Lurker here. Some fellow hikers and I are doing a section of the AT soon. We are planning on staying at or near (w/in regs) of the Pinefield Hut in the southern district of the SNP. Has anyone stayed there recently that can tell me if the spring is running. And how about tenting nearby?
Cynthia
Ok, I stayed at Pinefield hut during my 1999 hike at the hieght of summer. First off, there are only a few pines at Pinefield hut. There is is some,as is in limeted spots,to pich a tent. However if one arrives early enough there are several flat and cleared spots. As for water this site has a large,strong spring. Also Loft Mountain and Simmons Gap both have tap water available not too many miles to the north and south of this hut. Water in the Shenedoahs is rarely a problem because of the way the rock strata is and the many,many, places where tap water is available. Hope this helps.
WyomingSkateboarder
Thanks for the info Skateboarder. We have had a severe drought here (central Virginia) and I was concerned about water availability. But it has been raining some lately.
Cynthia
I’m sorry I can’t give you current info. Perhaps a call to SNP might be in order. We were there mid September last year on our SOBO hike. There was NOT enough water to pump from. Luckily we had filled up at the Ranger station a few miles N. I’m guessing however, if you go soon there will be water. There is generally more water in springs in Spring. Maybe it’s why they call it Spring.
I remember a large tenting area behind the shelter, but it wasn’t too level and there were lots of roots.
Have fun
Grimace
Wyoming Skateboarder is right on the money. Hiking through the SNP was wonderful. I actually got to use flush toliets, filled my water jug with tap water, ate meals in restaurants, and had ice cream daily. I was in thru-hiker heaven being there. It was a great lazy time.
Mr. Boo
You guys are great. Thanks for the info. I posted a similar question on backpacker.com but no answer. So I really appreciate your input. When do you think the late Feb/March thru hikers might be coming through central Virginia? I am a member of the Old Dominion AT Club and we maintain the section from Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap. I’d like to keep an eye out for them while working on the trial.
Cynthia
I hiked SOBO, so I’m a little clueless about the NOBO pace. The average thru-hiker finishes in 5 months. It took me three to get to SNP. It should take the NOBO 2. Maybe less if you consider some of the terrain differences. A couple days ago there was a post about some guys already at the edge of the Whites in NH. There can only be more and more people behind them. Grimace
Grimace
I stopped by this shelter for lunch in mid April while sectioning Virgina. There was lots of water and a huge lawn out front of the shelter for tenting. This is a very nice place to spend a night but only a mile or so from the road. Good luck.
Tim