Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Sam Moore Shelter

Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?

Future hikers - any questions?

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I stayed there on an overnight, pretty area, I love the area. Has a covered picnic spot. I had no problems that I can remember. Like I said, I love the area it's in.

I just noticed there's another thread entitled "Sam Moore Shelter(VA) further down this forum; this Sam Moore Shelter that I stayed at was in Virgiinia, about 3 miles south of Bears' Den Hostel.

OK-I get what happened now-they're one and the same. (Just read Kerosene's post)

I just stayed here a few weeks ago. The hike in either direction is pretty hilly as its on the "Rollercoaster". It is a very nice shelter about .2 off the trail with a seperate covered cooking pavilion. Very convenient. Water source was plentiful and easily accessed and the privy was relatively clean. I hiked in with Just Ducky and there we met Pop Tart a current thru hiker. He was the only other person in the shelter that nite. There are several nice flat tentsites just to the left of the shelter too. Great campfire and good conversation as darkness fell. A very enjoyable evening!

Ate lunch here on a stint on the rollercoaster over spring break in '06. Nice shelter with a good privy and a good area for eating. Good rest before the climb to Bear's Den, where we stayed the night. Good creek close to the shelter, so water won't be a problem.

Overnighted end of March on a Saturday. Shelter was ours for the taking. Room for up to 8. High winds were hitting the back of the shelter (perfectly situated) and the firepit's log benches were also perfectly situated upwind of the firepit (upwind of the hot blowing ashes). Also someone put a huge old stump beside the pit to try and catch the potential wind-blown ash before they hit the dry leaves. Due to this fact, be very careful of your fire's ashes. Inside the shelter itself there were wall pegs galore....awesome. Whoever designed/built the shelter deserves a high-five.

Guess the mad raccoon was still slumbering... (?)

Well several of us heard something moving around on the roof of the shelter in the middle of the night but we thought it was a large rat or heavy-footed mouse. Coulda been your raccoon. Didn't hear any of the usual accompanying raccoon talk though....although who knows, maybe it climbed into my pack and secretly hitched a ride home with us...[turns around and looks at pack in corner, just then raccoon attacks from opposite direction with water filter as weapon. to be continued...]

Also someone put a huge old stump beside the pit to try and catch the potential wind-blown ash before they hit the dry leaves. Due to this fact, be very careful of your fire's ashes.

Not to be a kill-joy, but wasn't the nature of the winds a pretty strong indicator that building a fire might not be such a good idea? When you head up the first hill from SM Shelter on your way to Bear's Den, you only need to look about 75-100 yards down and to the southeast to see some remnants of what can happen when winds of that type and campfires mix.

Are you telling me there's something wrong with building a bonfire in category 5 hurricane winds?

I remember seeing forest fire remnants there. I day-hiked the roller coaster since it's so near my home, and I lunched at Sam Moore. I really like the place -- it just has a good vibe.

I think it gets less use from thru-hikers because of Bear's Den is so close.

Can't recall any Cat 5 winds around here in recent memory, but the fire danger is very real. I noticed that there are 2 fire rings at SMS now, with one closer to the creek. I've never known it to be a crowded shelter (except during early summer when the scout groups noisily roll through for their overnights), so go figure. Bits and pieces of this mountain have burned over the past 20 years, with 100+ acres going up about 9 years ago nearby and a similar amount burning in 2006 about .5 miles north of Bear's Den. Kind of makes me wish that there were "fire danger" signs at parking lots and trailheads. For every skilled outdoorsperson who can start, maintain, and properly extinguish even the smallest fire there are dozens who haven't a clue.

Chimney,

Bonfires in Cat 5 was a bit of an exageration. I realize the danger of fire. My colorful description of the "high winds" and "POTENTIAL wind-blown ash" may have uneccesarily alarmed you (maybe it didn't). When making a fire, first thing I want to do is maintain safety and last I want to do is burn some forest or people. I feel like I know enough about fire safety. Actually one of the people with me that night is a firefighter in training.

Thanks for bringing up the safety issue though, its a good reminder. Word to Smokey. You dig my jive?

Pitiful! I stopped at Sam Moore yesterday, ready to stay the night, but it was too filthy. Three fire rings all with lots of trash in them, and trash in and around the shelter. I had a very small pack (just out for a couple of days) but I cleaned up what could and moved on down the trail the camp - Come on people - Pack it in, Pack it out! (I know I'm preaching to the choir on this forum, but had to vent)

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