're going on any type of excursion where bears may be present. That thing gave off an odor that everyone except the offending party could smell.

 

http://sectionhiker.com/bears_sense_of_smell/

 

Bears are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal on earth. For example, the average dog’s sense of smell is 100 times better than a humans. A blood hound’s is 300 times better. A bear’s sense of smell is 7 times better than a blood hound’s or 2,100 times better than a human.

 

Thank you. This is what I was wondering. If they could smell through the wrapper. It would be nice if the visitor's center offered a place to hold your snacks for you while walking. I don't plan on making an egg sandwich to bring. :eek: And I certainly wouldn't take anything from the buffet off ship. Just wanted a little protein to keep me going once I left the park. Maybe I should just try to eat a big breakfast. :)

Edited March 3, 2015 by Pinkbudgie