I heard there are rats in some shelters in Shenandoah. Yikes. Any other place there are RATS in shelters?
Rat Scared
RATS in shelters?
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#2
It would be easier to list the shelters without rats. RATS seems like a dirty word. How about using mice or maybe rodents, doesn’t that sound better. The mice are actually part of the food chain on the trail. They help keep the shelters clean. They help keep the snakes feed. They help keep larger animals away. The mice force hikers to put away and hang up their packs in the shelters. The mice make hikers use their old tuna cans instead of throwing them under the shelters. So you see, mice are actually little helpers. They take our minds off all the snoring at night. So you see RATS (Rodents AT Shelters) are part of the beauty of life on the trail.
*PS I always carry a tent, I can’t stand the little bastards.
Bilko
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#3
I would like to see as many mice or rat sightings listed, as possible.Makes good fodder for the book I’m doing.I saw “Bob” in the photos of another website…cute little furry cuss.:boy
Bill Harris
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#4
If you haven’t experienced sleeping with mice before you are in for a lesson in cohabitation. Just learn about what not to do with your pack and things and you’ll survive. As suggested a tent helps but I had a few try to get in with me. You just learn to sleep with them around. Just remember they are looking for food and you ain’t it. Really they are part of the experience. Don’t worry about it. Jersey Joe, I think it was him, and I had a mouse with us in the snow at Cold Spring Shelter in '02. After that nothing surprised me.
Two Scoops
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#5
This photo by Hikerhead was just posted on WhiteBlaze;
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=2969&password=&sort=1&cat=996&page=1
could this be the infamous Giant Shelter Rat??
TJ aka Teej
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#6
Yes there are some shelters with rats in 'em. Not mice, but genuine, bona-fide rats. The shelters that I remember having them are Blackrock Hut in the Shenandoahs, Lamberts Meadow Shelter in central Virginia, and the notorious Manassas Gap Shelter which not only has rats but copperheads in the firepit (happy sleeping!).
The jury is still out on what lurks in Dicks Dome Shelter.
Sleepy the Arab
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#8
Bilko…I loved your comments! You can intellectually “know” the good side of something, & still have a reaction to it! May your hike be rat free! :girl
RBG
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#9
I remember at the end of the night, lying at Blackrock Hut and writing in my journal. I watched in amusement as a cockroach climbed the wall. However, that soon turned to horror as I noticed a rat walking next to my sleeping bag. It doesn’t happen that often, but just deal with it. Small price to pay for a five month vacation.
Ganj
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#10
We had a lovely rat encounter in one of the SNP huts. He was LARGE–and seemed to strike fear into some fellow hikers, including my husband, who once he realize at the crack of dawn this wasn’t a mouse–disappeared until it was time to take off for the next hut. Mr. Rat, however, was there first. We are all just visitors, remember… :girl
gumball
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#11
Yes,I’ve seen rats at the shelters,but learned long ago not to stop at the ones close to roads with beer cans about!Old washing machines on the side of the trail is another sign.Good Luck Oo
Onlyone
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#12
I was indoctrinated by one of the tiny guys in the shelter at Amicalola, in March of 2000.Woke up and felt him or her laying on my stomach inside my sleeping bag.He exited out of the bag across my shoulder.Two Scoops…Jersey Joe is the name of one of my characters in my story.I named him after Jersey Joe Wallcot,the boxer.You guys are doing good,I need more mice encounters.:boy
Bill Harris
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#13
From how popular some of these Georgia shelters are for mice I’m surprized they havnen’t gone to RATS by now. Usually when the little guys get established and have a good thing going the BIG GUYS – and you know who I’m talking about – muscle in and take over the action.:nerd
RatScared
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#14
Hah, I guess Blackrock is infested. I had a cozy night sleep there with about 6 others in the shelter. The next morning was one of those cold, rainy stay in sleeping bag mornings. We all watched as a huge rat crawled around the top platform of the shelter. That was all the motivation I needed to get going 
I’d say generally avoid the higher level sleeping platforms, there seems to be more mice/critters there than anyone else.
Really though I wouldn’t be too concerned. I loved shelters and was always too tired to care/notice.
A-Train
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#15
you really do begin to “care” about 'em, at least i sorta did. it was almost like they were the family dogs, ya know? at Blood Mtn. shelter a few weeks ago, (in the snow), i woke up with 3 little “puppies” in the bottom of my sleeping bag. Kinda ugh, but they were just trying to get warm like me. They are very amusing, and good for a laugh on the Trail. you will find its the little things like that that make you laugh the hardest! sleep well!!!:girl
roadie
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#17
get out, they really climbed in your bag??? I remember in Mass or Ct. or was it Jersey, it doesn’t really matter a mouse was messing with a pop tart wrapper for a couple hours till I got out of my bag and placed it in my food bag. The wrapper not the mouse.
crazymice
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#18
There was an enormous flying squirrel in Calf Mountain shelter in the fall of 2002. He didn’t seem to bother anyone too much.
Bankrobber