Just got word that Lost Pond was recently burnt to the ground...AGAIN ...the second time in three years . "Shelter rats" should plan accordingly IOW, Peru Peak Shelter to the south 4.7 miles or Big Branch Shelter to the north 1.7 miles....MrsG
Just got word that Lost Pond was recently burnt to the ground...AGAIN ...the second time in three years . "Shelter rats" should plan accordingly IOW, Peru Peak Shelter to the south 4.7 miles or Big Branch Shelter to the north 1.7 miles....MrsG
arsonists or what?
Wolf,
I don't know what happened, except it's now a charcoal site. "An investigation in underway" is all I know....tentsites are still available...I don't think they torched the privy
MG
Damn shelter mice probably chewed through the wiring again Open season on green mtn mice or who/whatever is responsible
Thru-hiked in '01. Spent the night at Lost Pond Shelter. It burns down soon after.
Thru-hiked in '06. Spent the night at Lost Pond Shelter. It burns down soon after.
(Nearly) Thru-hiked in '99. Did not stay at Lost Pond Shelter. It does burn down, but not soon after (see '01).
Maybe I am a walking curse? Should I thru-hike again, I'll not stay there for the sake of the GMC!
"I too am not a bit untamed, I too am untranslatable,
I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world." - W. W.
obligatory website link
Lone Wolf would probably request that you stay in all of them. Every one knows how fond of shelters he is
I love the smell of esbit in the morning!
well when i think of stone shelters i think of snakes, maybe theres no connection...
stone shelters are a big promblem to remove if the trail is relocated
I don't see what major problem a shelter no longer near enough to the AT to be useful to AT hikers presents. Now, if your point is that a stone shelter is hard to move, then, yes, that's a valid issue. However, not many AT shelters have the problem of periodic destruction by arson. This is an unusual problem meriting unusual solutions. Anyway, whether that section of trail is going to be reloed anytime soon should be information known by the local club.
Hauling or gathering enough stone to build a shelter doesn't sound like much fun. Are you volunteering MS?
I'm not familiar with the location of this shelter - is it near a road crossing or other relatively short trail access? I know many shelters near road crossings get trashed and vandalized.
Since there appears to be another shelter only 1.7 miles north away, maybe this shelter shold not be replaced????
I have heard of tons of problems with the locals in that area of Vermont. When I was finishing up my thru-hike, I had to go back to do this section of VT and stayed at Lost Pond Shelter. It was clean and in great condition.
However, the next day (this is probably around October 2nd) it was pouring rain and cold. I got to Governor Clement Shelter (19 miles) around 4pm and set up in the shelter. After getting settled in my sleeping bag, a woman from the GMC showed up at the shelter and told me that it is definitely not wise to stay there because someone had been beaten up there a few nights earlier and there was a history of unsafe events at the shelter. I didn't see that in my Wingfoot book til after the fact! I hauled ass up to Cooper Lodge as fast as I could!
In addition, I had heard that at the road crossing north of Lost Pond Shelter there had been a terrible incident of vandalism in which the windows of several cars were smashed and the cars were rolled down a hill.
I'm sure whatever happened to Lost Pond Shelter is definitely related to some of the other events that have happened recently.
Oooops. I made a mistake. I just consulted the good ole Wingfoot book...I mixed up Lost Pond Shelter and Little Rock Pond Shelter. They are about 6 miles apart....I never even stopped in to see Lost Pond Shelter! Either way, its no excuse for some of the CRAP vandalism that takes place up there in VT.
Anyone who has hiked the A.T. knows there are no stone shelters on the A.T.. In GSMNP there are shelters built with stone walls and fireplaces but the roof rafters and beams are wood. You also don't sleep on stone or dirt but on wooden platforms. All these shelters (and a few in NY) could be heavily damaged by fire and would have to be rebuilt before they could be used. The stone walls might survive a fire but could be damaged or cracked by the high heat of a fire as well. This is no different than a "brick" house that burns leaving just the walls and has to be leveled because the remaining brickwork and cement is no longer structurally sound. An engineer might be able to explain the physics of this to you.Minnesota Smith-"Why not rebuild them with stone? A stone shelter (there are many on the AT now, so there's no acceptability issue) is virtually fireproof."
The only "stone" shelter I've visited is Muir Hut at 11,996 feet and that has a cone or dome shaped roof so it needs no wood in the roof. The inside also has stone seats around the inside wall that you might sleep on.
A few other shelters (Don Nelan, Key Gap, Silver Hill) have been burned or damaged by fire over the years as well.
Last edited by The Old Fhart; 12-03-2006 at 22:55. Reason: add Silver Hill
A memory test! Didn't the one just north of Hanover (Trapper John?) burn down- just the chimney left?, and in my Dad's day the old one above O Joy Brook on the Hunt trail. And the way so many are getting scorched by alky stoves there'll be more soon, I think.
Sorry to hear this Mrs Gorp, a real shame.
Teej
"[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.
I've been there. They ask you not to sleep there because they don't want anyone using the fragile surrounding area to go to the bathroom, but I stayed up there (made sure I used the "facilities" before I got there). Apparently though, if it rains, the roof isn't all that waterproof at all, so having a tarp or something to throw over you to keep your bag dry is a good idea. It will keep out the wind though.
Gorgeous area too... one of my favorite sections of the PCT that I've hiked so far.
Don't take anything I say seriously... I certainly don't.