View Full Version : Missing Shelter - Long Branch - Approximately 102.5 Miles From Springer Mountain.
Woof Shaven
11-15-2014, 01:28
The Long Branch Shelter is totally missing, I mean its just plain gone. I think someone must absconded with it. If you see this shelter please inform the Garmin Trailhead Series - Appalachian Trail Cartographers immediately. They don't know where its at. Try looking around "Big Spring Shelter" one of their Points Of Interests said.
I also checked with the ATC's GIS and GPS Data site and it appears they are looking for that shelter too.
I suspect the people referenced down below know exactly where that missing shelter is really at.
http://tnlandforms.us/at/m.php?wpt=LongBr
Long Branch Shelter
N35° 04.198' W83° 29.889'
http://appalachiantrail.com/20121221/ncs-new-long-branch-shelter/
28909
upstream
11-15-2014, 07:51
According to ATC GIS data I downloaded about 4 weeks ago, it is at 35.0699, -83.4991.
In person, I found the shelter and it is about
4489 ft N35 04.193 W83 29.893
Woof Shaven
11-15-2014, 09:36
If I am mistaken then I owe an apology. My assertion or claim the data is missing refers to the AT GIS Shelter Data, the download offered in GPX (GPS Exchange Format) this file is still time stamped 12/02/11, as of this follow up, which I found available at the following link.
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/about-the-trail/mapping-gis-data/appalachian-trail-gis-gps-data
If you have Garmin BaseCamp installed on your PC, you can download that file, double click on it, and this file will automatically load into BaseCamp. Then I sorted those AT GIS shelter points of interests alphabetically, searched for it, but could not find it.
Both the Garmin Trailhead Series and the file I am talking about above; were not listing the Long Branch shelter datapoint, and both datasets are still listing "Big Spring Shelter" datapoint as a camping option.
Thank you for your location report. I am hoping to write an article or (How To) on the Garmin trailhead product for the AT Trail. I think this Garmin offering has good value, but I would only use it in conjunction with one of the community recognized official guidebooks. Actually I think everyone should own at least two of the top three guidebook. I plan to list what I think the top three guidebooks are in alphabetical order of course because they are all must have books.
If you saw that shelter in that ATC dataset I referenced, please let me know, I will double check my research, an then offer up a retraction with an apology.
bigcranky
11-15-2014, 09:42
The Big Spring shelter is gone, and the Long Branch shelter is very new.
The Big Spring shelter is gone, and the Long Branch shelter is very new.
And also very close to former Big Spring Shelter site - maybe 1.5 miles NOBO. NFS is renabbing the Big Spring Shelter site due to years of overuse that can be attributed to its close proximity to the road. Car camping always attracts a different crowd and almost always leads to trashing a site. There are signs indicating camping is prohibited at the former shelter site so don't make plans to camp there.
Park your car at Rock gap and hike sobo along the AT for about 4.5 miles, you will see the long branch shelter sign and side trail you can't miss it. the long branch shelter is basically brand new the ATC hasn't updated their info yet.
upstream
11-16-2014, 20:41
Oops, sorry, you are right. I added that waypoint in caltopo along with the other shelters from the AT data. That is where I got the numbers.
FlyPaper
11-17-2014, 11:21
Oops, sorry, you are right. I added that waypoint in caltopo along with the other shelters from the AT data. That is where I got the numbers.
See this link:
http://www.atdist.com/atdist?k1=AXR&k2=BA&h=839414aa&year=2014
Yes, the lat,lon noted in
http://tnlandforms.us/at/m.php?wpt=LongBr
is accurate. If you zoom in on the Google map on that site, you can see the shelter (and potty) in the google aerial imagery. NED/USGS elevation is 4436' Good water supply from Long Branch.