View Full Version : Dick's Dome Shelter
Former Admin
09-10-2002, 05:33
Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Dick's Dome Shelter
Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?
Future hikers - any questions?
Related Links: ?
Stats: ?
Jumpstart
09-12-2002, 11:49
Don't get your hopes up. This place was pretty disappointing. The guide book says "geodesic dome"- it's a plywood shelter that sleeps about 3, maybe 4 small people. Good water source but the good water source puts you in the middle of the bugs. I would pass this one by if I were to do the trail again....
Hammock Hanger
09-12-2002, 15:41
I have a picture of Dutch Uncle, Amtrak & Sarge at this shelter if I can find it, I'll post it. As jumpstart says, buggy and not impressive. I walked quite a distance off the trail (longer then the book says) to see it. Yuck. Then hiked on. HH
hikerltwt
02-02-2003, 14:43
Stayed at Dicks Dome in Feb of 1999 I believe and it was a welcome sight after hiking all day in yhe sleet/rain/snow. The only other option was the state park a few miles ahead and it lies way, way off trail!
There are plenty of other shelters in the immediate area if it isn't up to anyone's standards. I felt kinda bad reading the entries in the shelter register that were trashing the place cause from what I understand this was a father/son project not one created by a team of trailworkers.
stranger
02-02-2003, 18:43
I stayed there in 01 after walking by the Denton Shelther...Big Mistake haha. The resident rat (not mouse) chewed the stabilizer off another hikers pack, shredded his boot laces and ate through my Leki Makalu's webbing. I must say looking back it's amusing but at the time was not.
Doesn't make much sense to camp there considering you have to walk by the Denton shelter to get there, but you live and learn. If I remember correctly there is a decent campsite about 20 meters away from the shelter.
Tented there last summer so didn't experience the "Rat." Kind of liked the tent site by the stream and the privy was better than most.
Blue Jay
02-03-2003, 10:36
I like Dicks Dome, but then again I'm a dirtbagger who thrives on the more "rustic" places on the AT. I'd rather stay at the Doyle than at a Hilton. These places have a type of Hiker Class and Tradition that you will find no where else. In a world with countless malls and box buildings, you have to appreciate the unique places that still exist.
Mini-Mosey
02-28-2003, 18:22
I didn't actually stay in the shelter itself but stopped by it at least once while hiking in that area. I think the area surrounding it is beautiful. I tented there one cold night in December, amazing how different the same place looks at different times of the year!!I believe the book I had warned against using the water there, I think it had something to do with the location of the privy(?)
BlackCloud
07-15-2004, 20:32
There's actually only one rat, and he's HUGE:o
When I passed thru in Oct of '02 the sign said to hang everything incl boots, for the rat would knaw on them too. Sadly he tried to knaw on my face, & I had to make a precipitous exit @ 4:00 a.m. It's cold @ 4 in October.
I was very upset at the caretakers, not b/c the shelter was in deplorable shape (which it was), but b/c they appologized for the inconvienece until they could install a salt lick.
A salt lick! I say Kill the bastard! Their animal loving attitude ruined my night, and potentially my health...............
Blue Jay
07-16-2004, 10:20
I was very upset at the caretakers, not b/c the shelter was in deplorable shape (which it was), but b/c they appologized for the inconvienece until they could install a salt lick.
A salt lick! I say Kill the bastard! Their animal loving attitude ruined my night, and potentially my health...............
I wish I could have been there when they told you the salt lick line. I would have paid to see the look on your face. I am, however, very sorry they forced you to stay there.
Haven't been to the Dome in a few years, and then it was only a stop during a couple of dayhikes, but it left these impressions:
1) A beautiful setting.
2) A really dumb circular design, guaranteed to use the largest number of square inches to sleep the fewest number of hikers.
3) A privy directly uphill from the water source, again--not smart. Hopefully this has been or will be rectified.
Two shelters south is the Hiker Hilton, Jim & Mollie Denton Shelter . . . An almost decadent creation that is often bypassed by anyone starting the morning NOBO at US522, and that's a shame.
One shelter south is Manassas Gap Shelter--which is better than it used to be (I saw photos of two PATC volunteers wearing biohazard suits when rehabbing it a few years back!) but reportedly still has one or more resident pit vipors; it does, however have a great piped spring. There used to be a single decent tentsite along the access trail which I used once.
Actually, the first time I did the section Harpers Ferry>US522 (SOBO), I did go way off the trail and spent a day and a half at Sky Meadows State Park at one of their walk-in tentsites. It was a great experience, with a visitor center about a mile further, some trails of its own that featured historic overviews, and more.
While admittedly the miles between Harpers Ferry and Front Royal are not the A.T.'s most exciting, Sky Meadows, plus Bears Den Hostel and Blackburn Trail Center, add enough to the experience to break up any boredom that might drift in, and help to offset that Rollercoaster thing.
I stopped in briefly in 2001 and it didn't seem that bad. I just had ate and moved on but if the timing was different I would have stayed. It might not be the fanciest shelter on the trail but it's not as bad as everyone says. I've seen worse. As for the rat though, that's a totally different story.
Moon Monster
07-16-2004, 12:54
I hiked in here from Front Royal largely after dark in May '03. I got in at around 10 pm and was soaked due to pooring rain and a trailway full of standing water. There were two gentlemen asleep in one half the shelter and a girl sprawled at an angle taking up most of the second half. Still, I found room between her and the wall, but I had to step over her to get there. I was as quiet as reasonably possible to avoid tarping in the rain and I shielded my headlamp with my fingers.
At 5 am the next morning-before first light-the female hiker got up and made her exit as loud as possible, including dropping boots or pack or something heavy on the floor several times and letting her Lekis drop a few times from some height (I presume all for my benefit). It didn't phase me and I slept on only slightly disturbed, but the other two hikers were laughing about her when we three were up a couple hours later.
One of those hikers was an 80-year old gentlemen on his fifth 2,000 mile trek. He was phenomenal, and he gave me a terrific confidence-boosting compliment by saying that I looked like I would surely finish my thru-hike.
Megabite
07-16-2004, 17:20
having just been there a few weeks ago, i found it small. not much tent space around - don't count on tenting if its raining, some of the sites downhill from the shelter get really wet
--megabite
I loved this place, maybe my fav shelter on the AT. Got there after a long day expecting to be tenting in the rain. No one was there, spent the night just me and my 2 buds. Slept in the next morning while the rain came down and didnt get hiking till close to noon.
Beautiful stream/flooded trail right outside the shelter. Can't put my finger on it, just one of those special places.
The one before it south is nasty
BlackCloud
07-16-2004, 18:53
I wish I could have been there when they told you the salt lick line. I would have paid to see the look on your face. I am, however, very sorry they forced you to stay there.Yea you're right. Caretakers have no responsibility to keep a shelter sanitary; hikers be damned.:-?
Rat + outhouse directly above water source = bad place to hang. Raining & 15 miles in, I was out of options and HUNGRY.
I have hiked 1/4 of the AT, stayed in some shady places, but this one is my personal loser. Sorry.
Toofarafoot
07-18-2004, 19:52
I spent a night here in Oct 95 during a section hike from HF to Front Royal. So happens that Tropical Storm (formerly Hurricane) Opal passed thru the area that night. It was a tight fit, with 4 additional hikers, but I was glad to be under a roof that evening. Many, many limbs were blown down during the storm, which made for a scary night, as they crashed off of the shelter; not a good night to be tenting!
Toofarafoot
NICKTHEGREEK
10-22-2004, 11:07
First newbie post-here goes. I passed through about 2 years ago on an overnighter from Manassas Gap North to Sky Meadows SP. The latrine was well above the stream and I didn't feel good about the water. I followed the stream 200 yds or so upstream and found a pool or 2 in the rocks with a fair flow, and collected a couple of quarts to filter. If memory serves, it was abit of a hassle getting to it as the stream bed was very rocky and offered some pretty good chances to twist an ankle. Up hill from the shelter and behind the latrine there's a fire road of sorts. At the time there were several large trees down across the road (either deadfalls or cut to block ORV passage). It struck me as a decent place to pitch a tent if there wasn't too much rain.
jackiebolen
10-22-2004, 20:55
I stopped in this summer for a little afternoon nap on my way to bigger and better things for the day. I was quite disturbed by the privy situation but the scenery and location were beautiful. However, it was probably the most poorly designed shelter that I saw...big but can only sleep 3 or 4 people comfortably. Heck, even 2 with gear is pushing in when I stopped in for nap time with someone I was hiking with. What was the designer thinking? Plus it was dirty.
I love this little shelter and the site isn't too bad. We stayed here back in 1993 when we did the AT and you don't see too many shelters with the uniqness this one has. I wouldn't trust the water source out front and it gets a bit buggy in the summer months, but I have fond memories of this great place on the AT. I think it was a father and son project that was completed back in 1989.
It's only big enough for two or three comfortably and in a damp area...........wanderer
Well was planning to nap a few hours at this one when I went thru in late-May of 1993 but fell asleep in the warm sun and didn't wake up till evening so I made it an overnight. An unusaul, but cozy design, peaceful surrounds, very nice except move that privy away from the spring....
However, it was probably the most poorly designed shelter that I saw...
One of the most poorly named as well. :o
What were they thinking? :datz
FlyPaper
10-21-2005, 17:27
Stayed there just last week. We managed to get 5 in the shelter, but it was tight.
Be prepared to kill spiders before sleeping. We saw some big ones, and they looked like they had many friends.
I stopped at Dick's Dome for lunch during my Spring 2004 section hike. It was a nice place for lunch but don't think I would want to sleep there. As I was finishing lunch, a teenaged girl walked up and seemed surprised to find me there. She had parked her ATV up on the dirt road and walked down to sneek a cigarette, I'm pretty sure. Anyway, I talked to her for a few minutes and went my merry way. I wouldn't be surprised if this shelter was a big makeout/party spot for teens.
It's a dump and needs to be replaced or eliminated.
I don't even like the name "Dicks Dome". What kind of a name is that. Couldn't they call it something else?
Panzer
Had a very memorable night at Dicks Dome.It was when the remnants of Katrina hit in the area.A nice size chunk of tree hit it in the middle of the storm that night.The next day we had major problems crossing all the blowdowns on the trail.Turns out a tornado touched down.The little shelter came through in flying colors protecting us from the weather.There was enough room for 4 six footers but not much more.
I hiked in here from Front Royal largely after dark in May '03. I got in at around 10 pm and was soaked due to pooring rain and a trailway full of standing water. There were two gentlemen asleep in one half the shelter and a girl sprawled at an angle taking up most of the second half. Still, I found room between her and the wall, but I had to step over her to get there. I was as quiet as reasonably possible to avoid tarping in the rain and I shielded my headlamp with my fingers.
At 5 am the next morning-before first light-the female hiker got up and made her exit as loud as possible, including dropping boots or pack or something heavy on the floor several times and letting her Lekis drop a few times from some height (I presume all for my benefit). It didn't phase me and I slept on only slightly disturbed, but the other two hikers were laughing about her when we three were up a couple hours later.
One of those hikers was an 80-year old gentlemen on his fifth 2,000 mile trek. He was phenomenal, and he gave me a terrific confidence-boosting compliment by saying that I looked like I would surely finish my thru-hike.
the 80 year old guy sounds like the guy i met in may 2003 at the david lesser shelter,this guy had bypass heart surgery 6 months earlier,i really enjoyed meeting him:cool: neo
Blissful
04-15-2006, 18:06
We stopped by here for lunch on 4/14/06. The shelter seemed intact on the inside though many of the roofing tiles lining the outer walls had peeled off or were hanging. Thus it made it look pretty shabby. The stream is pretty out front but we are told not reliable for drinking water. The design makes it difficult for more than three to stay. And its proximity to a dirt road makes it vulnerable. If I needed a place to stay, I would tent near the spring a mile up on the AT. Some good tenting spots are there.
FlimFlam
04-03-2008, 17:49
I don't even like the name "Dicks Dome". What kind of a name is that. Couldn't they call it something else?
Panzer
LOL....couldn't agree more. Call it anything but "Dick's Dome". Actually if you renamed the shelter about 20 miles north (Sam Moore I think) for the growth on the side of the tree on the blue blaze leading up to the shelter....well you could have a complete set of male anatomy.
On a more serious and less disgusting note. I overnighted there with some friends Christmas 2007. We got in around 1:30 AM and no one was there. The rat never showed either...or it was so stealthy we never heard/saw it. The hexagon shape does make for a waste of space. You could maybe fit 5 squeezed in it. Ditto to the privy being too far upstream of the shelter.
shelterbuilder
04-03-2008, 20:26
Someone needs to go in with a load of cedar shingles and replace the shingles on the walls with cedar shingles - even undercourse shingles would be better than asphalt shingles. As I recall, it is a bit small, but the shape is incredibly strong.
jersey joe
04-03-2008, 20:35
I too lost a pair of laces to the mystery rodent at Dick's Dome.
Just spent my first night on the AT at Dick's Dome, and after reading the reviews, I don't understand what you all have against this place!!!
Of couse, it is early March, so no bugs as of yet, saw 1 mouse out in the leaves about 20 yards from the shelter while gathering wood. Yes, the privy is located up on the bank above the creek, just walk upstream past it a bit and filter the water from there! I was nice sleeing in the shelter (which can hold 5 easy I would assume, judging how much space was left over after my fat a$$ was in there!), listening to the babbling of the creek outside. I would guess that in warmer weather, later in the season, it probably wouldn't be all that great with the bug situation, but for a late winter/early spring hike, I think it was pretty good. Shelter was in good repair and clean, privy was extremely clean and had a fresh roll of TP inside. The good kind too, CHARMIN, lol.
Anyway, I thought it was pretty decent, no rodent activity inside the shelter, and no evidence of any recent pests. Swept out the little bit of dust and webs and it was great!
I was there this summer. Was a bear lurking around but stayed his/her distance.Water good. tent site's looked flooded in the rain. Was just me-so plenty of room. Not for more than 4 though.(if you want to stretch out)
Slo-go'en
03-08-2009, 13:05
I discoverd that if you go up the hill past the privy another 20 feet or so, you come out to an old woods road which you can follow back to the AT. A much shorter and easier walk to the trail then the "official" route and comes out maybe 100-200 yards north of where the shelter blue blaze trail is.
I don't think I would have stayed in that shelter, even if a group hadn't already been in there!
shelterbuilder
03-08-2009, 13:41
I was there this summer. Was a bear lurking around but stayed his/her distance.Water good. tent site's looked flooded in the rain. Was just me-so plenty of room. Not for more than 4 though.(if you want to stretch out)
Did "they" ever put permanent hooks into the studs for hammocks? Or is it still just floor space? (I'm thinking in terms of carrying capacity, not in terms of "hangers' preference".)
Blissful
03-08-2009, 16:33
I thought the water there was contaminated due to farmer's field upstream?
Honestly, nice tent spots a mile north by a spring.
Did "they" ever put permanent hooks into the studs for hammocks? Or is it still just floor space? (I'm thinking in terms of carrying capacity, not in terms of "hangers' preference".)
Nope, no hangers at all, except for mouse hangers on the ceiling. I don't know, I had a nice stay there. Nice tip on the road, I crossed it on the trail, although part of the reason I go out is for the exercise, so I don't mind the extra distance!
Been there on a couple sections. I like the current shelter itself it ain't big but it is in great shape and if you use the angles right you can stay out of any wind. (also as of recently the coolest pencil holder ever thanks Flash) The privy spring issue however is a pretty rondonkulous example of how not to do field sanitation.
Spent a night here last week on a section hike from Snickers Gap south to Big Meadows, SNP. Great little shelter. Creek was really flowing. Gotta agree, that is one snazzy pencil holder!
IronGutsTommy
01-13-2011, 14:36
shelter mice LOVE this place. so you wont have to worry about sleeping alone. the round walls make it worse as they literlly ran circles around me through the night. drove me crazy. thats the double sidedness of shelters though. anytime you find one nestled in a low, protected spring-close area, mice have already found it and agree its a cozy place. any time you find a shelter thats exposed to the elements with nary a water source close by, the hardship is offset by an amazingly uneventful, serene nights sleep.
It's different. After saying that and having visited it. It wasn't worth the .2 mile walk. In my estimation it looked like something we as kids used to construct in the woods from scrap lumber. :-?
I got in around 9p this last June ('10) and there were 3 guys already occupying the dome. I hammocked nearby. I to thought the privy and water were not in the best setup. I went up stream to get my water. It was a nice sleep with the water sounds nearby though.
Blissful
01-13-2011, 22:24
No way wold I drink there, the H20 comes through a cow pasture
IronGutsTommy
01-14-2011, 18:01
i agree grampie, it seemed it was made different just to be "different". it even has some "geodesic" sub-name inside there. I appreciate all free places to lay my head but anytime im in the area in the future i plan to skip the dome.
Is there a good water source anywhere near this shelter to the south?
johnnybgood
09-09-2012, 12:46
There's a spring a mile north of Dicks Dome just off the trail which is the nearest water source. There is also a tent site that sits up the hill from this spring. South of the "Dome" about 3 miles is a spring and further south is the Manassas Gap Shelter .
There's a spring a mile north of Dicks Dome just off the trail which is the nearest water source. There is also a tent site that sits up the hill from this spring. South of the "Dome" about 3 miles is a spring and further south is the Manassas Gap Shelter .
Thanks; sounds like camping a little north near that spring might be the way to go.
Thanks; sounds like camping a little north near that spring might be the way to go.
Heading North, I believe the spring in question will be to your right and slightly down hill just off the trail, which you'll be ascending to get to that point. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a cut through trail just a little ways ahead of the spring on the left that leads to several camp sites which are cut into the thickets. Be cautious, however, as this same cut through is also just down hill from a parking area for the hunting grounds (G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area) you'll be sleeping in and hiking through. The parking lot isn't particularly easy to get to and most people don't know about it, but I've been through there when the camping areas were all filled with hunters. You won't find many other areas to camp around there without bushwhacking a bit, and the thickets are, well, pretty thick.
VVVV Agree with bamboo bob. The place probably looked cool on paper but it kinda sucks.
bamboo bob
09-09-2012, 17:15
What a poorly thought out dump. Wastes floor space, rain comes in. Been there three times and hated it every time. Ugly, poorly designed. A pentagon! A hex might work. Someones self indulgent project. I hope it is replaced.
Thanks for the info; that helps.
kerosenehat
09-22-2013, 10:03
Stayed there over night not too bad. Stream was flowing decent. I'm sure today it's much better after all the rain yesterday
Starchild
09-22-2013, 11:30
Up in NH I think is the Hexigon shelter, Not sure if that is the name, but it has also the pentaprivi. That shelter seemed very useful. Dicks' Dome OTHO does not seem practical. Perhaps it is because it is so small that there is no room for that many hikers in it, at the time it was maxed out at 4, with plenty of extra floor space if you wanted to stand in a triangle all night.
IMHO it was not though out that it would be accommodating a species that requires a certain amount of space to sleep in in a approximately a rectangular shape.
bspycc79
09-27-2013, 20:40
Stayed there last week with Kerosene Hat and Moose Legs. It was OK, but I lost my SPOT there. D'OH!
Anyone know whether the Whiskey Hollow shelter, which appears to be adjacent to Dick's Dome, is complete? It is marked as "under construction" on my PATC map 8 dated Oct 2013.
I'm likely going to pass up this area and head north to the above referenced camp sites near the spring.
Whistler80
04-27-2014, 19:53
I haven't been there YET. But the PATC app says Whiskey Hollow is complete. I have plans to section through there this coming weekend. And will Find out for sure
Whistler80
05-06-2014, 10:47
Whiskey Hollow is simply flags in the ground marking out the location.
Shelter is small and the tents sites blow hard at Dicks Dome. Campsites a mile or so to the north is your best bet.
earlyriser26
12-27-2014, 09:16
Saw this shelter on a section hike and thought it was something an individual just tossed together. What a dump. One of my op 10 shelters that should be replaced o the trail. I don't know the history of this shelter, but I would be shocked if a trail club put it up.
Tuckahoe
12-27-2014, 09:51
Saw this shelter on a section hike and thought it was something an individual just tossed together. What a dump. One of my op 10 shelters that should be replaced o the trail. I don't know the history of this shelter, but I would be shocked if a trail club put it up.
I stopped in att this shelter for a break this summer and it did have a bit of a dump vibe going. It could be that it was sort of shoehorned right up against a marshy creek, or it could have more to do with the hiker trash just left everywhere along with the gallon bags of trail mix left on the picnic table.
As far as the shelter's history, it is my understanding that this was put up on private property off the trail by an individual for the benefit of the hiking community.
johnnybgood
12-27-2014, 14:50
Hasn't Whiskey Hollow Shelter gone up as a replacement for Dick's Dome ?
Stayed their on my 06 thru in the pouring rain I am glad that I was the only person their since by the looks of it, it would only hold 2-3 people but all in all I had a okay time their, stopped their for lunch on my 2012 thru I am glad to report that they rebuilt it into an more welcoming place, it has a great water source though it's the creek you cross to get to the shelter.
shelterbuilder
12-27-2014, 23:09
Stayed there MANY, many years ago with my (then-)young son. I've worked (privately) with this geometry for over 20 years. In order to make this one work, you REALLY have to think outside the box. The basic design can be very easily modified to accommodate more people (2 very simple mods come to mind), but the square door idea really doesn't work well for a "sheltering structure". Smaller door, more windows (no glass ones, please), bunks, hooks for hammocks, and NO ASPHALT SHINGLES ON THE WALLS!!!
Furlough
12-28-2014, 09:17
Anyone with interest in "re-building this shelter can contact the PATC lead to rebuild this shelter. According to the January PATC newsletter:
Contact Henry Horn,
[email protected] or 301/498-8254. Call or email for details.
Studlintsean
01-27-2015, 11:24
Anyone with interest in "re-building this shelter can contact the PATC lead to rebuild this shelter. According to the January PATC newsletter:
Contact Henry Horn,
[email protected] or 301/498-8254. Call or email for details.
Has anyone helped with this shelter? I sent an email this morning about volunteering and am hoping to get out either next weekend or a weekend in March.
Red Cinema
03-28-2016, 12:15
Has anyone helped with this shelter? I sent an email this morning about volunteering and am hoping to get out either next weekend or a weekend in March.
"Whiskey Hollow" shelter is being built and as of mid-March 2016 looks like this:
34324
34325
Studlintsean
03-28-2016, 12:24
"Whiskey Hollow" shelter is being built and as of mid-March 2016 looks like this:
34324
34325
Thanks for the info Red Cinema. I swapped a few emails regarding helping with this shelter but never received dates, info, etc. Looks like there is still a lot of work to be done.
I don't know if this can be addressed or not -- but one of my complaints about that shelter was the general lack of reasonably level ground for tenting nearby. Maybe a tent platform or two would help? Glad to see the old structure being replaced. Notwithstanding the spirit of innovation and volunteerism, it was a dump and never really a good shelter design.
Studlintsean
03-28-2016, 12:43
I don't know if this can be addressed or not -- but one of my complaints about that shelter was the general lack of reasonably level ground for tenting nearby. Maybe a tent platform or two would help? Glad to see the old structure being replaced. Notwithstanding the spirit of innovation and volunteerism, it was a dump and never really a good shelter design.
Rafe- Just curious if you are referring to the lack of flat ground at the old shelter (Dicks Dome) or the new Shelter? From the pictures and my observation of the area where I believe this is (North of Dicks Dome), there is not a whole lot of flat ground around the new shelter either. I am going to try to do a hike in this area in the next few weeks and will check out the area for tenting (unless Red Cinema can comment on it). Agreed on design on Dicks Dome (also not down playing the hard work by volunteers that went into it.)
Rafe- Just curious if you are referring to the lack of flat ground at the old shelter (Dicks Dome) or the new Shelter? From the pictures and my observation of the area where I believe this is (North of Dicks Dome), there is not a whole lot of flat ground around the new shelter either. I am going to try to do a hike in this area in the next few weeks and will check out the area for tenting (unless Red Cinema can comment on it). Agreed on design on Dicks Dome (also not down playing the hard work by volunteers that went into it.)
I haven't seen the new shelter site. I'm referring to the old dome shelter. I ended up sleeping on the footbridge across the stream that runs by the shelter. But even the new shelter (from images in message #69) appears to be built on very sloped ground. A small army of volunteers could create a few tent platforms or hack out some level spots. (I've been part of such an army in a place where they were not nearly as essential.)
climbingbear
03-28-2016, 14:41
I tented right behind where the new shelter is being built. It looks like it was an old forest road. He road is on a very shallow slope.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
climbingbear
03-28-2016, 14:48
34336road behind new shelter location.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
climbingbear
03-28-2016, 14:49
The dome
34337
34338
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Slo-go'en
03-28-2016, 14:50
Last time I was there I camped on the road which runs past the outhouse. Lots of pretty level places there and is a nice short cut back to the trail.
Studlintsean
03-28-2016, 17:18
Where is the new shelter going in relation to Dicks Dome?
ScottTrip
03-28-2016, 19:30
Stayed in that shelter alone on my thru..... Kind of creepy.
climbingbear
03-29-2016, 02:46
If you are facing the dome, turn to your right and go up the road/hill and you will run into it. I'm not sure but I think you can see it from the dome.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
climbingbear
03-29-2016, 02:50
34345
34346
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
climbingbear
03-29-2016, 02:53
34345
34346
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
The first picture is looking at the front of the shelter with my back towards the dome.
The second is looking towards the back of the new shelter from where I pitched my tent on the old road.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Red Cinema
04-07-2016, 20:00
If you are facing the dome, turn to your right and go up the road/hill and you will run into it. I'm not sure but I think you can see it from the dome.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
The new shelter is easily visible from Dick's Dome Shelter. Call it 50 yards, ish. 60?
Red Cinema
04-07-2016, 20:03
Rafe- Just curious if you are referring to the lack of flat ground at the old shelter (Dicks Dome) or the new Shelter? From the pictures and my observation of the area where I believe this is (North of Dicks Dome), there is not a whole lot of flat ground around the new shelter either. I am going to try to do a hike in this area in the next few weeks and will check out the area for tenting (unless Red Cinema can comment on it). Agreed on design on Dicks Dome (also not down playing the hard work by volunteers that went into it.)
I'd call flat ground availability near the new shelter "limited." There is an old road or wide path that parallels the stream near the shelters, that's pretty flat, and when I was there in mid-March a trio of Wisconsonites camped next to the new shelter on what I think is slightly sloped ground and seemed ok with it.
steve_zavocki
12-06-2016, 11:16
Bored at work so planning future AT hikes. Question: Is it safe to assume that this shelter will be fully operational by October 2017?
Studlintsean
12-06-2016, 12:59
Bored at work so planning future AT hikes. Question: Is it safe to assume that this shelter will be fully operational by October 2017?
Yes. I have 3 brothers that stayed at the new shelter November 25th of this year.
Starchild
12-06-2016, 14:00
Bored at work so planning future AT hikes. Question: Is it safe to assume that this shelter will be fully operational by October 2017?
If it hasn't burned down
jimmyjam
12-06-2016, 17:53
If it hasn't burned down
Not sure why you think it would be burned down. It is in northern Virginia. They were in the process of building a nice new shelter just south of it to replace it when I hiked thru there this past April.
johnnybgood
12-06-2016, 18:14
If it hasn't burned down Do you know something we don't ? Mystified as to why you said that.
Starchild
12-06-2016, 18:42
Do you know something we don't ? Mystified as to why you said that.
Just that a lot of the trail has burnt, not usre you have heard, quite a bit of destruction to it and some facilities.
Starchild
12-06-2016, 18:43
Not sure why you think it would be burned down. It is in northern Virginia. They were in the process of building a nice new shelter just south of it to replace it when I hiked thru there this past April.
OK out of the fire zone and all.
The new shelter is great. It has a nice covered section with benches and a picnic table, a large sleeping area with a nice loft for more space. It's really a great spot. I was there a few weeks ago and loved it.
Def. should wear some orange there this time of year - it is located in the midst of public hunting land.
2 weeks ago - great water!
steve_zavocki
12-07-2016, 07:20
Thanks for all the info and thanks to the PATC for the new shelter. I am planning on staying there during my week long section next October.
Zen Monk
12-17-2016, 09:19
We were at the new shelter a month ago, thanksgiving weekend, 2016. It was so crowded, a local group of 8 having a beer party. The old Dicks dome was beautiful, but tiny. There were tenting spots just before the bridge, and near the old shelter. But they were all taken. We ended up tenting along a fire road upper hill from both shelters. The stream was running strong. Have bear pole and privy.
Christmastree
01-22-2017, 19:36
I stayed at Dick's Dome in Spring, 2016. There was a huge snake living in the water right in front of the shelter. We could hear the crew pounding nails up at the new shelter.
Kaptainkriz
02-19-2017, 18:27
Stopped by the shelter at lunch today...large group of users were there enjoying it. Looks very nice. I like the area around the old one too, hopefully they keep both. I kept on south to Manassas Gap.
Turk6177
02-19-2017, 19:46
Dick's Dome was the first shelter I ever slept overnight in on the AT. I am sad to see it go for nostalgic reasons.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
glassman
05-25-2017, 13:14
Had a rough time finding my way completely across the creek in the twilight blazing had me confused. When I found it the next day I was excited to see the new shelter! So well built! Could have missed it if not for log book.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk