Mass AT Trip Report - College Orientation Weekend

[makoboy]

Hiked from Lee / Rt 20 NoBo to Cheshire over laborday weekend. I statyed at both the October Mtn and Kay Wood Shelters. Both were in really good shape, Kay Wood even had firewood cut and stacked under the shelter. There is pleny of water in the brooks, however the source near Oct Mtn was suspciously yellow...

The trail is still a bit muddy, especially for this time of year. Stopped by the Cookie Lady's house, but there was nothing out.

I also learned that Princeton University and Williams College have started to do outings on the AT as part of Freshman Orientation. I came across 7 different groups of 10 from colleges. Camped with a Williams group the first night, and then the same Williams group, plus a Princeton group the 2nd night. With the thru's, sectioners and weekender's the camp total was 27 people.

Thankfully the college kids tarped together with 10 under one tarp. (I cant imagine what they would have done if it rained or was windy..all in the shelter?).

The bear box was filled to capacity, and some food was left on the ground, and there was a decent line for the privy at times.

They were all well behaved, but just too many people for one campsite.

[XCskiNYC]

I also learned that Princeton University and Williams College have started to do outings on the AT as part of Freshman Orientation.

The Princeton group overnighted at Morgan-Stewart shelter, between I-84 and Nuclear Lake, Sunday night (06 Sept 09). They had the big tarp. They did many, many verbal exercise games. They also spared me a couple drops of iodine so I could water up off the Dirty Harry Well (the notice says sometimes it tests positive for general coliform -- you feeling lucky punk?).

They left about a half hour before me NOBO and about a half mile later I caught up with them doing.... a verbal exercise game.

Their destination was CT but it seems like that might take 'em a while.

They were very well behaved and the group leader was scrupulous in checking the shelter area to make sure they had LNT'd.

[Spokes]

Yep, I ran into the Princeton group this year. They had so much food scattered inside the shelter it looked like a grocery store exploded.

The best entertainment of the evening was watching 5 of them trying to light a Whisperlight. OMG, just picture big balls of flames and screaming girls with no eyebrows running around........

Doesn't Princeton cater to the Mensa crowd?

[sasquatch2014]

I saw a big group of them near Falls Village as I had one last hurrah with my kids at the end of the summer. As we headed back home along the AT detour there we a bunch of them in and along the road. I sped up the ones on the side of the road survived I think the rest, well consider it a Darwin Award type of thing. :rolleyes:

[Jack Tarlin]

Lots of Dartmouth groups out as well recently, both North and South of Hanover. Have heard several reports of groups taking over shelters, camping at places that were not equipped for larger groups, hiking on the A.T. in groups well larger than 10 people, etc.

Obvioulsy another example of what the Dartmouth College Outing Club can do when it doesn't put its mind to it.