I stopped here for a lunch break on the way to High Point Shelter (5/3/04). Shelter is just OK with no picnic table, but has a spiffy port-a-can that is big enough to change clothes in. There was plenty of trail magic by Deperado in the bear box.

Anything like Vietcong Shelter?

Hello eveyone,

Just wanted to put up a post here to let you all know that Myself and Tribes are the shelter maintainers for the Meshipacong Shelter. We work for the NY/NJ Trail Conference. If there are any problems we should be aware of, or if anyone needs anything for or at the shelter, please let us know.
I also would like to thank Desperado for all of his help with the care of the shelter and all of the magic he provides to the thrus, always. Although we have never met we do appreciate you help and effort. If you read this and get a chance please contact myself or tribes, we would like to meet you and thank you in person.
Last but not least I would like to wish the best of luck, and health, to all the thru hikers this season. I hope to see some of you this summer in the NY NJ area. Just look for Kermit the frog, he'll be taking a free ride from me.

Yours Truly,

DirtyBird

Just got back from a 348 mile section hike from HF to Glenwood Lake, NY. I passed by this shelter around noontime on Monday, June 7th on my way north. It is tick infected. I could see them crawling everywhere, so I didn't stay long. Maybe you could spray the place down with some insecticide. Desperado had left water north 2/10's of a mile at Deckertown Trnpk. The clean privy was a welcome sight.
Cin

I stopped here for a lunch break on the way to High Point Shelter (5/3/04). Shelter is just OK with no picnic table, but has a spiffy port-a-can that is big enough to change clothes in. There was plenty of trail magic by Deperado in the bear box.
I believe (if memory serves me) that this is a picture of that spiffy port-a-can...

http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/103/password/0/sort/1/cat/500/page/4

Sue/HH

Stayed here 4/16/2005 on a NJ Section Hike.

It was a very pleasant location at a higher elevation on the ridge, which meant it got more light (a plus in my book). The solar privy was very spiffy, and Desperado had left lots of trail magic for thru-hikers in the bear box.

The biggest down side was no water, and I didn't see any at Deckertown Rd. the next day either. Make sure to cart some water up here, since there isn't any for several miles (unless you feel like detouring off the trail).

I didn't notice any ticks like Minerva mentioned. Hopefully they are gone now.

Even though this shelter is close to a road, it seems to be a less-used one. I got a good night's sleep here.

Does this type of privy have a 'brand name", in other words, was it purchased from a company? Would like that info ;-)

Stayed here 4/16/2005 on a NJ Section Hike.



The biggest down side was no water, and I didn't see any at Deckertown Rd. the next day either. Make sure to cart some water up here, since there isn't any for several miles (unless you feel like detouring off the trail).

.
Was the water pump at Deckertown just not turned on for the season perhaps? I'm doing a section hike this weekend (4/29-5/1/05), and was counting on that water supply at Deckertown...

Well, I didn't look for it very long... but a Southbound hiker had just passed Deckertown Rd. when he sat down at Mashipacong for supper, and didn't find water either. On top of that, the 2005 AT Thru-hikers' Companion states, "No water." Generally if there's water within 0.5 mi. of a shelter, they include it.

That's weird- the NJ A.T. guide book I have from the NYNJTC says "water from pump at Deckertown Tpk."

There IS NO water at Mashipacong Shelter ITSELF; the pump is supposed to be where the A.T. crosses Deckertown Tpk. (just making sure we're talking about the same thing.)

I did that section of NJ last summer. When I crossed the road there at Deckertown TPK, I ran into Desperado, a trail angel. The pump was no longer there, it had been removed. If I remember correctly he said it was the second time it had been removed over the years and that the well was contaminated. He had been leaving water close to the Mashipacong Shelter, but I wouldn't count on this.

Thanks! I'm just glad I found out NOT to count on that pump at Deckertown as a refill site. Thanks for the info- I'm heading out the door now to meet the crew at the trailhead!

i got water left by trail angels down the trail near the road,also there was trail goodys :cool: neo

Just passed through this week, nearest water is about a mile away on the Iris Trail. There's a sign for it at the intersection with the AT if you're coming in from the north.

Fortunately, we had teenagers in the shelter who were willing to carry water just for something to do - gotta love it!

-Joyce

Just passed through this week, nearest water is about a mile away on the Iris Trail. There's a sign for it at the intersection with the AT if you're coming in from the north.

Fortunately, we had teenagers in the shelter who were willing to carry water just for something to do - gotta love it!

-Joyce
Yeah- that's where we got water from. Good, running, close source.

That privy is cool- except when the sun isn't bright enuff to operate the solar cells- then it smells WORSE than alot of the privies I've been in. That thing needs to be emptied. BAD.

Deckerton Pike water pump was shut down in 1998 due to contamination (Giardia and bacteria). There's a spring about 5/8ths of a mile north on the Iris (Red blaze) trail. Desperado, Dirty and crew leave water and often soda just off the AT near the shelter...check the log book for it's location. Although the bear box gets raided by locals from time to time....they only seem to take the cookies and candy the Angels leave for thru's...sugar addicts, it seems. I've replenished what I can, when I can.

Having met both DirtyBird and Desperado, they do an amazing job of maintaining this and several other shelters in Stokes. I've seen Desperado at Brink Rd, Gren Anderson and Mashipicong (no, it's nothing like Mei Cong or VietCong)...

I met Dirty at the Rutherford Shelter last year. You and your guys are great, and many thanks for all your efforts.

This shelter looked really promising, but it was closed due to bear activity when my friend and I ran into it July 29 '05. Just a bit of warning for anyone who gets this. You'll probably have to go to the Rutherford Shelter a little further up the AT. A shame too; that shelter was nothing compared to this one.

The shelter is open again for business! and now has a picnic table

Talk about an encounter that would make you scream like a little girl:

Tuesday, August 2, 2005 By LYNN OLANOFF

Herald Staff Writer

MONTAGUE — A bear bit a sleeping camper and tried to drag him away from a shelter along the Appalachian Trail at High Point State Park last month, state officials said Monday. The bear was killed Friday after becoming ensnared in a trap at the same campsite, officials said.

The male camper, whose name has not been released, was sleeping with a group around 6:30 a.m. on July 13 at the Mashipacong Shelter when the bear bit him on the leg and attempted to drag both him and his sleeping bag, said Karen Hershey, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The bear left "marks" on the camper, Hershey said, but would not release details of his injuries Monday.

State officials learned of the incident from a High Point State Park ranger on July 21, Hershey said. The spokeswoman said the late notification combined with a weeklong investigation into the incident was the reason for delayed public notification.

The State Division of Fish and Wildlife set a trap for the bear Wednesday at the shelter, the campsite on the Appalachian Trail in Montague where the July 13 incident occurred, Hershey said. The shelter is near Deckertown Turnpike in the southeast corner of the park close to the Wantage border.

The 152-pound, 5-year-old female bear caught in the trap Friday was later identified as the same bear who bit the camper, Hershey said. She did not say how the bear was identified.

"The Division (of Fish and Wildlife) was confident it caught the offending bear," she said.

DEP Press Director Elaine Makatura said the department does not release the names of people involved in bear incidents to "protect (their) anonymity."

The Mashipacong Shelter and nearby sections of the Appalachian Trail were closed for a few days during the investigation. They have since been reopened.

High Point State Park Superintendent John Keator referred a call Monday inquiring about the incident to the DEP press office.
http://www.njherald.com/307207592292689.php

Does this type of privy have a 'brand name", in other words, was it purchased from a company? Would like that info ;-)
The brand is Clivus, they are used in many places. NJ is planning on installing them in other locations as well.

Hello eveyone,

Just wanted to put up a post here to let you all know that Myself and Tribes are the shelter maintainers for the Meshipacong Shelter. We work for the NY/NJ Trail Conference. If there are any problems we should be aware of, or if anyone needs anything for or at the shelter, please let us know.
I also would like to thank Desperado for all of his help with the care of the shelter and all of the magic he provides to the thrus, always. Although we have never met we do appreciate you help and effort. If you read this and get a chance please contact myself or tribes, we would like to meet you and thank you in person.
Last but not least I would like to wish the best of luck, and health, to all the thru hikers this season. I hope to see some of you this summer in the NY NJ area. Just look for Kermit the frog, he'll be taking a free ride from me.

Yours Truly,

DirtyBird

Trail magic as defined as leaving food and goodies in bear boxes and shelters is forbidden in NJ due to to the large and active bear population. For the safety of both hikers and bears,the NYNJ Trail Conference encourages all to follow this policy. Certainly, passing out cold sodas and food to hikers is encouraged but please do not leave food anywhere on the trail.

Does anyone know if the stream at the Iris Trail is running. It's been very dry in NJ and I'm doing a section hike in November. I was hoping to use it as a water source.

I briefly visited Mashipacong shelter the morning of Nov 5, having stayed the night at the Rutherford Shelter and hiked S along the AT. Two hikers and their spaniel had spent a comfortable night. Alas, as they pointed out, the privy was unusable. The seat was heavily smeared and the trash can was full and overflowing with garbage over most of the privy floor. I marched on toward Sunrise Mountain, where there is a well-maintained pit toilet at the parking lot.
Walt

I stayed at this shelter on 6/20/06. It was really a nice experience. It has no water, but I knew that and packed more than enough in. It's on a ridge and had a gentle breeze blowing so the mosquitos were practically non-existent. Didn't find any ticks on me. There's a generous tenting area with great trees for my hammock. Bear boxes are new and in good condition. The privy is fit for a king, was clean and not smelly, and is huge! It even has a trash can and an alcohol cleanser dispenser. It was the nicest shelter I stayed in on my section hike.

According to multiple register entries, the teenager who had his leg bitten by the bear had crackers in his sleeping bag - most of the blame for the incident and destruction of the bear is put on him. I didn't get a bear visit that night but the register had lots of non-threatening bear sightings at this and other NJ shelters.

I stayed at the Mashipacong Shelter last night (11/7/2006). The shelter was very clean and in good shape, it even had a broom. It rained all night long and I only saw one small leak. The privy was in good shape and the bear box looked new. The lack of a water source in the area is a concern, I dropped off water there before I started the hike. Overall I give the shelter high praise.

Stayed at shelter June 9, 2007. Got a good night's sleep, enjoyed the five star privy (lots of TP, but out of alcohol cleanser, but now I'm nitpicking). The registery was a bit messed up, and we didn't find any water around, but the grass was short (ie no tick problems), and the tenting area up the iris trail looked really nice.
-The Onondaga Kid

I'm about to head up to the Meshipacong Shelter shelter the weekend of 11/3-4. Does anyone know the current water situation? Has a new well been built, or is water still dropped, or do I have to go down to the Iris trail?

Thanks.

I was advised about a year ago that the nearest well, which was about 1/4 mile north on the trail near the parking area, was contaminated. I suppose whatever contaminated the well is still contaminating the ground water, therefore preventing a new source in that area. I think the Iris Trail is your best bet. But I haven't been there in a year, maybe things have changed?

shelter was in good shape it now has a picnic table , privy was the worst smell in the world , it has a very nice lawn that's been mowed recently, someone left a few gallon jugs of water which a sobo got sick from drinking it and he thinks that maybe the kind person didn't rinse them out .