It all seems so silly. Especially since the bear so often wins. I thought about other ways, and about the dislike of backpackers for horses, manure on trails, and the expense of building all bridges and trails to take horse travel. I thought about huts. In most of the world where hikers go to the mountains they stay in huts.
Huts provide shelter from storms and foster the camaraderie of the mountains.
In addition, they can control sewage problems and help keep people from camping in sensitive areas. Sometimes they even provide meals. There are a few huts in the Sierra. The Sierra Club built and maintains four backcountry huts in the Tahoe region for the benefit of cross country ski and snowshoe parties. Like Ostrander Hut in the Yosemite backcountry and Pear Lake Hut in Sequoia Park, they are basic, with wood stoves for warmth and bunks of sometimes-dubious cleanliness.