View Full Version : Overmountain Shelter closed
i cant find a link to the release but someone on FB posted this..
45630
illabelle
09-04-2019, 17:53
That's sad. :(
mountain squid
09-04-2019, 17:55
This just came across Twitter: http://appalachiantrail.org/home/community/news/2019/09/04/overmountain-shelter-closed-until-further-notice-due-to-structural-damage
The Barn is closed until further notice. As a trail maintainer with TEHCC I knew something was forthcoming. As of yet, I don't know what the final resolution will be: Torn down?, repaired?, etc.
The grassy area near The Barn is still open for camping.
See you on the trail,
mt squid
(https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?100363-2014-Norovirus-Awareness)some observations (https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?14493-observations-from-fs42-(advice-for-first-week-on-trail)&highlight=)
swatsullivan
09-04-2019, 19:38
As someone eager to see all the cool iconic spots along the trail, this does make me sad.
devoidapop
09-04-2019, 19:50
Still a great tent spot.
A lot of folks were responding on Facebook about how disappointed they were at the news, at how wonderful it was to visit Overmountain, etc.
Perhaps those feelings will inspire a serious fundraiser to pay for fixing the shelter. 'cause it won't be cheap....
Tennessee Viking
09-04-2019, 23:24
This just came across Twitter: http://appalachiantrail.org/home/community/news/2019/09/04/overmountain-shelter-closed-until-further-notice-due-to-structural-damage
The Barn is closed until further notice. As a trail maintainer with TEHCC I knew something was forthcoming. As of yet, I don't know what the final resolution will be: Torn down?, repaired?, etc.
The grassy area near The Barn is still open for camping.
See you on the trail,
mt squid
(https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?100363-2014-Norovirus-Awareness)some observations (https://whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?14493-observations-from-fs42-(advice-for-first-week-on-trail)&highlight=)
As long as the privy still has the amazing view
As long as the privy still has the amazing view
Privy with a view
45631
The rumor that this was coming down the pipe was part of why I wanted to stay there this year. We camped on the grass but it was still cool to finally see the barn. Most of the thru hikers we were with camped in the grass as well. A group of locals were setup in the Barn proper.
The rumor that this was coming down the pipe was part of why I wanted to stay there this year. We camped on the grass but it was still cool to finally see the barn. Most of the thru hikers we were with camped in the grass as well. A group of locals were setup in the Barn proper.
I have stayed in the barn a couple of times. I always wondered why it wasn't burned down. Folks cooking on the wood floor upstairs.
NY HIKER 50
09-05-2019, 22:12
I stayed there for a moment but had to abandon it. A nor'easter came through and dropped the temps to 29 degrees in the middle of June! The wind was blowing through so I decided to go to the next shelter. That was no good either so I decided to get out the next morning.
A lot of folks were responding on Facebook about how disappointed they were at the news, at how wonderful it was to visit Overmountain, etc.
Perhaps those feelings will inspire a serious fundraiser to pay for fixing the shelter. 'cause it won't be cheap....
Why would it be expensive to repair/replace?
Any update on the shelter? Have/will they tear it down?
I’m glad that I stayed there in 2018.
Why would it be expensive to repair/replace?
Nothing's cheap, and it's a sizeable structure - not your typical AT shelter.
Slo-go'en
01-11-2020, 13:57
Nothing's cheap, and it's a sizeable structure - not your typical AT shelter.
What they should do is recycle the good wood (I imagine there is a lot of it) to make a new, smaller shelter. That is however, a very labor intensive project. At least there is a road to the site, so heavy equipment can be brought in to make the job easier.
4eyedbuzzard
01-11-2020, 15:01
What they should do is recycle the good wood (I imagine there is a lot of it) to make a new, smaller shelter. That is however, a very labor intensive project. At least there is a road to the site, so heavy equipment can be brought in to make the job easier.Yeah, a smaller, single story structure would simplify a lot of issues that will be expensive and labor intensive to correct - structure leaning, posts rotting, shear failure in a main beam, slope movement (the southeast side is sliding away), etc. It's not all that old of a structure especially compared to many of the older CCC shelters and such. It was built in the 1970's as a farm barn, then renovated/converted by the Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club in 1983 as a shelter. http://appalachiantreks.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-overmountain-shelter.html But open unheated structures without proper foundations (especially given the slope) don't weather the elements well. It would be wonderful if they could restore and save it, but they are going to have to raise a lot of money or materials/in-kind contributions and volunteer workers to do so.
Christoph
01-11-2020, 18:01
Hopefully they'll be able to save some of it and make a smaller 1 or 1.5 story shelter, keeping the "barn" theme would be pretty cool though too. I missed it on my thru attempt , decided to press on and not stay there (but I visited) and I regretted every minute of that decision until my thru when I made it a thing to stay there. That was in '17. So glad I did, it's one my icon moments on the trail. Sad to see it go (if it does), but can't have unsafe stuff out there. It's already not so safe an environment anyway, hiking long days, pushing yourself in thunderstorms, snowstorms, and the rock climbing up North. Haha
Slo-go'en
01-11-2020, 18:11
Overmountain does have one of the top 10 shelter views. At least from the platforms on the side of the building.
BTW, if you decide to walk down the road instead of taking the trail to 19E, you end up a long, long way from where you want to be. But it's an interesting journey. It was actually kind of fun and avoided some nasty weather on the humps that day.
the road access is a big part of the problem, it will be less when the structure is removed
lucky luke
01-12-2020, 03:52
i stayed there in december´99. a great spot with a not so good night spent there.
the upperfloor sliding door was not there and the hole was covered with a sheet of plastic, torn and blowing in the wind, flapping like crazy, very loud and very drafty. 3 groups in there, all inside tents on the upper floor.
2 dogs were there, barking all night, and mice were all over. still better than outside in the storm i admit.
i thought it much older, it seemed to be falling apart then and i wondered how much longer it will be useable. did not give it 5 more years.
i like the idea of tearing it down, building a smaller shelter from the wood. if it has fundamental problems with the beam construction it will be very expensive to get it fixed and back in good shape.
LazyLightning
01-12-2020, 11:36
barns weather well and hold up much longer then this unheated, so I'd say being unheated isn't in the problem but more so on foundation and the ground movement. The cracks in the walls actually let barns breath and hold up for long periods without heat or much maintenance at all.
Seatbelt
03-05-2020, 08:45
Does anyone know if the barn is still standing? or the privy useable? We are hiking thru there in a couple of weeks(with the grandkids) and I'm curious just in case they need it.
Slo-go'en
03-05-2020, 09:10
Does anyone know if the barn is still standing? or the privy useable? We are hiking thru there in a couple of weeks(with the grandkids) and I'm curious just in case they need it.
The privy is useable. You can camp in the field by the barn, but do not enter it. It is suggested you stay 100 feet away from the building, so don't let the kids explore.
Seatbelt
03-05-2020, 09:41
The privy is useable. You can camp in the field by the barn, but do not enter it. It is suggested you stay 100 feet away from the building, so don't let the kids explore.
Thanks for the info! They will definitely want to explore if allowed.....
peakbagger
03-05-2020, 10:58
Up north if there is a roof, there is a barn. Foundations can be replaced, but once the roof goes and the frame starts rotting its all over. Since there is access to the site, dependent on the soil conditions, a small crew with a Bobcat can install helical screw anchors to stabilize the foundations. These were used on the Pochuck boardwalk in NJ along with a few other spots. These anchors are used to re-support multi story buildings and chimneys, a lightweight barn is not a problem unless the entire hillside is heading down the valley.
My guess is the NPS has decided that the structure is not consistent with the AT and not that great of a shelter. Generally budgets are tight and unless congress decides its pet project, the NPS will not have the budget or the motivation to rebuild a structure. They are in the business of removing non conforming structures
Crushed Grapes
03-05-2020, 12:47
So glad I stayed there on my thru last year. We had a hell of a day coming down off of Roan mountain. A storm was rolling in and as soon as we hit Carvers gap it started raining. When we were crossing the Balds it started hailing/sleeting. I was pretty freaking terrified, couldn't see more than 50 yards in any direction. Nearly cried once I caught sight of Overmountain, had never been happy to see a shelter as much before. I think there were at least 40 of us there that night? Woke up to snow blowing into the shelter even though the door upstairs was closed. Some good, crazy memories of that place.
thewoodsarecallingme
03-05-2020, 13:37
This is sad to hear. I have been hiking this section and staying in this shelter off and on since the late 90's. I introduced my daughter to the AT hiking this section when she was 6 years old. Most of my trips through this section are during the winter months, so seeing that shelter from the field above was like a lighthouse guiding the ships at sea. Nothing like waking up on a clear morning watching the sun rise in the valley below from in your sleeping bag on a frigid morning.
Rusty Joints
03-06-2020, 08:42
I'll never forget that barn and its spring. I watched a guy almost swallow one of those orange newts? salamanders? that had snuck into his wide mouth Nalgene when he filled it at the spring. It was dark. He was tired. It was funny anyway, and the little orange guy got away unscathed.
46252Some of the posted signs...
Nolan "Guido" Jordan
03-06-2020, 11:03
I visited that shelter one time on April 27th, 2011. The day with the tornado outbreak in the southeast US. We pushed on and stayed at Doll Flats that night. The wind was crazy strong and blew my tent down twice. I was only 9-years-old at the time and I was terrified. We met some people at Bob's Dairyland the next day who stayed at the barn the night before. They said the whole thing shook like nuts.
My dad remembers staying there one night and the fireflies lit up the valley that night. One of the most beautiful things he's ever seen on the trail.
Traffic Jam
03-06-2020, 21:59
My two experiences here weren’t good and I’m not sad. It attracted the wrong crowd... non-hikers who were only looking for a place to party.
Tennessee Viking
03-07-2020, 01:19
As of right now, the frame of the barn is leaning downhill which led to its closure.
From what I have heard, the ATC and Pisgah NF are considering a number of projects for the Barn. Final plans have yet to be confirmed.
My two experiences here weren’t good and I’m not sad. It attracted the wrong crowd... non-hikers who were only looking for a place to party.
the one time I tried staying there, and I’m fine with people partying to a certain extent,
but i don’t like large crowds.....
i counted 34 people inside and when I left (which was still early afternoon), more
people were coming in.......
what really sealed the deal for me to leave—-is when some guy spilled all his noodles m
and boiling water over the place I had wanted to lay down......which was one of those porch
platforms sorta on the outside....
packed up and left......
that section between carvers and 19e is so beautiful and scenic, and that draws a lot of people...
LazyLightning
03-07-2020, 11:01
That reminded me of a guy in the Smokey's on my thru hike that spilt his noodles all over the picnic table while cooking, stayed at the shelter and didn't even bother to try cleaning his mess... some real class acts out there, and he was a thru hiker to.
I hear you on the party aspect of the barn, which I didn't really think of. I was at the hostel with a steep side trail before climbing Roan (northbound) for a small resupply and the owner was telling me how her son/brother or some relative would be heading up with a bunch of people that night for a big party and how he's up there all the time doing it...
I told this story before but here's another short version, it's a good one. Thought I was on the shelter trail but was on the historic trail there. I'm thinking it's taking way too long and I'm climbing up this hill into a big field, which I knew the barn was in a field so thought this has to be it. I crest the hill and see nothing but a wide open field - then I turn around and way below in the distance I see the barn, a beautiful shot of it but all I can think is "you gotta be F'in kidding me". It's cold/snowing and couldn't wait to get there... so about 30 minutes and a few wrong turns later I finally get there. Frigid night with snow blowing through the cracks in the walls but I was so happy for that barn being there!
Overmountain does have one of the top 10 shelter views. At least from the platforms on the side of the building.
BTW, if you decide to walk down the road instead of taking the trail to 19E, you end up a long, long way from where you want to be. But it's an interesting journey. It was actually kind of fun and avoided some nasty weather on the humps that day.
I've told many folks that the favorite hike on the AT was over the Humps when storms were coming through. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL area.
BlackCloud
03-14-2020, 11:23
Overmountain does have one of the top 10 shelter views. At least from the platforms on the side of the building.
BTW, if you decide to walk down the road instead of taking the trail to 19E, you end up a long, long way from where you want to be. But it's an interesting journey. It was actually kind of fun and avoided some nasty weather on the humps that day.
Which begs the question, is there a thread or poll listing the 10 shelters with the best views?
Slo-go'en
03-14-2020, 13:58
Which begs the question, is there a thread or poll listing the 10 shelters with the best views?
There actually aren't that many. Most shelters are located in sheltered areas.
Vandeventer has a good view just behind the shelter. Riga shelter has a great sunrise view. Gentian Pond has one of the best, with a view down the Mt. Washington Valley. I seem to remember the Chairback shelter has a good view.
Speaking of crowds at Overmountain, I was there for an Appalachian State collage beer blast. How long does it take 50 hikers to drain a keg? About 15 minutes. Then there was a beer run which brought back 20 cases.
I ended up catching a nasty cold from one of the collage kids who was hacking all night next to me. Hit me hard just as Trail Days was starting and spent the whole weekend in my tent, in the rain.
BlackCloud
03-14-2020, 23:48
Chestnut Knob is the best I've seen yet
Chestnut Knob is the best I've seen yet
When I was there in 2013 even looking out the privy door was a good view. :)
This may be sacrilegious to some, but perhaps the demise of a shelter is an opportunity to not replace it. Gradually replace shelters with designated camping/tenting areas with or without tent pads or platforms. I think I'd keep the privies to help protect the water supply.
Personally, although I prefer my tent or hammock, I like having the shelter option. But too many of them are rodent-infested and/or party spots. They're expensive to build and maintain, yada, yada, yada.
peakbagger
03-16-2020, 13:18
Goddard Shelter in VT has or had a great view. its also in wilderness area with quite a walk in from the road so less prone to partying.
Hard to beat Madison Hut and Lake of the Crowds Hut in the whites with Greenleaf Hut right behind. Definitely hard on the wallet.
BlackCloud
03-16-2020, 19:56
This may be sacrilegious to some, but perhaps the demise of a shelter is an opportunity to not replace it. Gradually replace shelters with designated camping/tenting areas with or without tent pads or platforms. I think I'd keep the privies to help protect the water supply.
Personally, although I prefer my tent or hammock, I like having the shelter option. But too many of them are rodent-infested and/or party spots. They're expensive to build and maintain, yada, yada, yada.
Did someone say rodents?
Yeah, more manicured tent areas and fewer shelters might be all right.