Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Ten Mile River Lean-to

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

Future hikers - any questions?

Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Ten Mile River Lean-to

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

Future hikers - any questions?

Wonderful spot. Shelter faces sunrise over a broad meadow. Sounds of two rivers provide delightful backdrop. (An unwelcome noise: If it's windy, bring an extra bungie to keep the privy door from slamming open and shut all night.) My most recent overnight here was during our first snowstorm. Fabulous! (Hiked out through 10-18", impressive for Conn.) There's a well/pump to the east (at the camp area by the river), but it's been safety-tagged every time I've been there. Bring your own treatment and scoop out of either river.

BTW, for locals, this is a nice weekend base for day hikes, either toward NY (moderate climb, then gentle hills) or farther into Conn. (some climbs and rewarding views).

There's a well/pump to the east (at the camp area by the river), but it's been safety-tagged every time I've been there. Bring your own treatment and scoop out of either river.

In 2001 a bunch of friends of mine avoided the suspicious looking water in the pump and scooped out of one of the rivers. Ten hours later they all got sick.
There are PCBs in the Housatonic, and the Ten Mile river is equally nasty. Filters do not screen out chemicals so hoof it to Schaghitckgh... Schagacit... Shagadellic.......... Mt. Algo Lean-to for water.

In 2001 a bunch of friends of mine avoided the suspicious looking water in the pump and scooped out of one of the rivers. Ten hours later they all got sick.
There are PCBs in the Housatonic, and the Ten Mile river is equally nasty. Filters do not screen out chemicals so hoof it to Schaghitckgh... Schagacit... Shagadellic.......... Mt. Algo Lean-to for water.


I do not envy your friends' experience! You are right about the presence of PCBs in the Housatonic and about hiking filters not removing them. Thanks for the good reminder!

PCBs are recognized as carcinogenic in long-term exposure and can attack the liver and thyroid. They accumulate in muscle and other tissue. That is why you see advisories about eating fish from the river. Acute PCB ingestion is a serious health threat, but not likely at the concentrations found in the Connecticut stretch of the Housatonic. And the symptoms would be very different than the likes of giardia.

The 10-hour lag suggests a bacterial or viral attack. Both are possible even with filtering.

I don't blame anyone for not drinking or eating fish from the toxin-tainted waters of Connecticut's most beautiful waterway, and should have mentioned that in my earlier post. My apologies!

P.S. Schaghticoke is easier to climb than spell! I use a cheat sheet, or I'd never even get close!

The 10-hour lag suggests a bacterial or viral attack. Both are possible even with filtering.

Don't filters only get bacteria and not viruses anyway, which are much, much smaller than bacteria?

Anyway, I thought that was why filters are not considered purifyers, because they do allow some living critters through, and to "purify" you have to use chemicals.

Just wondering. NOT an expert!

Rain Man
.

I used Aqua Mira on the pump water about 3 weeks ago and I was fine. It was tagged for having bacteria.

P.S. Schaghticoke is easier to climb than spell! I use a cheat sheet, or I'd never even get close!

Thanks for the spelling lesson. Now if I could only learn to pronounce it.

Thanks for the spelling lesson. Now if I could only learn to pronounce it.

Hey, anyone who quotes Walt gets my vote! (Really want to know? It's ska-ti-coke)

And yeah, Rain Man's right about viruses. Anyone have experience with the ExStream bottles? They're supposed to have a viral cartridge in addition to the "tortured path" for bacteria. Look handy, but they're pricey! Yowks! (Yawp?)

skip the lean to and walk a bit further to the camping area. I distinctly remember reaching that spot and thinking....damn I made new england!

And yeah, Rain Man's right about viruses. Anyone have experience with the ExStream bottles? They're supposed to have a viral cartridge in addition to the "tortured path" for bacteria. Look handy, but they're pricey! Yowks! (Yawp?)

!!Yawp!! back atcha. Yeah, yeah, yeah, ExStreams are VERY pricey (and the replacemement filters aren't much cheaper) and I've heard about problems like flow falling off sharply and filters not lasting very long (like 80 l. instead of 200) and with contamination from the top of the container. i'm thinking about Bota, 'cause they're cheaper, the flow lasts longer, and then using some chlorine or so to polish off the viruses, but then I think why not just use the additive? who knows.

I hiked in from Bull's Bridge with my brother, first time he's stepped foot on the AT. He was impressed with the whole hiking thing I love so much. The beautiful trail alongside the rapids, the Ned Andersen footbridge in the middle of the woods and the the fine lean-to overlooking a large meadow. He said he may want to go back sometime this week for his first overnighter!
I told him that he could follow those white blazes all the way to Georgia or Maine and he said maybe someday he would.

The Pump is still tagged as last being tested in Nov. 03. Colliform warning
I'm sure someone will be out testing soon.
The new privy built in Oct/Nov. is a very nice elevated number.
I would rate this shelter :banana :banana :banana out of four dancing bananas. If the water source was good I would give it all 4.

Happy Hiking
2XL

Took my three girls (7, 11, 14) on a quick hike (Bulls Bridge to 10-Mile River and back) and we had some fun meeting some thru-hikers (including one with a pack-carrying dog) and a section-hiker in and around the shelter. My kids were fascinated by the whole experience, and especially the trail names. (Only one I can recall right now is CrazyLegs.) They even had fun checking out the privy! Then we went and played in the river and each and every one of us slipped off of something and fell in! (Better the river than the privy!) Fun like this you cannot buy. (And yes, we had extra clothes.)

Hope all is well out there.

This lean=to and site are still in good shape (6/8/05) ... my kids and I tented there and a thru-hiker (Roamin' Gnome) spent the night in the shelter. He said it was good but very buggy (he had to put up his tent inside the shelter!) and we found it a bit buggy as well. I thought the group campsite (down by the river, under the pines) looked nicer but my kids wanted to stay by the shelter, so we did. But there are lovely sounds of the rivers rushing by, and a beautiful meadow to look at (we even saw a rainbow after a brief summer squall!).

Under the pines is a nice place to tent, but the group campsites are on the other side of the bridge and up the trail to the left.

I stopped at this shelter last summer. Some sadist had left a half dozen mouse traps there, I disarmed them all.

I stopped at this shelter last summer. Some sadist had left a half dozen mouse traps there, I disarmed them all.

right on! mousies are part of backpacking, right? i mean, you might aw well clearcut along the trail!

and yes, the group sites are across the river from the shelter. north over the bridge, left, trail eventually bears right and the sites are up the hill and on the left. and there's an outdoor privy there (no walls or roof, just a hole and a seat.) i much prefer the area by the river. but scouts are often there. and the harley noise is louder. there's a (fairly) busy road east across the housy.

lemme see ... harleys, or rushing water ... um ... water rushes all night, harleys go by now and then. see you by the river, mousies!

FYI: This shelter is NOT where the map indicates. According to the map it's located near the top of the hill. It is actually all the way down at the bottom of the hill by the river. I did not appreciate this discrepency during the severe thunderstorm w/ 60mph winds that was taking down trees all around me, including the large birch that fell on me while I was looking for the shelter. Near death had me pretty pissed off at the cartographers that day.

the water pump has been moved uphill to near the shelter.

Is there still a rope swing down there on the housatonic? If you're coming south over the footbridge, and go all the way to the end of THAT field, there was a path that let to a ropeswing. Wait, that was 97. Didn't check it when I was there in 97 and 06. Prolly gone, nevermind.
If you don't want water from the pump or the river, I didn't see anyone mention the store over Bull's Bridge.

Is there still a rope swing down there on the housatonic? If you're coming south over the footbridge, and go all the way to the end of THAT field, there was a path that let to a ropeswing. Wait, that was 97. Didn't check it when I was there in 97 and 06. Prolly gone, nevermind.
If you don't want water from the pump or the river, I didn't see anyone mention the store over Bull's Bridge.

99 or 06, it was supposed to read. :o

Don't filters only get bacteria and not viruses anyway, which are much, much smaller than bacteria?

Anyway, I thought that was why filters are not considered purifyers, because they do allow some living critters through, and to "purify" you have to use chemicals.

Just wondering. NOT an expert!

Rain Man
.

Hand-held filters don't trap viruses, some have a prefilter that kills them chemically with iodines usually.

I love the field in the front.

2806

Want to get the kids there next summer when the fire flys are in full force.

I love the field in the front. ... Want to get the kids there next summer when the fire flys are in full force.

Funny you should mention the fireflies. I remember them vividly from my stay at that shelter.

Stayed here the night of 2/15/08 the sh was in great condition - its a gorgeous spot. no problems with the water from the pump in its new location above the shelter.

Stayed here the night of 2/15/08 the sh was in great condition - its a gorgeous spot. no problems with the water from the pump in its new location above the shelter.

As shelters go, this one is fairly clean. Most of the filth is in the magazines some kids leave behind and the trail runner is constantly packing out.

No mags that I saw but i completely forgot to sign the register! sooooo there could have been some in there. Otherwise it was clean, and in good repair. and you can't beat the sunrise!

No mags that I saw but i completely forgot to sign the register! sooooo there could have been some in there. Otherwise it was clean, and in good repair. and you can't beat the sunrise!

Porn rags is probably more of an issue in the warmer months.

It is a pretty spot, but the sunrise is much nicer at Riga shelter up on the ridge just north of Salisbury.

I signed in at 10 river, didnt see anything else in the box, but at mt algo there was a Scientology book and The Great Adventures of SomeoneIHaveNeverHeardOf.

Glad they redid the pump. We got cider out of the pump last year pretty bad.

:) I agree about Riga!

Yeha the pump had no ill effects for us. and hte water was clear - though it did have a metalic taste- this dissapated if you pumped a bit

stopped in today, pump in good condition, nice clean shelter. buggy!!!

stopped in today, pump in good condition, nice clean shelter. buggy!!!

The ridgerunner does a good job here for sure.

It was a guy named Lump or Lumpy, I think he's a member here also.

Great spot in the next few weeks as the lightning bugs love that field in front of the shelter.

FYI: This shelter is NOT where the map indicates. According to the map it's located near the top of the hill. It is actually all the way down at the bottom of the hill by the river. I did not appreciate this discrepency during the severe thunderstorm w/ 60mph winds that was taking down trees all around me, including the large birch that fell on me while I was looking for the shelter. Near death had me pretty pissed off at the cartographers that day. But if you paid attention to the elevation of the shelter, 200-400 feet you would realize that the shelter was not at the top of that mountain. They do need to remove the shelter sign that is at elevation 1000+ feet. I stayed at the shelter last month. Nice area. Popular area.

Mention the Ten Mile River Shelter and my memories are of the noise of the slamming privy door.:sun

Is there still a rope swing down there on the housatonic? If you're coming south over the footbridge, and go all the way to the end of THAT field, there was a path that let to a ropeswing. Wait, that was 97. Didn't check it when I was there in 97 and 06. Prolly gone, nevermind.
If you don't want water from the pump or the river, I didn't see anyone mention the store over Bull's Bridge. great store!! wonderful lady!! side trip to bridge and store is well worth it.

The poster in the privy was funny last year.

I stopped at this shelter last summer. Some sadist had left a half dozen mouse traps there, I disarmed them all.

You go! (10 characters)

'Round here we've always pronounced it "scat -a-coke."

The mousetraps are still gone. And so are the mice.