Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Telephone Pioneers Shelter

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

Future hikers - any questions?

Stopped here on a day hike May 14, 2003. Shelter was in good shape. Water supply is a good-sized stream crossed by a bridge on the spur trail to the shelter. Privy available, but I didn't check it out. Shelter is on a hillside. Maybe some campsites behind the shelter, but I didn't look too closely. Pleasant spot. Baltimore oriole seen in front of shelter.

My mom is a retired Pioneer. She'll be glad to know her group helped to build this shelter.

What is a Telephone Pioneer? Seems an odd name for a shelter.

It's just a club within the Bell family of phone companies. I don't know exactly what they do, but she sure does go to a lot of birthday dinners and breakfast. It's a social club so to speak.

I stopped by on March 14, 2004. Nice veiw overlooking the farm below, too bad leaves will block this view come spring. Sleter and privy in good shape. Shelter register said privy had a major bee problem last year. 4 tent sites.

Happy Hiking
2XL

What is a Telephone Pioneer? Seems an odd name for a shelter.
YEP!!

My grandfather goes to Pioneer meeting twice a month, once for breakfast and once for lunch, it is a social club of people who used to use a tooth pick to make our telephone connections long before the days of mice running on wheels or computers.

Anyhow I sat at this shelter on one hot sweltering day last year in early JULY and had to eat my lunch under my bug netting!

SKEETERS WERE VISCIOUS!!

Then I got down the road to the AT train station and there was a road side hotdog stand in an old mini travel trailer. No bugs at that location!! SO I decided to have a very quick second lunch that day too!!

:dance

I visited this shelter 17 January 2005 accompanied by Mark L. A thru hiker headed South, handle "Greenhorn", was in residence with a dome tent pitched within the shelter. He was waiting out MLK day so he could pick up his US mail resupply in Pawling NY; he had started solo in the White Mountains in October. Water supply was a nearby gushing brook.

I LOST MY GLASSES IN A SOFT BLACK CASE in a fall about halfway down the hill below the shelter northbound toward the Pawling Natural area (icy). If you find the glasses please notify me either by private mail on this forum or at whcobbs@hotmail.com

Thanks,
Walt

Kinda "over the river and through the woods" getting there but the shelter is OK. Not many good tent site however. I hit the shelter about 7 PM on my thru-hike in 2003 and called it quits. If I had known that the descent to the road and the walk/hitch into Pawling was so easy I would probably not have stayed there.

'Slogger
AT 2003

The best tent site is down the hill to the left of the shelter (left as you're facing it).

There is a new caretaker of the shelter and they have done some work including an new priviy door and getting ready to move the same. Shelter is in good shape. I hike up every few days and bring some wood and water up as often as i can. the stream has been spotty of late and the water is at the bottom of the hill about .5 miles fairly steep to the north. I have been pretty good about keeping 3-4L up there most of the time.

My grandfather was a Telephone Pioneer with New Brunswick Telephone Company. He started before WWI, took time off to get gassed at Passchendaele, then joined again after and stayed with the company until retiring in '62 at 65. I've got one of his early books on telephony showing the old technology including old wiring and batteries and switchboards and even how to erect a telephone pole. Another is on the history of the telephone pioneers. Different world back then for sure, but it seems right and fitting that there would be such a shelter on the AT. It's not like a monument to cell phones. We have plenty of those already. ;)

Last weekend I stopped by the shelter and read the register. There was a crew building water bars down the hill to the north.
The stream is dry.
Sasquatch that posted above has been bringing water to the shelter but has stopped for a while, while he goes out on his own hike.

:)

We were there the night of October 27th, 2007. Everything is in good condition. The stream on the blue blaze trail to the shelter was running good, but it was pouring rain during most of our hike (we came from the south, from route 55). Didn't catch any fish at Nuclear Lake, :o .

There were two other groups there, the Carolina boys heading south, and a family heading north (or maybe coming south to the shelter, then heading back north?)

We headed north in the morning, the trail through the swamp to the trail train station was not flooded.

p.s. my dad was a Telephone Pioneer from White Plains.

I went by today and the stream is still running and a pretty good flow at that. The Privy for this shelter has just been relocated onto a new moldering crib similar to the one at the Morgan Stewart shelter. Also be aware that there will be a bit of Relo work going on south of the AT and Shelter junction as they move the trail to a route that is less likley to completly washout.

I went by today and the stream is still running and a pretty good flow at that. The Privy for this shelter has just been relocated onto a new moldering crib similar to the one at the Morgan Stewart shelter. Also be aware that there will be a bit of Relo work going on south of the AT and Shelter junction as they move the trail to a route that is less likley to completly washout.

That relo sounds like a good idea. I recall the Trail running down from West Mt at an angle where it was probably a river during rains.

There is aplan for a new roof to be installed on the Telephone Pioneer shelter and have the wood at the back overhang of the roof be replaced. Earlier this fall the shelter got a new moldering Priviy. Well the moldering part is new the priviy was the existing one but in good shape. the relo uphill from the shelter is still ongoing as of right now. If anyone wants to help with these projects send me a pm and I'll give you contact info for the lady in charge of this region.

Hi all,

Does anybody have any insight into whether the water source at the Pioneer's shelter will be running late June? June 21st to be precise.

Thanks!

It has been running strong as of late. It is normally only an issue later in the year. So far we have had a lot of rain.

Last fall when I was thru there a house just north of it at the road crossing had a water spicket out for hikers to use. Just go to the road and head East I believe. Wasn't far at all. It was bone dry at the shelter then.

BTW, they have dogs that aren't happy but stay behind the fence.

As of a week or so ago the spigot was not working. Most of last summer from Aug on I hauled water up to the shelter. the water from the house is really only practical if you are a SoBo otherwise you are talking .7 down the hill and .7 back up.

As of a week or so ago the spigot was not working. Most of last summer from Aug on I hauled water up to the shelter. the water from the house is really only practical if you are a SoBo otherwise you are talking .7 down the hill and .7 back up.

How much water do you lug up there? That's quite a hill to tote water up coming SoBo.

How much water do you lug up there? That's quite a hill to tote water up coming SoBo.

The most I have done is about 5 gallons at a time. I did do a bunch of Firewood and 3 gallons of water another time but don't do that except when we get those cold wet spells near the end of the SoBo parade. Gets me in good shape that is for sure.

Anybody know how the water sources in this area have been recently?

Anybody know how the water sources in this area have been recently?

You are in Ridgefield? Hey neighbor. The water sources on the AT in northern CT, southern MA, that have problems when NY has problems, was running strong last weekend.

Yes, I am in Ridgefield, grew up here and never left.
I was thinking of going to Pioneer Shelter tomorrow night to enjoy the first chilly night of the season. We haven't had any real rain for a while now and was wondering how the stream was flowing.

Yes, I am in Ridgefield, grew up here and never left.
I was thinking of going to Pioneer Shelter tomorrow night to enjoy the first chilly night of the season. We haven't had any real rain for a while now and was wondering how the stream was flowing.

Maybe the local maintainer, Sasquatch2014, can chime in here or you could PM him. Alternatively, you can easily carry in enough water to last one night. While I bet the stream is flowing, carrying a little extra water on the easy hike in is a no-brainer.

I would just haul it up from the purple house at the bottom of the hill just to be safe. The small stream up there tends to go dry more often than not. I think that they still have a sign on the small fence by the spigot. The house would be to your left if you are facing trail south. Also it is pretty picked over for wood but if you grab a few big pieces as you make the turn off from the trail to the shelter you should find it pretty easy.

I was there on 3/21/09 and the stream was running strong.

The shelter was in excellent condition. It rained the night before, so the area in front was a bit muddy. There were a few loose roof shingles underneath, so we spread them out as a "door mat". Before we left, we put them back underneath.

There is a picnic table with attached benches and 2 other loose benches. There's a fire ring in front of the shelter and we emptied out the ashes and charcoal and scattered them far from the shelter. There's also a small bow saw hanging on a nail on the side of the shelter. The blade is dull but works well enough.

The privy is in excellent condition.

There are a few tent sites on the left side facing the shelter and further left, down the hill 20 yards, or so, several more.

All in all, a very nice experience. A big Thank You to the maintainers!

I was there on 3/21/09 and the stream was running strong.
...
All in all, a very nice experience. A big Thank You to the maintainers!
I was just there yesterday and agree with everything you said. Big props to the maintainers of that section.

Also, the bog bridges north of the shelter, right before the Metro North AT trail stop have been replaced and are a huge improvement.

Did you see if there was still any wood left under the shelter? Not sure when I'll get back up there might be a few days.

Yep, a pile of small diameter wood... didnt' really pay attention to exactly how much was there, but it looked like a fair amount. I don't think anyone stayed there on Saturday night, since the weather on Saturday seemed to keep people mostly off the trail.

Ok thanks I'll try to get up there before this weekend.

Great job maintaining the shelter and good to meet you Sunday evening.

Glad you had a good hike. Remember the train runs all year round so when the rat race is a bit too much head for the hills. Give me a shout next time you head up this way and who knows maybe Hank and I will shake loose to hike with you for the day.

A bear was sighted on 5/25 not too far from the Telephone Pioneer shelter. Please make sure to hang all food away from the shelter and tenting area and use proper bear bagging procedures. A bear was also seen with in 1/4 mile of the Wiley shelter as well so they are appearing to be more active this year than in past years. A small bit of prevention can keep this from becoming an issue and instead make it special out door experience.

Stayed over night here 25 Sept. Stream dry. Water at purple house at west side of Dutchess County 20/West Dover Road (walk down the driveway, the spigot is on one of the posts of the metal fence to the right, a few paces past the gate in the fence). It's a steep 0.7 from West Dover Rd. Bring a train schedule. It's fun to listen to the whistles echo off the sides of the valley and identify the trains. It's a nice walk from the shelter trail/AT junction north (ALDHA south) to Cat Rocks where you'll have a great view of the valley and plenty of opportunities to collect fire wood. A local guy who gave me a lift from the train station said the rocks are named after mountain lions that roam the area, not kitties. But he said the mountain cats are not active lately. I saw nothing bigger than the geese that went honking over the shelter site.

Good thing to know that the shelter stream is dry right now. I hope that the rain due in tomorrow will get it up and going again. Will try to keep it posted at the road crossings about stream.