Whitley Gap Shelter (37 miles north of Springer)

[Pedaling Fool]

While planning my section hike, I noticed Whitley Gap shelter, which is 1.2 miles off the trail and the spring is 0.3 mi beyond the shelter.

I remember seeing the sign for that shelter, last year, but had no desire to go see it. I believe this is the shelter that I heard of a bear taking up residence.

Anyone know if this is that shelter and if the bear is still a resident? I can’t say I blame him, I imagine not many hikers stop at this shelter.

[generoll]

dunno about a bear, but i stayed there in March of 05. it's a nice shelter and has the nicest water of any shelter i stayed at. the water comes out of what looks like about a 3" pipe and was flowing like a faucet when i stayed there. i don't think the water was .3 miles, more like .1 miles if i recall. there were bear cables and i believe a privy has been added since i was last there. a very nice shelter, but the 1.2 miles was a bit of a drag. it's in and out, the shelter and trail is perpindicular to the trail so there's no easy way about it.

i had a rather strange occurence when i stayed there. when i got up the next morning there was an extra food bag hanging from the bear cable. i swear it wasn't there when i went to bed and i never heard a sound until i got up the next morning. i left it alone, but i never did figure out just what it was doing there. one of lifes little mysteries i suppose.

nice shelter with a picnic table and a fire pit anyway.

[Buckles]

I don't know much about that shelter, because I've chosen not to stop there. However, the next shelter north, Low Gap, did have an incident a few years back where a thru-hiker awoke (in the shelter) to a bear straddling him. I think it was a one-time occurance. Heck of a wake up call though!!

[orangebug]

Low Gap shelter was closed down for awhile due to the bear problem.

Whitley Gap Shelter is a nice area, but no good view or other real reason to stay there. One could do just as well by blue blazing along the road from Testnatee Gap to Hogs Pen Gap, get water nearby and keep going North on the AT. There are nice campsites further north.

[Lone Wolf]

One could do just as well by blue blazing along the road from Testnatee Gap to Hogs Pen Gap, get water nearby and keep going North on the AT. There are nice campsites further north.

i like the way you think.

[briarpatch]

OK, a Whitley Gap Privy story. When the GATC had the air drop for the privy materials, the pilot didn't return to pick up the cargo net from the second load. I had the dubious pleasure of hauling it out in a Golite Day pack. It filled the pack and wrapped over itself several times on the outside. My son got to carry the rope and cable pins. And those nets are way heavy. You don't realize how far down (elevation wise) off of the AT that the shelter is until you have to haul 40-50 pounds back up the blue blaze trail and out to the road crossing in a pack more suited to carrying lunch and a first aid kit.

And yes, about 2 years a go there was a bear that spent some afternoons lounging in the sun at the shelter, if the register entries are accurate. And since the trail comes up from almost behind the shelter, some hikers (and the bear, too) had interesting surprise meetings when they came around to the front.

[neo]

i had to pass that shelter up in 2001,to far off the trail neo

[Lone Wolf]

i had to pass that shelter up in 2001,to far off the trail neo

they should all be that far off

[neo]

they should all be that far off

all i need is my tarp and hammock anyway neo

[jesse]

I stayed there in March 06. Had a good view at night of Dalonagha (I think). Along the blue blaze there is a open ridge, where you could tent, that has some great views just before you make the decent to the shelter. However there is no water on the ridge.

[Sly]

Being so far off the trail I'm surprised it's even listed in the guidebooks.

[max patch]

I stayed there on my thru because I had never seen the shelter before. Only one there. Woke up in the middle of a war.

[Gadog430]

War??????????? This we must hear. Please!@!@!

Dawg

I stayed there on my thru because I had never seen the shelter before. Only one there. Woke up in the middle of a war.

[Dances with Mice]

War games. Training operations at the nearby Army Ranger camp soemtimes make hiking in that area interesting.

[Jim Adams]

War games. Training operations at the nearby Army Ranger camp soemtimes make hiking in that area interesting.

They can be good entertainment under the right circumstances.
geek

[max patch]

War games. Training operations at the nearby Army Ranger camp soemtimes make hiking in that area interesting.

Exactly. I woke up and a soldier was in front of the shelter. He placed a finger on his lips (the keep quiet symbol) and then drew his finger across his throat (self explanetory). He then left. About 5 minutes later the war games commenced.

I'm from GA so all this was not unexpected; although it was the first time I'd experienced it. I've always wondered what the reaction would be of someone not from the area and didn't know about the nearby ranger camp and their activities would have been to all this.

[Jim Adams]

Last year I was at the Hawk Mt. Shelter and had just set up my tarp and finished dinner as it was getting dark. Just after dark a "fire fight" erupted on the facing mountain across the very narrow but deep valley. It lasted about 5 minutes and then ended as quickly as it started. The entire shelter population was standing on the access trail watching and when it ended, everyone began to hoot and holler and raise their lighters ala concert appreciation. We were definitely within view and voice of the "battle" and I feel sure that the Rangers got off on our reaction.
geek

[Gadog430]

Ah. I have experienced this. We were sitting at Three Forks eating something. The little dude just came right out from behind a tree. We said hi. He looked at us with a blank look and went off into the woods never to be seen again. But then again, we never saw him in the first place.

Dawg

War games. Training operations at the nearby Army Ranger camp soemtimes make hiking in that area interesting.

[Skidsteer]

I stayed there in March 06. Had a good view at night of Dalonagha (I think). Along the blue blaze there is a open ridge, where you could tent, that has some great views just before you make the decent to the shelter. However there is no water on the ridge.

I don't have a map in front of me but the town you saw might have been Cleveland.

[smokymtnsteve]

all i need is my tarp and hammock anyway neo

and Hillary