I understand you must reserve space at the shelters. What if you get to a shelter you have a reservation for and find it full? What would be the correct way to handle this situation?
I understand you must reserve space at the shelters. What if you get to a shelter you have a reservation for and find it full? What would be the correct way to handle this situation?
Ask if anyone wants to sleep in thier tent. Lots of people would rather do that.
Or ask everyone to move over, sleeping 15 or more in a shelter for 12 is not unusual, especially during bad weather.
"Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011
I'd say a prayer of thanks and happily pitch my tent in site of the shelter.
I imagine if you announce that you have a reservation and you'd like to use it the offending person will move. If not, then I bet everyone that does have a valid permit will show theirs and peer pressure will drive the offending person out. Thats my best guess.
Thats good, I like that as a first step even better than my suggestions.
I hate the GSMNP and haven't been back since my thru. Someone posted that they now have raised wooden dividers between spaces that would make this impossible. Don't know if that is true or not.
Just sleep in your tent, to me asking some one to move over or move out is very rude.
Most of the shelters have extra floor space in front of the actual board platforms that allows for an extra person or two, also the shelters that I have seen in the smokies are plenty large enough for several extra people on the platforms as well.
In the good old days peaople lived in the park. Now they need a permit to visit their dead.
Now they need a permit to visit their dead.
nope.....that is false statement.....
in fact, the park runs free shuttles to a bunch of the cemeteries...........
its been a while since ive been in a shelter in the park, but some of the dividers were still in place............
and yes, the chicken wire bunks are long gone, replaced by wooden boards.....
since they have redone all of the shelters, i think in that process some of the dividers got torn out, but i think there are a few shelters that still have em.....
AGREE!! If the new rules state you must have a permit, then simply state that you have one and ask that everyone make sure they have one. It is not rude for you to ask the rule breaker to leave or to sleep in their tent, they brought it on themselves. If you accept that they have taken all the space available and they are not supposed to be there, they are forcing the option on you to tent.
non thru hikers with permits are not required to leave the shelter but if they show up and it is full a thru hiker must leave. last time I read it which was a year or more ago.
pitch a tent.
I don't get this thread at all. (but then again, I'm a hammocker).