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Teacher & Snacktime
02-19-2021, 11:15
Stupid is as stupid does.... (assuming it's true).

https://scontent-bos3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/152069864_10217475719629236_5441528633858684039_n. jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=3&_nc_sid=dbeb18&_nc_ohc=06LfFsUIWrcAX_8lj7l&_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.xx&oh=9709a8b9820cc7314ca9a7cc7621f16d&oe=6055C646

Gambit McCrae
02-19-2021, 11:27
You have got to be kidding.... I am not a fan of shelters but for those that are this is sad

AsoloBootsSuk
02-19-2021, 11:30
Okay, maybe a stove is better, so real genius out on the trail, lol

Creature Feature
02-19-2021, 11:44
I can't believe how stupid that was. There's some crazy people 'round there. That's near Burkettsville, where Blair Witch Project was filmed.

peakbagger
02-19-2021, 11:53
Is there a link missing?

CalebJ
02-19-2021, 12:06
Is there a link missing?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AppalachianTrail/comments/lmpavn/garvey_shelter_is_out_of_commission/

JNI64
02-19-2021, 13:23
Stupid freaking people :mad: !!

That's a great shelter with a awesome loft area it's a miracle the whole thing didn't burn down.

There's a big difference between stupid people and crazy people this is stupid people.

Gee I wonder what will happen when I build this fire on a wooden floor? Stupid, no small fire either 4" sticks Duhhhh !!

I take it they didn't catch the culprit?

ldsailor
02-19-2021, 13:34
You have got to be kidding! Somebody find that hiker and get him/her off the trail before they start a forest fire. Sadly, you can't fix stupid.

peakbagger
02-19-2021, 13:44
Thanks for the link. Yes there are idiots out there.

Slo-go'en
02-19-2021, 13:57
Saw this in a shelter in late 80's. Big hole burnt into the middle of the floor. I forget exactly where it was. I seem to remember there was another one too, maybe not as bad.

Coffee
02-19-2021, 14:06
Insane. And that's one of the nicest shelters I've seen.

Alligator
02-19-2021, 14:08
Given the level of stupidity this would require, a picture or the name of the contact would be appreciated.

The shelter is currently closed anyway due to Covid, as are numerous shelters and privies from VA-ME. https://appalachiantrail.org/trail-updates/ I didn't see anything mentioned there but might not have filtered in yet.

Perfectly nice firepit right next to the shelter with benches too.

hobbs
02-19-2021, 14:12
How do you know its 100% true about Garvey? Anyone can type whatever they want where"s the picture if the shelter in disaray?

LittleRock
02-19-2021, 16:11
*facepalm*

Slo-go'en
02-19-2021, 20:17
This of course needs to be verified, but I would not be surprised if it did indeed happen. We're cold and wet and it's raining or snowing. Where can we build a fire where we don't have to stand in the rain? Hum...

Carbo
02-19-2021, 20:55
The Ed Garvey Shelter was my first shelter on a flip-flop out of Harpers Ferry in 2015. Was a beautiful shelter. There was a stone structure in back of the shelter, which I later found out was a monument to a hiker who was killed there by a falling tree limb just a few weeks prior. Hopefully the shelter will be fixed, but I doubt if I could rest easy there.

Lone Wolf
02-19-2021, 21:01
This is from Reddit -- so don't take it as gospel until verified -- but you gotta be kiddin me. :(


Garvey Shelter is out of commission
Just got the word from the trail overseer for that section, quoted below.

"Garvey Shelter is out of commission. Has a dangerous hole in the floor where hiker started a campfire inside the shelter. Made a fire ring of rocks on the wood floor and tended it long enough to burn through some 4" limbs before it fell into the foundation."

Hopefully the shelter crew will get it back up before the spring rush.

hobbs
02-19-2021, 21:16
I take reddit with a grain of salt. I Also notices on the at pages on facebook old school hikers saying get your info from whiteblaze about the trail...

Traveler
02-20-2021, 10:34
If this did happen, there will probably be a video of this on You-Tube with Beavis and Butthead giggling in the background how cool it is. Seems a lot of folks get caught that way.

JNI64
02-20-2021, 11:07
Uhhhhhhhhhhh, eh,eh,eh,eh, uhhhhhhhhhhhhh,eh,eh,eh,eh,
FIRES COOL !! Uhhhhhhhhhhh,eh,eh,eh,eh ,uhhhhhhhhhh,eh,eh,eh. Those idiots will never catch us, uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

JNI64
02-20-2021, 11:11
And the water source there is like a half mile down the hill :-? ....

Kaptainkriz
02-20-2021, 13:02
Yep, it’s true! Patched up already and the shelter smells a bit smokey...this is why we can’t have nice things: 47367

Slo-go'en
02-20-2021, 13:31
Yep, it’s true! Patched up already and the shelter smells a bit smokey...this is why we can’t have nice things: 47367

Not too bad, could have been a lot worse. The hole I saw burnt into the floor of a shelter was 4 feet across. They were probably trying to take down the whole place.

NY HIKER 50
02-20-2021, 13:55
The shelters were great for a while, but with homeless, vandalism and other things happening it would be better to eliminate them and just leave campsites in their place. Tents have gotten better and anyone that does not carry one is lazy. You can still have privies and tent spots. I've seen too much as a boundary corroder monitor and part time shelter helper.

JNI64
02-20-2021, 14:57
It's been proven even with a room full of encyclopedias,
You just can't fix stupid!!

JNI64
02-20-2021, 15:02
A big shout out and a big thanks to the shelter maintainer and or whomever did the repairs :clap:clap !!

hobbs
02-20-2021, 20:10
Thats a good repair...Wonder if the less than bright person learned something positive after doing this...

JNI64
02-20-2021, 20:49
Thats a good repair...Wonder if the less than bright person learned something positive after doing this...

Like not to start a fire on a wooden floor?

I wonder if they would do that at home, say on their wooden deck?

The answer is probably because they probably still live with mommy and daddy and just don't care.

peakbagger
02-21-2021, 08:06
When I stayed there when it was fairly new, the outhouse had a holding tank with no way to get rid of liquids. so it was pretty ripe. A PATC maintainer told us that at the time Maryland did not allow new septic systems so they had to put in a tank which meant that they had to put a way to get up to the site with a pumping truck. He claimed getting a workable right of way up to the location was harder than getting the shelter built. I am curious if they finally figured out a way to put in standard outhouse?.

Traveler
02-21-2021, 09:07
Privies on trails in the Olympic Peninsula use helicopters to carry out full containers and have ample signage to keep water out of the privy tank and use the surrounding woods for urination. I believe this method is also used in other areas of Washington State like Alpine Lakes wilderness as well.

JNI64
02-21-2021, 10:51
It's been a couple of years since I've been up there but there privy is new . It's one of those type you have to walk up some 10 steps and is a 4' piece of plywood all the way around meaning the bottom 2' is open and the top 2' is open. Which is nice and roomy and airy (non stink) , but it sits not far from the shelter at all and can be a little awkward I guess for the loud and shy :eek:.

But Traveler is correct you're not supposed to pee in a dry privy it slows the bacteria down needed to get rid of the poo, there's typically some Lyme or wood chips people are supposed toss a little down the hole . This type of privy is probably the easiest for them to maintain.

I don't think any of them use septic systems there would be alot of digging involved and a drain field needed. And just not needed or not ideal for a dry system.

stephanD
02-21-2021, 20:48
The shelters were great for a while, but with homeless, vandalism and other things happening it would be better to eliminate them and just leave campsites in their place. Tents have gotten better and anyone that does not carry one is lazy. You can still have privies and tent spots. I've seen too much as a boundary corroder monitor and part time shelter helper.

In a snow storm and in winter, shelters can save lives.

HankIV
02-21-2021, 21:24
I know there are shelters that are problematic from a vagrancy standpoint. But to me there is such a great feeling going to sleep in a shelter on a rainy night knowing that you won’t have to pack up a wet tent in the morning.

But I wouldn’t be keen to pack in like a sardine in one, as it sounds like happens early in the NOBO bubble.

Lone Wolf
02-21-2021, 21:32
In a snow storm and in winter, shelters can save lives.

but one should always go into the back country in that scenario knowing the shelter on their back is gonna save their life. a wooden box set up above the ground sucks. my opinion

rdljr
02-21-2021, 21:39
Speaking from experiance, my tarp is not going to keep out a bear but the outhouse kept him out until he decided that food was easier to get some place else. It was a long night..

gpburdelljr
02-21-2021, 23:09
Speaking from experiance, my tarp is not going to keep out a bear but the outhouse kept him out until he decided that food was easier to get some place else. It was a long night..

An outhouse won’t always keep the bears out. ��

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/02/bear-bites-woman-bottom-during-bizarre-outhouse-encounter

FlyPaper
02-22-2021, 13:24
Stupid is as stupid does.... (assuming it's true).

https://scontent-bos3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/152069864_10217475719629236_5441528633858684039_n. jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=3&_nc_sid=dbeb18&_nc_ohc=06LfFsUIWrcAX_8lj7l&_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.xx&oh=9709a8b9820cc7314ca9a7cc7621f16d&oe=6055C646

My faith in humanity is at an all time low.

Tipi Walter
02-22-2021, 14:07
The shelters were great for a while, but with homeless, vandalism and other things happening it would be better to eliminate them and just leave campsites in their place. Tents have gotten better and anyone that does not carry one is lazy. You can still have privies and tent spots. I've seen too much as a boundary corroder monitor and part time shelter helper.

Amen brother. Something I've agreed with for years.


In a snow storm and in winter, shelters can save lives.

A tent shelter can save lives. Reminds me of an AT backpacker who didn't bring a tent and suffered an injury and couldn't reach a shelter and almost died from exposure.


but one should always go into the back country in that scenario knowing the shelter on their back is gonna save their life. a wooden box set up above the ground sucks. my opinion

Couldn't agree more.

Deadeye
02-22-2021, 14:36
In a snow storm and in winter, shelters can save lives.

Perhaps, but better to be prepared with your own shelter. Outdoor shelters have a long history of burning down at inopportune times; you can't rely on them being there when you need them. If you're winter hiking and planning on a shelter, best bring a shovel - shelters on the long trail are sometimes half full of snow.

stephanD
02-22-2021, 14:40
We are a bit off thread here so I will say just that - one does not obsolete the other. Not all backpackers are as experienced and skilled as Tipi Walter, especially on the AT. For those rookies shelters are indispensable, especially in cold weather. Many hikers (mostly men) overestimate their backpacking skills and underestimate the elements. that's just how it is.

peakbagger
02-22-2021, 17:04
This is not a straight forward thread thus some divergence is generally acceptable. I happen to disagree with the approach that rookies should be able to depend on shelters as a substitute for experience and gear. IMHO Before someone steps solo into the woods, they should have the skills or equipment to be able to survive with what is on their back or with available local materials. If they dont, then hire a guide until they have those skills. Shelters are a dangerous crutch as noted they may not be there when someone needs one. Sure I use them when they are there but I have a backup plan. Slips trips and falls dont happen in front of shelter yet are quite prevalent. In most cases the hiker may not be able to get to a shelter yet does have access to what is in the pack or the nearby surroundings.

HankIV
02-22-2021, 20:25
100% agree. I like (relatively empty) shelters, dislike wet tents. But I would never hit the trail without a tent.

Namaste
03-03-2021, 17:55
Really? Another brainless wonder of society. I love(d) that shelter on my section hike.

HankIV
03-03-2021, 22:11
Took the train from Chicago to Harpers Ferry summer of 2019, arrived 3 hours late, about 3. Was about 95F. Ed Garvey was a site for sore eyes. Water shuffle left a bit to be desired. Glad they fixed it so quickly. Whoever did that should have a scarlet I sewn onto their pack.