Least creepiest shelter

imported
#1

Hey, thanks for all the great advice about being alone out there hiking. Except Wheelman, your comments about being watched and hunted made me feel oh so much better. Please let me know where your friend does this so I can avoid this section!
Which leads me to my next question. If you could pick one shelter on the trail to dayhike (well weekend hike)to and spend the night alone, which one would you pick, and when would you do it, and why?
For example, if I hiked up Roan over Thanksgiving for my first “liberating” solo, (which I won’t be, Wheelman) would I most likley be alone in a shelter?

less freaked

#2

This time of year is hunting season in many AT states. Hunters sometimes use AT shelters. Some are serious hunters who are focused on that goal. Others use hunting season to go out in the woods and get drunk or high on drugs (hunters are not alone in this behavior).

I stay away from hunters if I can. The latter example of hunters is prone to shooting at anything that moves on the Trail, and can make for a miserable night at a shelter. While there are hikers who will report no problems like this ever encountered during hunting season, others will disagree.

During hunting season, I try to limit my hiking and backpacking to state parks and national parks than ban hunting. Much of the AT is on national FOREST land or certain state gamelands where hunting is encouraged–not the same as national or state PARK land. Pity the SOBOs who don’t have the option to avoid hunting grounds as they move toward Springer.

Skyline

#3

She’s not talking about that kind of hunters. You might want to go back and read Wheelman’s commments in her post “all alone out there”. OMG- that freaked me out too!:girl

Emily

#4

Emily,

I know.

I was responding to the part of her post above that read, “If you could pick one shelter on the trail to dayhike (well weekend hike) to and spend the night alone, which one would you pick, and when would you do it, and why?” Emphasis on “alone.” IMHO during hunting season, she has a half a chance to NOT be alone–and I was giving her advice about places to hike on the AT where hunting is banned.

The other kind of “hunting” is so rare on the AT I wouldn’t be concerned. Just use common sense. FWIW, I didn’t take wheelman that seriously and I doubt many others did either.

Skyline

Skyline

#5

You asked about less creapy shealters. Check trail guides and AT web site for a newer shelter. The very first night I spent in the woods was alone in a new Shelter south of Deep gap VA. After that I just wished I was alone. The scariest thing on the trail is human. Just remember that most “bad guys” won’t hike into the woods on the off chance of finding a lone hiker to harass; not when it is so easy to find victims in town. Go Girl… Part of the trail adventure is overcoming our fears…whatever they may be.

Cj

#6

Another option would be a light weight solo tent/bivey/hammock. That way you can camp where ever you like. If you go 20 or 30 yards off trail, no one is going to see you. If you prefer you could also do this near a shelter, but not in the shelter. In addition to no wierdos, no mice whicj you are much, much more likely to be bothered by.

Nokia

#7

partnership shelter or isn’t fullhardt knob shelter nice…the shelter above jennings creek in VA…maybe rice field shelter…

the newer shelters just seem to be more homey

burn

#8

My bad Skyline! :girl

Emily

#9

I love shelters. Have yet to have a bad one, but . . .

There were a few ugly ones in North Carolina, after the GA state line. Yes, some may call me names on that, but really - can ANYTHING down there compare to Plum Orchard Gap Shelter? I think not.

I also love the old baseball bat shelters. In Maine, there’s only three left, and I’ve spent a night in each: Rainbow Stream, Hurd Brook, and Poplar Ridge. There are others still standing, but now they have flat planks placed over the round saplings - examples of this can be seen at Chairback Gap and Bald Mountain Pond.

I had to endure a night of coyotes once at Wadliegh Stream lean-to. That wasn’t much fun. Chairback Gap lean-to always smells like a burn pit - probably due to the proximity of the fire pit. Pee-you.

Most Creepy shelter I ever saw was, I think, Carter Gap shelter:eek. The tin roof had the holes patched with duct tape and looked about ready to fall over. There was no way I was sleeping in there. What a pit.

Then I turned around and saw . . . well, if you’ve been there, you know what I saw :smiley: Needless to say, I did sleep comfortably in Carter Gap after all.

Kineo Kid

#10

The uglyness of those first few NC shelters were hieghtenend by the Lack Of Latrines.:wink:

Kineo Kid

#11

My wife and I stayed in Mollies Ridge Shelter, the first shelter in the Smokies leaving from Fontana Dam, and enjoyed the experience. It was relatively new, clean, and not creepy at all. As an added treat, we heard our first coyote “cry” just outside the clearing near the shelter.
Great hiking, PaPa Larry

PaPa Larry

#12

less freaked. I agree with burn. For the first 600 miles on the trail, my money is on Partnership Shelter. It was built with beautiful hard wood, two floors, running water in the back to wash clothes and dishes and a hot water shower attached to the shelter and a privy a short distance away. The shelter is about 1/4 mile from a ranger/visitor station with a soda machine and a free public phone. At night the park area is locked, no vehicles can come in. Many of the previous hikers had ordered pizza and drinks from a nearby resteraunt and had it delivered to them, just outside the park. It is a nice set-up.

Bilko

#13

Whichever one Burn is sleeping in, that’d be a creepy night in any part of the wilderness.

I’ll bet that the creepiest shelter has got to be just before Killington in Vermont. I had scheduled a stop there but pushed on to the summit shelter. It was made of stone and had the feeling of a dank cave. The forest road that lead right to it’s openeing gave me second thoughts to, as it was a friday night. It still makes me shiver, the thought of being alone in that, I’d rather stay at Partnership with Burn and eat pizza!

How about the best most bareable privy on the trail? My vote goes to Hog bag ridge shelter, that truely was a pleasure to have frequented. In 2001 a lonely SOBO had left an inflatable green alien in it to keep hikers company, nice touch.

Cheers

Cheers

#14

Your Move, Piazza Rock lean-to, Saddleback Maine.

Number one with a bullet.

The one at Antlers is pretty good, too.

Worst privy?

It was in North Carolina somewhere, not that far from Fontana Dam.

I think it was overflowing:x :x . Nobody dared sit on the seat :x :x :x .

Kineo Kid