As of November 2008 Smart's mountain in NH now has four privies on the summit counting the temporary one built a summer ago. Now I ask you why? Well here is the reason as I see it.
The people in charge of constructing the privies and many of the shelters on the AT between Woodstock, VT and North Woodstock, NH are college kids that are "intentionally unsupervised" so that they "may learn from their mistakes". And mistakes they do make. The latest privy on Smart's is located on a very steep mountainside just 200 feet NW of the Fire Warden's cabin. It is approximately 6 by 10 feet, post and beam. It was designed and built on the college campus, dismantled and then over the next three years, carried to the top of Smart's. It was assembled this summer and features a fake shower head, inflatable bath toys, a rustic vanity table, a large hand mirror and a plastic shower curtain for a door. The plastic shower curtain door lasted maybe a month due to UV exposure. It now has been removed and hauled out of there as it was falling apart when last encountered. So now there is no door at all, and it faces the approach trail so bring a trusted privacy guard. The privy is also about to lose its aluminum roofing because it was attached without any frame at the outer edges which overhang about eighteen inches. The aluminum roofing is rapidly being peeled back by the wind.
This reminds me of the "medieval theme" privy built by the same organization's inmates about three years ago to serve the Ore Hill shelter. This privy had a "drawbridge" door held up by two plastic milk bottles full of sand, clothesline and pulleys. That contraption lasted about three months before the UV ate the plastic bottles and the sand fell out, then of course the draw bridge door fell down never to rise again.
The institution of higher education whose students build these "jokes" has become a laughingstock among AT hikers.
Humor is one thing, but I think that longevity should be emphasized in these undertakings.
Why are there four privies on Smart's? Because there is no fun involved in getting rid of the three old ones.
Durn kids!