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Former Admin
09-10-2002, 05:19
Does anybody know what the deal is with the "Secret Shelter" or maybe I shouldn't bring this secret up .....LOL

Hammock Hanger
09-10-2002, 06:15
The shelter is on privste property just a few hundred feet up the road at a road crossing n NJ. It is owned by Jim Murray who is a past thru-hiker. He really enjoyed the trial and wanted to give back a little. There is a privy, and outside shower and an inside shower with hot and cold water. Inside the shelter is large utiity sink, a small counter, and a dryer. Up the ladder is a small loft that can accomodate 4-5 hikers. There is a large grass lawn to accomodate tents. Jim does not really advertise. He told me that he would prefer it be by word of mouth from hiker to hiker. He will continue this coutesry as long as the hikers keep it clean and respect it as his property. He stops by almost daily to feed his Italian donkeys tht are stabled down at the end of the property. He also has a small private cabin type building that he spends time in. To spot the road and turn off look for the small sign that states "Well Water 100 yards", in small print someone wrote "You need water now!!".

stranger
12-11-2002, 23:59
Absolutely beautiful place for hikers, and we should keep a low profile to where "exactly" it is...hence the name. Very buggy area in summer, great in winter since the cabins are heated, great well water...Incredible service to hikers! Thanx

chief
12-12-2002, 02:32
i have nothing to say, it's secret!

Downunda
10-30-2003, 19:47
I stayed at the "Secret Shelter" in 2002. It was a wonderful find on what was a stinking hot day. I arrived there early afternoon, had a shower then dozed in the hammock. It is a beautiful setting in the grassy fields with lots of room to pitch a tent.

By night fall there was about 8 of us there and we all agreed it was a real treat. The small donkeys braying in the adjacent paddock were really cute.

Thanks again.

Footslogger
10-30-2003, 21:34
I stayed there this year on my thru. It's right after High Point State Park. Beautiful setting. There's a shelter with a loft, privy, hot water shower and a large open area for tenting.

Having said the above ...I disavow any knowledge of its existence.

ELi
05-03-2005, 17:43
I don't know if Jim (the owner of the Secret Shelter) ever reads these forums, but I just wanted to send a big THANK YOU for it! After a 12 mile slog in constant rain, the Secret Shelter was an oasis. We stayed with a thru-hiker ("Hydro") which was an amazing experience. We left the place clean, excpet for 2 full cans of Bud for the next lucky hiker!

BTW- cool burrows!

Kerosene
05-03-2005, 18:49
Last July I hiked past on a short section hike to fill in my mileage gap between High Point and Warwick Turnpike. I had heard of the Secret Shelter from WhiteBlaze members and made it a point to stop in when I reached there about 10:30 in the morning. There was no one around except a loud braying donkey in the field next door. I checked out the facilities and kind of wished I could've stayed the for the night.

The owner drove up in his pick-up truck just as I was preparing to leave. I asked him if he remembered Hammock Hanger from a few years back (he didn't), told him about WhiteBlaze, discussed the weather, and then I thanked him and headed on to Vernon.

LEGS
05-03-2005, 21:15
Its a secret man!!!! ssssssuuussh now!!!! But it is a damn nice place for a rest!!!!
Does anybody know what the deal is with the "Secret Shelter" or maybe I shouldn't bring this secret up .....LOL

DMA, 2000
05-03-2005, 21:25
As I was preparing to leave the secret shelter one summer morn, I looked at my DEET and thought, "I've carried this all the way from Springer, and I haven't used it once. What's wrong with me?" So I tossed it into the trash can our host provided.

That day, I experienced mosquitos the likes of which I'd never faced. You know it's bad when you can see a cloud of them 30 yards ahead. I ran. I waved my arms. I yelled. I stopped neither to drink nor micturate. All to no avail. By the end of the day, my skin could be read like Braille...even the parts covered with clothes were not protected. What the mosquitos couldn't fly under, they could bite through.

By the middle of the afternoon, I was so frazzled I wanted to cry.

Thanks for letting me vent my random memory. And thanks to Jim for building such a lovely contribution to the trail. I was glad to spend a clean night there.

Panzer1
05-03-2005, 23:30
He will continue this coutesry as long as the hikers keep it clean and respect it as his property.
Actually I heard that the AT was going to seize the property from him because it is on the AT corridor..
I'm not sure that is true, but that is what I heard.

Panzer

Ridge
05-04-2005, 01:47
Actually I heard that the AT was going to seize the property from him because it is on the AT corridor..
I'm not sure that is true, but that is what I heard. Panzer
If true, it sounds like something a Government would do. Not too cool.

Tha Wookie
05-04-2005, 08:24
He told me that he would prefer it be by word of mouth from hiker to hiker.
...and then you went and told everyone by word of internet.

Come on, HH!:eek:

There's a reason a secret is special!

The Solemates
05-04-2005, 08:35
on our thru we experienced 70 degree days for a week and then the day we approached High Point it dropped down to 30 degrees and rain/sleet mix. the secret shelter just may have saved us from hypothermia. it was an awesome place to stay and dry out and jim was really nice the next morning.

Jester2000
05-05-2005, 12:20
What DMA said (about the mosquito, the New Jersey state bird). Passing through there heading towards Vernon was my worst day on the trail, and in the top five worst days of my life.

The secret shelter does not, however, exist. It is a figmentary oasis in the minds of hikers who, suffering from exsanguination, imagine a shelter nicer that High Point, where the Boy Scout Troop kept you up all night.

Toolshed
05-05-2005, 13:12
Sounds like the Eckville Shelter (Thanks Lazee)
I still have to complete Ferguson Road NJ (Just N of Highpoint) to CT Line.
Could someone please PM me and let me know which Road crossing the Secret Shelter is at?
Thanks so much :)

Alligator
05-05-2005, 13:46
Get real folks, stop pulling everyone's chain. Today's not April Fool's Day. Do you think that somebody actually has enough land in NJ to just let a couple of acres "sit around" for thru-hikers to use for free? It's one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. JIM, some "nice guy in NJ" (say that phrase out loud, your tongue will stumble over it), is going to let hikers take free hot showers and sleep on his property, unwatched. Does anybody know how expensive insurance is in the Garden "ha" State? Any of you ever even been to NJ? Maybe, 'cause I think some of you are smokin' crack. It's time to put this one to bed, too many people are actually buying into this freakin' nonsense story. People wandering down side streets looking for the, PSST Secret Shelter, won't endear hikers to the locals.There's only one thought they are going to have "smelly, homeless, drug addicted vagrant". Believe this hoax and you're nothing but a donkey's ass. An obvious troll post.

Toolshed
05-05-2005, 13:59
Since when does it take a couple of acres for a small shelter and an area to set up a few tents. I have been to NJ and I have lived and worked in NJ. (BTW, Turn left on some of those roads and you are in NY right away).

I don't know whether the SS is true or not, but I do know there are quite a few nice folks in NJ and the NW part of NJ is a pretty friendly place. NJ is one of the more expensive, but certainly not the most expensive markets, (Think NY, Boston, San Fran). And.... And.... if this Jim fellow had purchased his land 10-15 years ago out in that area, he wouldn't have paid near as much and he'd be sitting on a great bit of price appreciation now Most of it was inexpensive farmland back then - especially before the big suburban migration and long commutes.
As for insurance - If he has only a "toolshed" (nice name) on his property, why would his premiums increase - he is not running a business.
Gator, You do, however, sound like that cynical, bitter type of person that I sometimes run into in the Garden State or in NYC, that I immediately think "I hope no tourists meet him (or her) and cause them to think ill of us"
Now go get your F#$^%&% shine box!!!!! :datz

Alligator
05-05-2005, 14:22
Toolshed, NJ is the sue me state. No Jersey resident in their right mind is going to let unattended hikers prowl around their property. Imagine someone getting hurt, kicked by a donkey say. The value of this imagined property would be huge, especially since the stories say there are fields there with farm animals. It's not his insurance premium that would be high, just his potential loss. It doesn't exist. You obviously are not a Jersey native, buying into a fairy tale like this one.

Sure Secret Shelter. Yeah, me and the Jersey Devil played cards at the Wawayanda Shelter too. Did you know they named that one after Wawa. You have been to a Wawa at 2 a.m. haven't you?

Folks, stay on the trail and save yourselves some useless blue blazin'. Move along.

P.S. Tourists? Keep 'em the hell out, always messing up the beaches. Damn shoobies...;).

The Solemates
05-05-2005, 14:40
Get real folks, stop pulling everyone's chain. Today's not April Fool's Day. Do you think that somebody actually has enough land in NJ to just let a couple of acres "sit around" for thru-hikers to use for free? It's one of the most expensive housing markets in the country. JIM, some "nice guy in NJ" (say that phrase out loud, your tongue will stumble over it), is going to let hikers take free hot showers and sleep on his property, unwatched. Does anybody know how expensive insurance is in the Garden "ha" State? Any of you ever even been to NJ? Maybe, 'cause I think some of you are smokin' crack. It's time to put this one to bed, too many people are actually buying into this freakin' nonsense story. People wandering down side streets looking for the, PSST Secret Shelter, won't endear hikers to the locals.There's only one thought they are going to have "smelly, homeless, drug addicted vagrant". Believe this hoax and you're nothing but a donkey's ass. An obvious troll post.

alligator, i cant really tell if your kidding, but youre posts prove that you are ignorant because you speak of something you obviously know nothing about. i would keep my mouth shut if I were you...lest you really make an even bigger fool of yourself. i think youre the donkey's ass.

and yes...we've stayed, as have many others, at Jim's Secret Shelter. believe it or not.

Frosty
05-05-2005, 14:47
alligator, i cant really tell if your kidding, but youre posts prove that you are ignorant because you speak of something you obviously know nothing about. i would keep my mouth shut if I were you...lest you really make an even bigger fool of yourself. i think youre the donkey's ass.

and yes...we've stayed, as have many others, at Jim's Secret Shelter. believe it or not.whizzzzzzzzzzzzz

(the sound of a post zipping over your head)

let this thread die, please

Alligator
05-05-2005, 14:55
Look folks, I've done that section of NJ, check my gallery. It's really cruel of former thrus to perpetuate this hoax. It's just like hazing. Somebody fooled you on your hike about the Secret Shelter, you all do it to the next year's crop? Just give it a rest. Loads of people read this forum, we can't have them showing up in droves. What if someone just camps in somebody's spare lot thinking that shed is a shelter? It won't look good. I thought hikers were above hazing. This crazy story doesn't deserve any more unneeded attention. I've said my piece and I will say no more. Tall tales are for children.

RockyTrail
05-05-2005, 15:26
The great lizard doth protest too much, methinks...:):)

The Solemates
05-05-2005, 16:54
Look folks, I've done that section of NJ, check my gallery. It's really cruel of former thrus to perpetuate this hoax. It's just like hazing. Somebody fooled you on your hike about the Secret Shelter, you all do it to the next year's crop? Just give it a rest. Loads of people read this forum, we can't have them showing up in droves. What if someone just camps in somebody's spare lot thinking that shed is a shelter? It won't look good. I thought hikers were above hazing. This crazy story doesn't deserve any more unneeded attention. I've said my piece and I will say no more. Tall tales are for children.

Believe what you want, but nevertheless it exists. its no hoax. i would give the exact location, but im sure i would get slayed by others if i did.

The Solemates
05-05-2005, 16:56
The Secret Shelter:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jcartne/detail?.dir=39f8&.dnm=98dd.jpg&.src=ph

bulldog49
05-05-2005, 17:41
Believe what you want, but nevertheless it exists. its no hoax. i would give the exact location, but im sure i would get slayed by others if i did.


Solemate, have you removed that hook from your mouth yet? :D

The Old Fhart
05-05-2005, 17:57
Check July 17th (http://www.gottawalk.com/AT/fort_montgomery.htm) of this link, or this link (http://home.maine.rr.com/trudge/at/g0706.html), or August 29th (http://www.newview.org/JacobAndDavid/journal/NY-NJ.html) of this link. I haven't been to this shelter but it seems it either exists or lots of hikers have a common delusion. I'll believe it exists.

The Solemates
05-06-2005, 10:22
From those links:

Thursday, July 17, 2003 Destination: Hidden Shelter
Starting Location: Culver Gap Today's Miles: 21.1
Trip Miles: 1330.1

We got a good start this morning and our goal for the day was the hidden Shelter, which is actually a private acreage owned by a 1989 thru hiker. He invites only thru hikers to his place where they are welcome to tent or stay in his "shelter" that he built with electricity and running water for hikers.

We spent the day hiking on difficult rocky footing, climbing to Highpoint State Park, NJ. The day was clear and beautiful and we were hoping for a view of NYC from the observation deck but there was a side trail to a tower. The extra trail and stairs were too much after the rough trail and we still had miles to go.

At a road we met a hiker sitting by 2 packs and introduced ourselves. We had seen Snowberry's name in registers. Her hiking partner was getting water. We asked if they were going to the hidden shelter and she said they weren't sure where it was because they were carrying a different guide that did not include the directions.

We hiked on, saw one small sign that merely said "Well Water". We found the place! The setting was so beautiful with an open area for tenting and blooming trees in the distance. Rocks in the mown grass gave the place a landscaped feel. Thick fireflies in the grass were the finishing touch for a paradise ambience. We cooked on the porch, had a hot shower and slept in our tent. Frequently we were startled by the braying of a pair of donkeys. The well water is the best we have had on this hike. Thank you, Jim, for a wonderful place to spend the night.

AND...

I spent last night at a place known as, "The Secret Shelter", which is known only to thru-hikers through word-of-mouth. A former AT hiker has set up a "shack" on his property that offers electricity, running water, a hot shower, and a clothes dryer. All free for those walking the Trail. The AT seems to inspire a magnificent generosity in some people.

AND...

August 29 ~ Secret Shelter, NJ at milepoint 844.9 south

One of the high points of the day was reaching this shelter. It’s not listed in any guidebook, and it’s not shown on any of our maps. It’s a grassy hillside with several tiny outbuildings, most of them locked. But the main building, recently erected, is open and hikers are welcome to use it. The property owner, a former thru-hiker named Jim, is thanked profusely in the Trail register here. The shelter is only 10’ x 10’ but it has a clothes dryer, 2 hot showers (one inside and one outside), a huge stainless steel sink for dish washing or clothes washing, a sleeping loft (no beds), an electric fan, a small porch, and a hammock. All of this is nestled in a hillside in the middle of nowhere. “Jim, ” one hiker writes, “you are an amazing guy, with an amazing place and an amazing heart…My time here rejuvenated my body and re-inspired my soul for the Trail.” Another wrote: “If you ever need someone to live here, please let me know.” Even though I’m tenting on the grass, it was wonderful to take a shower, wash our dishes, and throw my sweat-soaked clothes in the dryer. What’s remarkable is the effort Jim went through to design and build this structure – solely for the purpose of sheltering thru-hikers on the AT, which passes within a few hundred yards of his land. Thank you, Jim – hundreds, and in time thousands, of hikers will be nominating you for a special place in hiker heaven.

We eventually got to “The Secret Shelter”, a shelter/hostel spread only by word of mouth and not put in any books. It is really really nice here. There’s electricity, running water, a dryer – the works. I’m the only person in the loft. Everyone else is tenting to escape the skeeters. The fan up here is doing a decent job keeping them away.

bulldog49
05-06-2005, 10:41
whizzzzzzzzzzzzz

(the sound of a post zipping over your head)

let this thread die, please


Solemate and phart, look up the word "sarcasm" in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of Alligator.

Don't you get it, he is joking.

JoeHiker
05-06-2005, 10:59
OK, Someone needs to lay this out plainly, joke or no.

Solemates. He KNOWS that the shelter is there. You don't need to prove it to him. His entire post is a tongue-in-cheek attempt to pretend like it is not. So the place won't be overrun. So it will still be a secret, get it?

It's a joke. Ha ha.

[edit: missed that bulldog had posted the same thing just before me. so this is redundant. too bad we can't delete our posts...]

RockyTrail
05-06-2005, 11:13
There needs to be a smilie for "sarcasm"!
Maybe it could be this one :p , it sure ain't this one:banana !

bulldog49
05-06-2005, 11:58
Solemate and phart, look up the word "sarcasm" in the dictionary, you'll see a picture of Alligator.

Don't you get it, he is joking.


Anyone wanna bet Solemate's next post will say he looked it up in the dictionary and Alligator's picture wasn't there? :rolleyes:

dougmeredith
05-06-2005, 12:03
Anyone wanna bet Solemate's next post will say he looked it up in the dictionary and Alligator's picture wasn't there? :rolleyes:
Now that was just mean. Funny though. :o

Doug

Papa Bear
05-06-2005, 12:21
Sounds like the Eckville Shelter (Thanks Lazee)
I still have to complete Ferguson Road NJ (Just N of Highpoint) to CT Line.
Could someone please PM me and let me know which Road crossing the Secret Shelter is at?
Thanks so much :)
You have already passed it. Sorry.

Oops, my directions are backwards. It's still ahead of you.

The Solemates
05-06-2005, 12:27
Anyone wanna bet Solemate's next post will say he looked it up in the dictionary and Alligator's picture wasn't there? :rolleyes:

nice. glad you could get a laugh at my expense.

Jester2000
05-07-2005, 18:28
. . .I haven't been to this shelter but it seems it either exists or lots of hikers have a common delusion.

I think it's funny that you could even question whether or not "lots of hikers have a common delusion."

Dropped off five imaginary slackpackers at the secret shelter while out in the Billmobile just last Octember.

mooseboy
06-05-2009, 17:58
According to appalachianpages.com, the Secret Shelter is now unfortunately closed.

http://www.appalachianpages.com/forum/showthread.php?t=560


:mad:

Dogwood
06-05-2009, 18:55
Alligator, you sound like one of the mistaken who seem to believe all of NJ is airports, refineries, buildings, pollution, and interstates. Granted, there is much development in NJ, can be expensive to live, a good amount of it is paved over, and it has more cars per square mile than any other state, but the western, particularly the northwestern area where the AT is routed, southern parts(think Pinelands Reserve), and the eastern shoreline from Sandyhook south to Cape May are very different than the northeastern part which so many have limitedly experienced. I've actually met quite a few AT thru-hikers who believed that they were going to be hiking through backyards on the AT stretch through NJ. What a joke! This kind of ignorance leads other outdoors people in other parts of the country to mistakenly believe that hiking the AT is a joke - like it's hiking from grocery store to grocery store through backyards - like it's not real hiking unless you're hiking out west or mid west climbing a 14 er. Wake up!

CrumbSnatcher
06-05-2009, 19:50
i've stayed at the secret shelter twice. its there. theres always a couple jackass's there though.

Panzer1
06-05-2009, 20:11
I stayed there in the summer of 2001. Had a real good time, even got laid there..:):):)

Panzer

Alligator
06-05-2009, 22:17
Still catching folks four years later with that post:clap.

BTW Dogwood, I spent my first 25 years in NJ as well as I return 2-3 times yearly since, so I know where all the nice parts are;).

The secret shelter wasn't meant to be a written up from what I understood (having stayed there) so when this thread started, I laid in a little discouragement:D.

Wise Old Owl
06-05-2009, 23:04
Well I had no trouble finding the donkeys on google earth...

a little further and one of the houses has a helicoptor pad right next to the trail!

mooseboy
06-05-2009, 23:46
So are you guys saying the post on appalachianpages.com is a hoax, perpetrated by those who wish to keep the Secret Shelter a secret? I'm just wondering if someone would actually do that... after all, we're not here to spread misinformation, are we?

Frosty
06-06-2009, 00:02
So are you guys saying the post on appalachianpages.com is a hoax, perpetrated by those who wish to keep the Secret Shelter a secret? I'm just wondering if someone would actually do that... after all, we're not here to spread misinformation, are we?Think of it as honoring the wishes of Murray.

mooseboy
06-06-2009, 00:12
Ok, I'll leave it at that then.

traildust
06-06-2009, 10:28
Open or closed. Only takes what five minutes for a hiker to find out. Turn left at the "well water" sign - on the edge of the gravel road and you are there. It is no secret. In 2006 we stopped, ate lunch, took a shower and moved on to Unionville, which is less than an hour hike away. Nice service that Murray provides for those who are in need. But it is no secret.

World-Wide
06-06-2009, 12:32
Does anybody know what the deal is with the "Secret Shelter" or maybe I shouldn't bring this secret up .....LOL

Briefly described in William Schuette's book "White Blaze Fever!" Forget what page though! :o

Panzer1
06-18-2009, 23:38
As I understood it, the "secret" is not supposed to be a secret from hikers, its supposed to be secret from non hikers since it is more or less accessible by car. Hikers are supposed to spread the word to other hikers. This gives it a little of a mystique.

Panzer

K-Man
11-17-2010, 17:24
I was out last week doing bear mtn to rt 23 and stopped by murray's property. The usual "shelter" was locked, but the other cabin was open. This cabin just has a little 2 person table, no loft and no sink. The water was still on for the outdoor shower. Well water was still on too. The donkey's were out of their pen and came right up to us, then took off into the woods =) I wonder what prompted the switch in cabin offerings?? Ran into Peru, a nobo who wanted to make it as far north as possible for the year. She was super nice and we hooked her up with some cliff bars.

gubbool
03-10-2011, 14:17
The 'secret shelter' posted here and all comments are both true and false.

There is/was a shelter as described here but this one is no secret.

For fact - this shelter IS listed in the 2007 handbook and was open in 2008 during my thru.

Now for the 'real truth' (or as much as I care to write here, as if I wrote everything, then the 'real secret shelter' would be no secret any longer.

Fact: there is a shelter in Vt that largely remains a secret
Fact: the shelter has an actual name but I'm not telling
Fact: the shelter is a true three side shelter privately built by the owner
Fact; the shelter reflects the construction of a master carpenter
Fact: the shelter is off of the A.T. by just under 0.3 miles as the crow flies
Fact: the shelter is owned by a beautiful woman
Fact: she has an attractive daughter with a great smile, about 16 now
Fact: they have been known to both wear red hats while hiking
Fact: the shelter has a most unusual circular privy
Fact: there can be no mistake about being at the one, true secret shelter
Fact: I have the gps waypoint of the shelter, a picture of it, and
Fact: I have a picture of the owner and daughter


Warren
AL-ME '08

Bags4266
03-10-2011, 16:35
I was there last year and meet Jim.... He told me that whole grass field and hill he cuts with a push mower!!!! I was quite amazed. Its got to be at least 3-4 acera's (sp)

Captain Blue
03-10-2011, 16:55
Here is a photo of it taken in June of 2009. It is not a real big secret. It is visible from a public gravel road. When I was there the neighbor’s house was pretty noisy with a barking dog and chainsaw sounds.

http://www.niekamp.org/at2009/photos/P6276638.JPG

Jtd724
03-28-2011, 14:09
If that is the secret shelter gubbool is hyping up, well, lets just say its a major dissapointment.

StubbleJumper
03-28-2011, 20:22
It's no disappointment at all.

It really is a work of art, with the entire shelter being built using mortise and tenon. The privy has a screen door and skylight, with a magazine rack. The water source is a cold, rapidly flowing creek (probably spring fed) with a foot bridge across it from which one can dangle one's swollen feet in the water.

In short, Swansong is a beautiful place.

oopsdy
06-21-2011, 16:52
a mini oasis:
close to the trail, delicious cold well water, beautiful setting with pond views -
thanx Mr. Murray!!!
we ran into nobo's who were beaming with praise of the place this past saturday...

LDog
06-21-2011, 17:43
Ok, so I'm jotting down these hints in my Companion and I found it is, uh, absolutely *not* already listed in there. Cause, um, if it were, it wouldn't be much of a secret, would it?

George
06-21-2011, 19:11
Actually I heard that the AT was going to seize the property from him because it is on the AT corridor..
I'm not sure that is true, but that is what I heard.

Panzer

it is off the trail down a lane and other private property dots the area, so this does not sound likely

BigHodag
06-21-2011, 23:28
Spent one night at Jim's place last month during my NJ section hike. Did some work-for-stay and swept out the outhouse and first cabin. Really appreciated the high stoop on shelter building and the scale. Hammockers will find the trees just to left of the cabin an ideal spacing for hanging. Water was delicious. The road in was grey dirt and freshly graded. Was excited to see the small "well water 100 yards" signs.

I met two other hikers a few days later who had passed up the "well water" and they ended up sleeping in the closet at the bar in Unionville. Both had older guidebooks and had planned to camp in the park or at the "hostel."

attroll
06-22-2011, 00:00
Here is a photo of it taken in June of 2009. It is not a real big secret. It is visible from a public gravel road. When I was there the neighbor’s house was pretty noisy with a barking dog and chainsaw sounds.

http://www.niekamp.org/at2009/photos/P6276638.JPG

This is not the Secret Shelter. I don't know which shelter this is but it is not the Secret Shelter.

Jeff
06-22-2011, 06:16
Hey Troll....the photo you referenced is the "Secret Shelter" of Vermont...a few miles south of Gov. Clement shelter. It is also know as Swansong shelter and is on private property as well.

attroll
06-22-2011, 18:02
Hey Troll....the photo you referenced is the "Secret Shelter" of Vermont...a few miles south of Gov. Clement shelter. It is also know as Swansong shelter and is on private property as well.
Thanks Jeff. Maybe I am confused. I remember another secret shelter I stopped at also. I did not realize there was two.

UCONNMike
05-23-2017, 10:06
Does Jim mind if you park on Goldsmith Road? I'm a former SOBO Thru Hiker from 2005, wanted to get out on the trail over Memorial Day Weekend, wanted to use the Secret Shelter as a quick overnight stay when arriving late on Friday evening and then hike out from there Saturday morning.

If not, what is a good place to stash a car for a few days in that area?

Deacon
05-23-2017, 11:32
This is the Jim Murray secret shelter.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170523/75b179e4792ac31814a08a66847f7fe7.jpg

If it look familiar, it was featured on the cover of "AT Journeys" last summer. Not sure which issue since I gave it away.

This shelter has electric outlets and lights. You can charge electronics here.

ARambler
06-01-2017, 21:51
I saw a sign in Rutherford Shelter that said the secret Shelter
was going to be closed today 6/1.

Does this mean it will be open tomorrow or closed for good.

capehiker
06-02-2017, 14:31
I saw a sign in Rutherford Shelter that said the secret Shelter
was going to be closed today 6/1.

Does this mean it will be open tomorrow or closed for good.

It's closed for good.

Deacon
06-02-2017, 18:41
What's the back story? Is the owner fed up with hikers? Is he selling?

capehiker
06-02-2017, 19:20
What's the back story? Is the owner fed up with hikers? Is he selling?

What I saw on Facebook was he's 80 years old and it's getting harder to maintain. No mention of unruly hikers (much to the internets chagrin).

bobp
06-02-2017, 22:43
Does Jim mind if you park on Goldsmith Road? I'm a former SOBO Thru Hiker from 2005, wanted to get out on the trail over Memorial Day Weekend, wanted to use the Secret Shelter as a quick overnight stay when arriving late on Friday evening and then hike out from there Saturday morning.

If not, what is a good place to stash a car for a few days in that area?

Unionville, NY is very hiker-friendly. I've run Scout trips out of Unionville for a number of years. Google the town, call the town hall, and ask for help/advice. You will be told where you can park, but don't be surprised if it is in someone's driveway. The folks in Unionville are very friendly and helpful. I don't have the exact mileage with me (you can look it up), but it is 5-ish miles north of the Secret Shelter.

LDog
07-03-2017, 10:04
It's closed for good.

Awwww ... I hiked sobo there in '12 and had no idea it existed. When I heard about it, I got a little obsessed with figuring out where it is, searched all the forums, looked at maps ... All in preparation for this year's planned LT E2E ...


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Jeff
07-03-2017, 15:23
Awwww ... I hiked sobo there in '12 and had no idea it existed. When I heard about it, I got a little obsessed with figuring out where it is, searched all the forums, looked at maps ... All in preparation for this year's planned LT E2E ...


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This thread is about the Secret Shelter in New York. There is another Secret Shelter (also called Swansong) in Vermont not far from Gov Clement Shelter, but have not heard if it is operational in 2017.

Slo-go'en
07-03-2017, 17:43
This thread is about the Secret Shelter in New York. There is another Secret Shelter (also called Swansong) in Vermont not far from Gov Clement Shelter, but have not heard if it is operational in 2017.

Now that the Gov Clement shelter has been improved and the gates locked so locals can't drive up there and have parties, the need for the Swansong shelter is much less then it was some years ago. Swansong must be in her 70's now, so hard to say if her shelter is kept up.

SawnieRobertson
07-03-2017, 17:58
Why would anyone 80 years old want to bring such a nice service to other hikers? Did he receive thoughtless, rude, damaging acts against his property? I hope not, and I also hope that might reconsider. It was tantalizing, wondering where it was and also appreciated by those who found it.

LDog
07-03-2017, 18:03
This thread is about the Secret Shelter in New York. There is another Secret Shelter (also called Swansong) in Vermont not far from Gov Clement Shelter, but have not heard if it is operational in 2017.
Ah! Well, I got confoozled. The reference to Rutherford Shelter shoulda, maybe been a clue.

I may or may not have stayed at an undocumented "shelter" that might or might not have been in NY, or maybe or maybe not in NJ. Met a guy claiming to be named "Jim" but I cannot verify if that was his real name. He allegedly saw the land when he thru hiked, went back and purchased it. Seemed like a far-fetched story, tho he seemed like a great guy. Whether or not the place I stayed was some fabled "Secret Shelter" I'm truly sorry to hear that it might be closing. It's a neat spot, with a great water source, and OMG! A shower! A great spot to hang a hammock ...

Or so the fable goes ...

And if the ATC is going to seize some fictional property because it is on the AT corridor, I hope he is remunerated irl!

... If indeed it ever existed, which I can neither confirm nor deny. And even if it did, I would certainly not have taken any pictures there, nor would I have been so unthinking as to have uploaded them to the interwebs ...

But if I did I would retain all rights, yada, yada, yada ...

39780

39779

capt. photon
07-04-2017, 16:53
Now that the Gov Clement shelter has been improved and the gates locked so locals can't drive up there and have parties, the need for the Swansong shelter is much less then it was some years ago. Swansong must be in her 70's now, so hard to say if her shelter is kept up.

The gate is not locked all the time and the road goes to a private inholding. The locals can still drive in when the gat is open. The gate has reduced the problem, not eliminated it.

Don H
07-05-2017, 08:12
Why would anyone 80 years old want to bring such a nice service to other hikers?

I stopped by the Secret Shelter for water after seeing a sign along the trail claiming "Best Water on the AT". I met Jim while I was there. He had a box of donuts he offered to the hikers there.

Why would he want to provide such a service? Maybe, as a past thru-hiker he just wanted to give something back and likes the company of other thru-hikers.

smithjv
04-26-2019, 14:11
OK, at the risk of reopening a s>+# storm, is the Murray building still available?
Hiking in early June and wouldn't want to waste the day planning for it.

ldsailor
04-27-2019, 12:19
I was there last year, May 26, 2018. An excerpt from my journal:

"I got to the Secret Shelter at around 4:30 PM and met the owner, Jim Murray. Jim owns the Secret Shelter. He did a through hike 30 years ago and then settled down on 85 acres. His shelter has electricity, heat, drinkable water and is totally enclosed. I cleaned some of my gear with the water and just relaxed for the rest of the evening."


Jim is a really nice guy. We had a long talk. He told me the ATC wants his property, so they can move the trail away from some swampy areas, but he won't sell because they want to knock down the shelter. Although I don't mention it in the excerpt, there is an outdoor shower across the field from the shelter. Last year the privy was in pretty bad shape and unless Jim did some work on it, it's probably unusable this year. The shelter originally had a second floor, but Jim took it out. I can't remember if he did that because a hiker fell or he was concerned one would fall. Nevertheless, it's gone.

When I was there, I was alone, which is surprising because it's such a nice area and not far off the trail. By the way, Jim does not live on the property. He visits often and if he does stay overnight, he uses a small cabin across the field.

smithjv
04-29-2019, 09:12
I was there last year, May 26, 2018. An excerpt from my journal:

"I got to the Secret Shelter at around 4:30 PM and met the owner, Jim Murray. Jim owns the Secret Shelter. He did a through hike 30 years ago and then settled down on 85 acres. His shelter has electricity, heat, drinkable water and is totally enclosed. I cleaned some of my gear with the water and just relaxed for the rest of the evening."


Jim is a really nice guy. We had a long talk. He told me the ATC wants his property, so they can move the trail away from some swampy areas, but he won't sell because they want to knock down the shelter. Although I don't mention it in the excerpt, there is an outdoor shower across the field from the shelter. Last year the privy was in pretty bad shape and unless Jim did some work on it, it's probably unusable this year. The shelter originally had a second floor, but Jim took it out. I can't remember if he did that because a hiker fell or he was concerned one would fall. Nevertheless, it's gone.

When I was there, I was alone, which is surprising because it's such a nice area and not far off the trail. By the way, Jim does not live on the property. He visits often and if he does stay overnight, he uses a small cabin across the field.

Thanks, but is it closed (like previous inputs sounded) or is it still available?
Bueller; Ferris Bueller?

ldsailor
04-29-2019, 11:04
Thanks, but is it closed (like previous inputs sounded) or is it still available?
Bueller; Ferris Bueller?

My point is that it was open last year. This early in the season there are no NOBO, SOBO or flip-flop hikers who would have reached that area yet (mile 1,344 NOBO). Maybe a section hiker will respond, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The shelter is not far off the trail and if nothing else, it's a good place to get water that doesn't need to be filtered.

smithjv
04-30-2019, 08:07
I am in the process of planning a section hike and there isn't much choice ("Camp only in designated sites . . .") if it ends up not being available. Finding out during actual hike will be a big problem; 5.8m SOBO to next possibility. Hence my apprehension. I wonder given it is away from the trail, does the "Camp only in designated sites . . ." applies? So even if not "open", would he or anyone else mind if we camped there as a emergency backup?

verysimple
08-23-2020, 06:24
I am in the process of planning a section hike and there isn't much choice ("Camp only in designated sites . . .") if it ends up not being available. Finding out during actual hike will be a big problem; 5.8m SOBO to next possibility. Hence my apprehension. I wonder given it is away from the trail, does the "Camp only in designated sites . . ." applies? So even if not "open", would he or anyone else mind if we camped there as a emergency backup?Not at all, there is a large field, they would let you setup tent site there. You will never have an issue with space in secret shelter.

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