View Full Version : Celebration to Mark 60th Anniversary of First Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike
StarLyte
07-16-2008, 21:13
Hikers from all over Pennsylvania will gather Saturday, August 2 for a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Earl Shaffer’s pioneering Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike and to help preserve the Earl Shaffer Shelter (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=11520&catid=searchresults&searchid=16208). The three-sided primitive shelter is the last remaining one built by Earl that is intact and still being used by overnight hikers.
The shelter is being preserved by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society (http://www.atmuseum.org/) and will be the featured artifact in its collection. The ceremony is being held in conjunction with the club maintaining the shelter, the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club (http://www.satc-hike.org/arch-his.htm). Also sponsoring the event is the Earl Shaffer Foundation (http://www.earlshaffer.com/), which is dedicated to preserving his writings, poems and songs.
The ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at the shelter site along the Appalachian Trail, three miles north of the crossing of Route 225. The ceremony will include reminiscences about Earl, a native and lifelong resident of York County, and speakers representing the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Keystone Trails Association (http://www.kta-hike.org/), the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association. (http://www.aldha.org/)
Participants should park by 8:45 a.m. at the Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural Resource Center on Route 225 (about 15 miles north of Harrisburg) near the intersection with Route 325. From there carpools will be available to the A.T. crossing for the three mile walk into the shelter. Some shorter trails in may also be available.
After the shelter is dismantled, volunteers will be needed to carry out the parts of the shelter for eventual reconstruction as part of the A.T. Museum. The rain date is Sunday, August 3. Volunteers should bring water, lunch and work gloves if available and practice “Leave No Trace” principles. For additional information contact Larry Luxenberg at 845-634-0581 or
[email protected] or Jeff Buehler at
[email protected].
The correct link to SATC is http://www.satc-hike.org and a downlink to further information about the structure to be conserved is at http://www.satc-hike.org/arch-his.htm
StarLyte
07-17-2008, 07:58
The correct link to SATC is http://www.satc-hike.org and a downlink to further information about the structure to be conserved is at http://www.satc-hike.org/arch-his.htm
I corrected the link - and thank you !!!
Thank YOU!
Any WBers coming? We need a crowd... :)
shelterbuilder
07-20-2008, 18:40
Since the shelter is scheduled for dismantling in a few weeks, I took the opportunity on Friday night and spent one last night in the old Earl Shaffer Shelter. By comparison to today's larger shelters, this one looks small and worn, but you have to remember that, when Earl Shaffer built this one, there were NOT the numbers of people out on the trail that there are today, so small was okay. (This one would sleep 4 or 5, with not much room for packs.)
The original roof was sheet metal, but has been covered over with a sheet of rubber roofing. The construction techniques are straight out of a log-building book that was published in the 1930's: HOW TO BUILD CABINS, LODGES, AND BUNGALOWS, published by Popular Science Publishing Co. (an interesting read if you're into things like this).
StarLyte
07-20-2008, 19:24
Shelterbuilder, thanks for posting.
That must have been a sentimental night.
I love the photos.
I'm not exactly sure who all is attending, the thread is not stimulating too many. Some folks just like the A.T., nothing in particular about Earl himself. As for me, I even own one of Earl's pith helmets.
I'll post any additional information here as I receive it from any source.
Thanks again.
I think those people who say "Shelters suck!" ought to come out for any excuse to tear one down. :D
(Hopefully the rest of us will outnumber those folks if they decide on a bonfire...)
Lone Wolf
07-20-2008, 19:38
I think those people who say "Shelters suck!" ought to come out for any excuse to tear one down. :D
(Hopefully the rest of us will outnumber those folks if they decide on a bonfire...)
Earl's should be left where it is. the other one, the big monstrosity, should be disassembled. my opinion
shelterbuilder
07-20-2008, 20:05
Shelterbuilder, thanks for posting.
That must have been a sentimental night.
I love the photos.
I'm not exactly sure who all is attending, the thread is not stimulating too many. Some folks just like the A.T., nothing in particular about Earl himself. As for me, I even own one of Earl's pith helmets.
I'll post any additional information here as I receive it from any source.
Thanks again.
The first time that I stayed overnight here was over 25 years ago - and as luck would have it, Warren Doyle was leading one of his "U Conn Expeditions" through the area - the group woke me up the following morning, and we talked for a good bit. I remember thinking to myself, "What a strange way to hike the trail - light day packs, no equipment to speak of, everything carried by support vehicles - but if you only have the summer break to do the hike, I guess that it works."
By the way, the floor STILL slopes toward the front of the shelter!:D
Blissful
07-20-2008, 20:07
Glad I saw it last year then and took pictures. It was an inspiration for me of a great pioneer in whose footsteps I then followed.
Judging by the pics it looks like it's ready to fall down. Better to dismantle and put it in the museum than have it rot.
Lone Wolf
07-20-2008, 20:50
than have it rot.
i'm sure earl would want it like that
shelterbuilder
07-20-2008, 21:17
Judging by the pics it looks like it's ready to fall down. Better to dismantle and put it in the museum than have it rot.
Disposable camera pics don't really do justice to anything!
The front purlin (holding up the front edge of the roof) is not in good shape, and the right front corner of the floor sags a bit, but the rest of the structure is surprisingly sound for a shelter this old. The rubber roofing (hanging and drooping like that) is what makes it look really bad. I imagine that they will re-chink the logs when they re-assemble it, re-brace the floor, and put a new roof on it (galvanized sheet steel?)
Look at the corner construction and the front post that hold the wall together in these two pics - you just don't see this type of work being done anymore. Yes, the shelter should be conserved - as much for the construction techniques as to honor the man responsible for the shelter's construction.
In 1990 there were still a few shelters in northern ME with the old "baseball bat" floors. Are any of those still standing?
Disposable camera pics don't really do justice to anything!
Still a good shot. If I didn't know better I would swear that pack was the Camp Trails version they sold out of the BSA Catalog in 1975. :eek:
shelterbuilder
07-20-2008, 22:00
Still a good shot. If I didn't know better I would swear that pack was the Camp Trails version they sold out of the BSA Catalog in 1975. :eek:
It could well be - it was loaned to me sophomore year in college (1975) by a Scout who didn't come back for the spring semester! It has a BSA sticker still attached to the upper part of the frame - sticker says "Large Cruiser". I keep using things until they wear out completely, and this pack still has life left in it!:D
shelterbuilder
07-20-2008, 22:10
Earl's should be left where it is. the other one, the big monstrosity, should be disassembled. my opinion
That one (Peter's Mountain Shelter) is rather big, isn't it? I've heard that it can sleep 28! But I'm sure that SATC felt that the size was justified by the area's usage, or they wouldn't have built it so big. Even back in 1994, building proposals had to be reviewed by ATC and NPS prior to the start of construction, so they, too, must have felt the need for the size. Had I stayed in the big shelter that night, I would have felt dwarfed...the little shelter was just the right size for me.
Personally, I prefer log construction, but it is so much easier to transport lumber than logs. Even so, this was a massive undertaking. My hat's off to SATC for a job well done.:-?
My opinion.
Cookerhiker
07-21-2008, 16:54
In 1990 there were still a few shelters in northern ME with the old "baseball bat" floors. Are any of those still standing?
Yes, at least in 2005 when I hiked the entire state. The first one I remembered was Poplar Ridge on the north side of the Saddleback Range. Then there were several in the 100 Mile Wilderness. I don't remember exactly but Bald Mountain Brook, Cooper Falls, Rainbow Stream come to mind.
Cookerhiker
07-21-2008, 16:55
That one (Peter's Mountain Shelter) is rather big, isn't it? I've heard that it can sleep 28! But I'm sure that SATC felt that the size was justified by the area's usage, or they wouldn't have built it so big. Even back in 1994, building proposals had to be reviewed by ATC and NPS prior to the start of construction, so they, too, must have felt the need for the size. Had I stayed in the big shelter that night, I would have felt dwarfed...the little shelter was just the right size for me.
Personally, I prefer log construction, but it is so much easier to transport lumber than logs. Even so, this was a massive undertaking. My hat's off to SATC for a job well done.:-?
My opinion.
As big as Peters Mountain is, I couldn't escape the wind when I stayed there in November '04. I've heard other hikers comment on that as well.
Cookerhiker
07-21-2008, 17:01
Just so that I'm clear: is this "celebration" also a work party, i.e. those who come are also expected to help with the dismantling and carrying of pieces back to the road? No problem if it is but I was curious since the heading refers to a ceremoney and celebration and ends with describing a typical work party.
shelterbuilder
07-21-2008, 19:58
Just so that I'm clear: is this "celebration" also a work party, i.e. those who come are also expected to help with the dismantling and carrying of pieces back to the road? No problem if it is but I was curious since the heading refers to a ceremoney and celebration and ends with describing a typical work party.
I'm not connected with this project (it's being run by SATC), but if you check their website (http://www.satc-hike.org), it's clear that part of the celebration is, indeed, a work trip to dismantle the shelter, and a work trip is a fitting tribute to a man like Earl Shaffer. None of the logs are any larger than a 4 inch diameter, so they aren't heavy, just awkward.
BTW, the "windy" design of the Peter's Mountain Shelter may be deliberate: this helps to "encourage" any "truly homeless" people NOT to move in and claim the shelter as home. BMECC did much the same thing with the sleeping loft in the William Penn Shelter. We deliberately left a standard "decking gap" in between the 2x6's in the floor, so that it would be drafty enough to discourage anyone from taking up permanent residence. (Historically in Pa., we have had problems with vagrants moving in at various shelters. Social Service agencies are better equiped to deal with the homeless than the ATC and NPS!;))
Hikerhead
07-21-2008, 20:09
Just a thought. After the shelter is dismantled and moved, why not build a replica in it's place with a sign so stating that it's a replica of the shelter that Earl built. There will now be a lot of hikers that will never see the shelter that Earl built.
There will now be a lot of hikers that will never see the shelter that Earl built.
Not necessarily, the AT Museum is supposed to be built in Harpers Ferry.
Hikerhead
07-21-2008, 20:19
Not necessarily, the AT Museum is supposed to be built in Harpers Ferry.
That's true, I guess someday it will be tucked inside a building. Just thinking it would nice to have a replica built on the same piece of earth.
Jaybird62
07-21-2008, 20:22
[quote=Hikerhead;669580]Just a thought. After the shelter is dismantled and moved, why not build a replica in it's place with a sign so stating that it's a replica of the shelter that Earl built.
I think that is a great idea!:)
That's true, I guess someday it will be tucked inside a building. Just thinking it would nice to have a replica built on the same piece of earth.
Not necessarily tucked inside either... ;)
From the ATM (http://www.atmuseum.org/intro.htm) site.
What is at present the Society's largest and perhaps most important artifact requires a completely different approach. Over his long life Earl Shaffer built several Appalachian Trail Shelters. Today only one of those structures remains. Located on Peters Mountain in Pennsylvania, the Earl Shaffer Shelter is now no longer officially in use, having been replaced with a more modern shelter nearby. The original Shaffer Shelter remains exposed to the elements and is subject to deterioration and vandalism. The Museum Society has proposed to disassemble the shelter and put it in storage until the AT Museum is established, when the Shelter will be reassembled on the Museum grounds as the highlight of the Museum's offerings.
shelterbuilder
07-21-2008, 20:31
Just a thought. After the shelter is dismantled and moved, why not build a replica in it's place with a sign so stating that it's a replica of the shelter that Earl built. There will now be a lot of hikers that will never see the shelter that Earl built.
Actually, when the SATC built the Peter's Mountain Shelter in 1994, they built it a stone's throw away from the Shaffer Shelter (probably because there is a spring below the site). Two shelters at one site is a bit redundant. But a plaque at the site might be a thought. (Who knows, one might already be planned.)
Lone Wolf
07-21-2008, 20:37
tear down earl's shelter, give it to his family, build a replica in it's place and tear down the big monstrosity near it. perfect. there's plenty of camping in that area
Hikerhead
07-21-2008, 20:42
Not necessarily tucked inside either... ;)
You always have an ace in your hand. I'll never play you in poker. :)
Actually, when the SATC built the Peter's Mountain Shelter in 1994, they built it a stone's throw away from the Shaffer Shelter (probably because there is a spring below the site). Two shelters at one site is a bit redundant. But a plaque at the site might be a thought. (Who knows, one might already be planned.)
That would be nice and I expect that you'll right, about it already being planned.
Just so that I'm clear: is this "celebration" also a work party
YES, please come! Many hands make light work. ;):D
Hoop Time
07-23-2008, 22:32
Not necessarily, the AT Museum is supposed to be built in Harpers Ferry.
Actually, the press release I got about this "event" says they hope to place the museum near Pine Grove Furnace and the halfway point.
Hoop Time
07-25-2008, 22:55
Going to do a story on the anniversary and the shelter preservation. Anybody with special memories/stories of the Earl Schaeffer Shelter, please e-mail or PM them to me. Don't send me anything you would not want to see in print, I might use excerpts or quotes in the story. please include both your real name and your trail name and your hometown.
Help me write a fitting tribute. I plan to do the short hike from the nearest parking area to get a look at it, and hopefully to encounter some hikers willing to be photographed for the story. But I won't have slept through a thunderstorm in it or have camped there with special friends. I know what it is, but you know what it means.
Thanks in advance for any help on this one.
Lone Wolf
07-25-2008, 23:05
earl didn't want that shelter named after him. ask his brother
trailangelmary
07-26-2008, 02:29
When my children were young I used to take them back the trail from the parking area to camp. We stayed in a shelter at Table Rock if my memory serves me correctly. Was the Earl Shaeffer Shelter there at one time?
My hope is to be there on Saturday. I plan on hiking there from 225 on Friday. Would love some company on Friday.
trailangelmary
07-26-2008, 02:36
THE EMAIL FROM THE PA FOREST COALITION:
"The Earl Shaffer Shelter will be moved - to be part of an A.T. Museum
Celebration to Mark 60th Anniversary of First Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike
Harrisburg, Pa. -- Hikers from all over Pennsylvania will gather Saturday, August 2 for a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Earl Shaffer’s pioneering Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike and to help preserve the Earl Shaffer Shelter. The three-sided primitive shelter is the last remaining one built by Earl that is intact and still being used by overnight hikers.
The shelter is being preserved by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society and will be the featured artifact in its collection. The ceremony is being held in conjunction with the club maintaining the shelter, the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club. Also sponsoring the event is the Earl Shaffer Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving his writings, poems and songs. The Smithsonian Institution holds some of the Shaffer artifacts and is scheduled to feature them in an exhibit in 2009.
The ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at the shelter site along the Appalachian Trail, three miles north of the crossing of Route 225. The ceremony will include reminiscences about Earl, a native and lifelong resident of York County, and speakers representing the Appalachian Trail Museum Society, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Keystone Trails Association, the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association.
Participants should park by 8:45 a.m. at the Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural Resource Center on Route 225 (about 15 miles north of Harrisburg) just north of the junction with Route 325 East (Clarks Valley Rd.), on right (east) side of the road. 3B's Ice Cream on left side. For information on the center go to http://www.dauphincd.org/general/location.html.From there carpools will be available to the A.T. crossing for the three mile walk into the shelter. Some shorter trails in may also be available.
After the shelter is dismantled, volunteers will be needed to carry out the parts of the shelter for eventual reconstruction as part of the A.T. Museum. The rain date is Sunday, August 3. Volunteers should bring water, lunch and work gloves if available and practice “Leave No Trace” principles. For additional information contact Larry Luxenberg at 845-634-0581 or
[email protected] or Jeff Buehler at
[email protected].
The museum society will also be honoring Earl in a symposium at The Gathering at Concord College, Athens, W.Va., on Columbus Day Weekend. The program will feature a presentation by Earl’s brother, John, and his 1998 hiking partner, David Donaldson.
The shelter, which was built by Earl about 1960, is the last remaining intact shelter that Earl built himself and one of the oldest and smallest remaining on the trail. Not only was Earl a three-time thru hiker, but he also served as corresponding secretary of the Appalachian Trail Conference, a founder of the Susquehanna A.T. Club and the Keystone Trails Association, and relocated a large stretch of the A.T. on both sides of the Susquehanna River as well as building many trail shelters. As a man of varied interest, Earl also wrote many poems, songs and essays as well as “Walking With Spring,” the lyrical account of his 1948 hike.
The shelter project was the culmination of a two year effort involving many organizations and the National Park Service to determine what was the most appropriate way to preserve and protect this important trail object. The A.T. Museum Society is pursuing a home at Pine Grove Furnace State Park near the mid-point of the A.T. in Pennsylvania. If that is successful, the Shaffer Shelter will be reconstructed only a short distance from where Earl grew up and lived most of his life.
````````````````````````
Most people admired Earl for his first solo thruhike of the Appalachian Trail; I admired him more for what he gave back to the trail, including scouting the 70 mile relocation from Blue Mountain, through Duncannon, to Swatara Gap. But when I asked Earl what did he consider to be his greatest contribution, he quietly said "My service to my country in WWII".
That put everything in perspective. Dick Martin
http://www.PaForestCoalition.org
The Pennsylvania Forest Coalition is a unique alliance of hunters, hikers, anglers, landowners, wildlife-watchers, paddlers, bikers, churches and conservation groups who are united in our concern for the stewardship of our public lands. . . Caring for what God has created
These messages are brought to you as a public service; in compliance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed free and without profit or payment for educational purposes only."
Hoop Time
07-26-2008, 23:33
Hiked out there today and got some pictures for the story, but I could still use some good old stories about stays in that shelter if anybody has any to share.
e-mail to
[email protected]
Hoop Time
07-26-2008, 23:59
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/8/2/3/4/esshelter.jpg
camojack
07-27-2008, 12:57
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/8/2/3/4/esshelter.jpg
Good shot of the shelter in question.
So who's all planning to go? I am...
Actually, the press release I got about this "event" says they hope to place the museum near Pine Grove Furnace and the halfway point.
I really don't see the importance of having it that close to the halfway point but that would be OK. However, they'd likely get more traffic in HF.
earl didn't want that shelter named after him. ask his brother
Here is contemporaneous evidence he wanted his name taken off of it (need to scroll to page 5 to see it): http://www.satc-hike.org/bb29-3.pdf
Lone Wolf
07-27-2008, 21:43
the shelter should stay where it is and earl's name not be associated with it. he would agree
camojack
07-28-2008, 01:22
Here is contemporaneous evidence he wanted his name taken off of it (need to scroll to page 5 to see it): http://www.satc-hike.org/bb29-3.pdf
According to page 5 on the PDF you linked, Earl wanted his name taken off of the shelter after some modifications were made.
This is consistent with what I've heard about his wishes, like about a wooden floor being added to his original construction.
(Which he did not want done)
I believe it should be reassembled as close to his original construction as possible.
If it's going to be a museum piece anyway, it certainly needs no floor and whatnot.
Also, if it's to represent Earl, it should be done in that way that he would have wanted it.
YMMV. IDGAF...
I have no idea what the plans are for display but the floor scenario seems an interesting story about the Trail being bigger than any of us. Guess we'll see if we leave the floor in the woods or not. :)
camojack
07-30-2008, 00:32
OK, I've been in touch with Larry Luxenberg, who as many know is one of the people behind the A.T. Museum project.
The short version is that the shelter will be displayed as originally built, without the floor and rubber roof.
So, who else will be there helping out this weekend?
trailangelmary
07-30-2008, 00:50
trailangelmary
My hope is to be there on Saturday. I plan on hiking there from 225 on Friday. Would love some company on Friday.
Well, as it turns out, I want to go to a memorial service at the local VFW for a friend that just passed away on Friday evening so I will be either night hiking to the shelter on Friday or hiking there on Saturday morning. Will make the decision when the time comes.
Does anyone know if this event was held today, or was it postponed until tomorrow due to the weather?
Lhanks, Lobo
trailangelmary
08-02-2008, 19:25
It was held today. Project complete.
trailangelmary
08-02-2008, 19:32
Guestimate there was about 35 people in attendance. Some shown here in group picture during presentation.
StarLyte
08-02-2008, 20:17
Another historical event takes place on the Appalachian Trail. I love it !
Thanks for the photo Mary! :sun
Lone Wolf
08-02-2008, 21:05
it's a shame. it shoulda been left there to rot. earl would agree
it's a shame. it shoulda been left there to rot. earl would agree
That's crazy. It will be a center piece of the AT museum and a lasting tribute to Earl.
Lone Wolf
08-02-2008, 21:19
That's crazy. It will be a center piece of the AT museum and a lasting tribute to Earl.
oh bullcrap. earl wanted none of it
oh bullcrap. earl wanted none of it
None of it? He built it and now he's gone. See my last post.
Lone Wolf
08-02-2008, 21:24
saw it. i'm right. you're star struck
It will be a center piece of the AT museum and a lasting tribute to Earl.
What he wrote far exceeds in value what this shelter represents. I promise I have nothing more to say on this subject since I know what transpired today was important to everyone who participated.
Hoop Time
08-02-2008, 21:34
oh bullcrap. earl wanted none of it
Won't pretend to be the expert. I never met Earl.
But it does seem clear he wanted his name off it when they added the floor and rubber roof. Whether that would equate to not wanting it preserved in more or less its original state is a different question.
Maybe he would have liked the idea of folks used to the fancier shelters of today having a chance to see how shelters used to be and to appreciate some oth the trail's history and heritage.
Or maybe Lone Wolf is right. Maybe he would have rather it rot back into the ground - ashes to ashes, dust to dust -- seeing it as the natural process.
I could not equate his wanting his name off the shelter after the floor and roof issues with him not wanting it preserved as he intended it to be, which is what the museum folks say they plan to do.
It does seem fitting to have it preserved and to have it as a centerpiece of the new museum when it opens. I am sure the museum will cover Earl's legacy, which might help some hikers come around to seeing things the way Earl did -- that the closer to nature the better the hike.
Certainly as a newbie in the AT universe, I have been fascinated by what I learned about Earl while researching the story I did on the shelter's dismantling. I guess since the shelter is already in the barn at the Scott Farm, the important thing now is telling Earl's story and hoping some of his legacy will be passed on to new generations.
you're star struck
Well I do have an autographed copy of "Walking with Spring" :D Earl's the man. 1st thru-hiker, led the way, we wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for him, etc, etc etc.
Lone Wolf
08-02-2008, 21:39
i spent time with him 10 years ago, just before his thru-hike. a very simple man. wrote songs and poetry. sang. very humble. hated hoopla but obliged. the war sucked
Yup spoke to him myself a few times over the years at the PA Ruck and Trailfest '98 Whether you agree, or not, having his shelter as the center piece of the AT Museum is a fitting tribute and a lasting memory to a good man.
Whether you agree, or not, having his shelter as the center piece of the AT Museum is a fitting tribute and a lasting memory to a good man.
Hoop Time, you're a professional writer. What do you think of Sly's post? I think he should have added a wink.:D
Lone Wolf
08-02-2008, 21:57
maybe the grandma gatewood stuff should be displayed INSIDE the shelter. he would approve of that too :rolleyes:
Hoop Time, you're a professional writer. What do you think of Sly's post? I think he should have added a wink.:D
Nah, I'm thinking the dancing banana would have been more fitting. :banana
maybe the grandma gatewood stuff should be displayed INSIDE the shelter. he would approve of that too :rolleyes:
Yeah, a life size cut out.
mweinstone
08-03-2008, 06:53
im the youngest hiker i know who met earl. it was his second thru and on rt 61 in port clinton. he had found a stry dog and then let it go . he said it was too cold where he was goin and that the dog had made it so far, he would be allright. i never knew it was him till helen told me at the hotel. later i realized he was dressed the same as a photo of him in one of the books. my favorite thing to show kids on the trail is a photo of him on a rock in pa. under the rock behind his boots are some pebbles. they are still their and in the same places. its cool to hold the book up to the rock. i never touch the pebbles , rather , treat them with reverence. the very shadow of the man cast on them makes them special.
trailangelmary
08-03-2008, 09:29
At the presentation, a member of the SATC was explaining why they put a floor in Earl's shelter, to give more sleeping space because of the rock. Then someone in the group said that's not a rock, that's a pillow! The floor was removed by morning so that during the presentation, we all were viewing the shelter as Earl built it. And it was explained that the reason Earl was upset when a floor was put in, was because he built the shelter with that rock in place on purpose.
Hoop Time
08-03-2008, 12:15
Hoop Time, you're a professional writer. What do you think of Sly's post? I think he should have added a wink.:D
I learned a long time ago to be very careful about reading into shoprt bursts of written communication on the Internet.
Many times I have seen e-mails, instant messages or chat/forum posts misinterpreted. They are not written in a long enough piece to have context and it is easy to mistake earnest thoughts for sarcasm, or vice versa.
For example, not knowing who Gandma Gatewood was, I Googled her.
Now I am left to wonder: in Lone Wolf's past, was he serious that it would be fitting because she hiked with such minimal equipment. Or being sarcastic because of her having received such publicity. and maybe there is something more behind his comment, because the three Web articles I read were very brief. No doubt Lone Wolf knows more of her story than I.
I've found the shorter the comment, the more likely what you've observed to be so. I just found "Whether you agree, or not, ..." [my bold and italics] entertaining. Even if someone doesn't agree, it must be so because Sly said so.;)
Apparently, Earl once made some comments about Emma Gatewood that were less than complimentary. Certain people seem to take considerable pleasure in broadcasting these remarks attributed to him here. I'm not sure why someone would think it's anything that belongs here unless he made those remarks intending to be forever associated with them by A.T. enthusiasts.
Lone Wolf
08-03-2008, 12:51
Now I am left to wonder: in Lone Wolf's past, was he serious that it would be fitting because she hiked with such minimal equipment. Or being sarcastic because of her having received such publicity. and maybe there is something more behind his comment, because the three Web articles I read were very brief. No doubt Lone Wolf knows more of her story than I.
earl said she was a "fraud"
I've found the shorter the comment, the more likely what you've observed to be so. I just found "Whether you agree, or not, ..." [my bold and italics] entertaining. Even if someone doesn't agree, it must be so because Sly said so.;)
Yup, that's usually the way it works.
Apparently, Earl once made some comments about Emma Gatewood that were less than complimentary. Certain people seem to take considerable pleasure in broadcasting these remarks attributed to him. I'm not sure why someone would think it's anything that belongs here unless he made those remarks intending to be forever associated with them by A.T. enthusiasts.
He made them more than once. He also said she was a "pantywaist." Gatewood was well known for knocking on doors to seek shelter.
Lone Wolf
08-03-2008, 13:06
He made them more than once. He also said she was a "pantywaist." Gatewood was well known for knocking on doors to seek shelter.
and yellow blazing according to earl
A YELLOW BLAZER? Heaven forbid!
Thanks, Sly. It's important to point out similar comments were made more than just once. I suppose Earl Shaffer was entitled to formulate and publicize his own opinion even if it was and remains at variance with ATC which recognizes Grandma Gatewood as a verified 3x2000 miler (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.851151/k.4C05/Noteworthy_2000Milers.htm).
Many early A.T. hikers knocked on doors, slept in barns, etc. Maybe Emma did so more often than others and less than Earl. It was not unusual to experience difficulty keeping to the blazed route for a variety of reasons and probably all of them missed portions of it. Earl certainly did by his own admission.
Thanks, Sly. It's important to point out similiar comments were made more than just once.
Many people knocked on doors, slept in barns, etc. in the early days. Maybe she did so more often than others and less often than Earl. Many early hikers seemed to have difficulty keeping to the blazed trail for a variety of reasons and missed portions of it, Earl included.
I'm not sure about Earl knocking on doors but, in Walking with Spring, I do recall him bushwacking (blueblazing) in and out of town a couple times. It also appears he may have missed a short section (mile or so) in DWG when a family that took him in, and dropped him off after hosting him for the night.
When I pointed that out to WF on Trailplace one time, he said if that were true then Gene Espy was the 1st thru-hiker. Of course, I'm not that anal.
camojack
08-03-2008, 13:28
At the presentation, a member of the SATC was explaining why they put a floor in Earl's shelter, to give more sleeping space because of the rock. Then someone in the group said that's not a rock, that's a pillow! The floor was removed by morning so that during the presentation, we all were viewing the shelter as Earl built it. And it was explained that the reason Earl was upset when a floor was put in, was because he built the shelter with that rock in place on purpose.
I tore out the floor...that and removing the rubber roof were the first things we did; I'm sure that Earl would have approved.
I was also one of three people who slept in the shelter one last time, the night before we deconstructed it.
Here's a picture of me in it:
(Before the floor came out)
4512
I'll add the few pictures I took to the gallery later...
I'm not sure about Earl knocking on doors but, in Walking with Spring, I do recall him bushwacking (blueblazing) in and out of town a couple times. It also appears he may have missed a short section (mile or so) in DWG when a family that took him in, and dropped him off after hosting him for the night.
I re-read the Maine portion of Earl's 1965 journal yesterday in which he mentions bushwacking on a number of occasions due to logging operations. He took the Tuckerman Ravine cut-off in 1998. None of his hikes were strictly by the white blazes FWIW, but these facts aren't of any great significance as far as I am concerned.
There's a difference between deliberate yellow-blazing and what's described above, but I believe I'm venturing into territory this thread was not intended to explore and we need not go there.
Well, regardless of the merits of removing the shelter, it's off the Trail and secured. Ishmael did a superb job supervising its deconstruction, tagging, and storage.
I finally had the opportunity to meet some WhiteBlazers - trailangelmary, camojack, and Lauriep (whom I thanked for wading into these waters from time to time to set us all straight :) ) - not sure if I missed anyone, if so I'm sorry.
Anyone who may be interested in coming out on next week's SATC work trip with intent to conserve "Earl's pillow" is more than welcome to it - as long as you carry it out yourself. :D
Edit: Can't believe I forgot to thank Mary for the Amish friendship bread and the baked zucchini. It was not only delicious, but the only supper I had last night!
You are kidding about the rock, right?
Seems like it will be a good marker of the place where the shelter stood, and history was made.
You could build a gazebo over the top like the one in Plymouth Harbor.
There's a thought! Go chisel "1948" into it!!
(Don't know what other year to use, but the A.T. wasn't there until 1955 and the shelter wasn't begun until at least 1959...)
http://www.whtm.com/news/stories/0808/540891.html
(It was on the 6 p.m. news Saturday but I can't find a video link)
When my children were young I used to take them back the trail from the parking area to camp. We stayed in a shelter at Table Rock if my memory serves me correctly. Was the Earl Shaeffer Shelter there at one time?
Oh, I did find out the answer to this one later in the day. There was a separate shelter referred to as the Zeager (sp?) shelter near Table Rock. I was told the landowner built this without reference to ATC, and after the land was acquired by NPS, that shelter (no water, too close to the road) was removed.
I was also trying to find out from folks at this event where the other shelters were that Earl built.
I was told: the original Darlington shelter; the Thelma Marks shelter at the site of the current Cove Mountain (PA) shelter, just south of Duncannon; and the Susquehanna (?) shelter on the north side of Peters Mountain Trail-north of Duncannon, from when the A.T. followed the bench north from Duncannon to the pipeline rather than climbing the point near the river.
Someone was passing around a photo of the Susquehanna shelter after the A.T. had been rerouted away from it, and locals had converted it to a deer stand with a stove inside. Some time later, what I heard from these folks, the shelter burned and only the stove remained. Then Earl was said to have heard of this turn of events and asked someone to go smash the stove to bits, but by the time that person got there the site had been cleared (another said it had been cleared by the York Hiking Club, which was and is the maintaining club for this section).
It was reported that the shelter removed yesterday was the one remaining of the five Earl built; if you've been following closely, this counts only four. Anyone know more?
I believe the name and spelling Zeager of the shelter you mentioned is correct. Although I can confirm its existence in July 1980, I don't have a photo, nor do I recall much about it other than I believe it lacked a floor.
StarLyte
08-03-2008, 20:00
Well, regardless of the merits of removing the shelter, it's off the Trail and secured. Ishmael did a superb job supervising its deconstruction, tagging, and storage.....
If this is Ishmael from Mechanicsburg, did he tell what is sitting in his back yard?
Ishmael built a similar shelter, like the Earl Shaffer shelter, in his back yard on several acres of land on a small mountainside. Earl himself slept in it, and also signed Ishmael's log book while passing thru on one of his hikes.
Some hikers will phone Ishmael when they arrive at the ATC in Boiling Springs.
Thanks for posting the info ki0eh; and it seems like you were amidst a great group of folks there. :sun
Yes, that be the one. He doesn't seem to say much (at least to me) on any occasion I've met him, but others mentioned his shelter.
And, oh yes, there were some interesting folks. I also met Bag o Tricks (sp?) and a few others too.
trailangelmary
08-03-2008, 20:08
Here is a link to the video I have created from some of the pics and video I took on Aug 2 on You Tube under trailangelmary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czTa5fh7cHw
Oh, I did find out the answer to this one later in the day. There was a separate shelter referred to as the Zeager (sp?) shelter near Table Rock.
Yes, I found out the same thing. And there is a picture of Bo (if my memory is right about his trail name), looking at the view from there. He was taking a break there as I was leaving from my break there on the way back to the parking area.
Someone was passing around a photo of the Susquehanna shelter after the A.T. had been rerouted away from it, and locals had converted it to a deer stand with a stove inside. Some time later, what I heard from these folks, the shelter burned and only the stove remained. Then Earl was said to have heard of this turn of events and asked someone to go smash the stove to bits, but by the time that person got there the site had been cleared
That was Bustace fron the Lancaster area - Southbound '72
Edit: Can't believe I forgot to thank Mary for the Amish friendship bread and the baked zucchini. It was not only delicious, but the only supper I had last night!
Glad I was able to get it done before everyone was gone. And I thank God for providing the ingredients to make it possible and for making it possible for me to meet all the wonderful people that day. It is always an honor to meet more members of the trail family.
shelterbuilder
08-03-2008, 21:41
Glad to hear that there was a good turn-out for this...sorry that I couldn't make it. On my way up to the Wellsboro area on Friday (for Pa. Sled Dog Club summer campout), I took a detour along Rt. 225 to show my wife the "new" footbridge over the road, and the area in general, and explained to her what was happening this weekend. Having seen trail volunteers in action for the last 25 years, she was not at all surprised that something like this was being done!:D
Camojack, congrats on being one of the last to sleep there - and thanks to you and all of the others for the hard work. While we all may debate the "proper" type of memorial for a man like Earl Shaffer, I feel that it's a fitting tribute to the spirit of the trail to preserve this small piece of history for the generations of hikers who would otherwise never see this type of structure. No matter how we may feel about shelter size or type (or whether or not we should even HAVE shelters), this is a part of where we've come from, and Earl was one of the people who - knowingly or not - helped to shape our views and point us in the direction in which we are headed.
camojack
08-04-2008, 00:36
Well, regardless of the merits of removing the shelter, it's off the Trail and secured. Ishmael did a superb job supervising its deconstruction, tagging, and storage.
I finally had the opportunity to meet some WhiteBlazers - trailangelmary, camojack, and Lauriep (whom I thanked for wading into these waters from time to time to set us all straight :)) - not sure if I missed anyone, if so I'm sorry.
It was nice to meet you, too. Thanks for seeing it through all the way to stacking and storing the wood at Scott Farm.
If this is Ishmael from Mechanicsburg, did he tell what is sitting in his back yard?
Ishmael built a similar shelter, like the Earl Shaffer shelter, in his back yard on several acres of land on a small mountainside. Earl himself slept in it, and also signed Ishmael's log book while passing thru on one of his hikes.
Some hikers will phone Ishmael when they arrive at the ATC in Boiling Springs.
It was the Ishmael of whom you speak, darlin'...but why do you always say he lives in Mechanicsburg?
(He doesn't; check your ALDHA directory)
I phoned him last week to see if he was going to be around for the project; as it turned out, he was tasked to do the dismantling.
(It also turned out that we both had the same idea about sleeping in it along the Trail the last time that anyone could)
By the time we were all done, it was almost 9 PM. Then I went out for Thai food with Ishmael and his lady friend.
Camojack, congrats on being one of the last to sleep there - and thanks to you and all of the others for the hard work. While we all may debate the "proper" type of memorial for a man like Earl Shaffer, I feel that it's a fitting tribute to the spirit of the trail to preserve this small piece of history for the generations of hikers who would otherwise never see this type of structure. No matter how we may feel about shelter size or type (or whether or not we should even HAVE shelters), this is a part of where we've come from, and Earl was one of the people who - knowingly or not - helped to shape our views and point us in the direction in which we are headed.
It was a bit of work. I had a sore shoulder from prying out all the nails in the floor that Earl hated, but it's fine now...
StarLyte
08-04-2008, 07:56
It was the Ishmael of whom you speak, darlin'...but why do you always say he lives in Mechanicsburg?
(He doesn't; check your ALDHA directory)
I phoned him last week to see if he was going to be around for the project; as it turned out, he was tasked to do the dismantling.
(It also turned out that we both had the same idea about sleeping in it along the Trail the last time that anyone could)
By the time we were all done, it was almost 9 PM. Then I went out for Thai food with Ishmael and his lady friend.
It was a bit of work. I had a sore shoulder from prying out all the nails in the floor that Earl hated, but it's fine now...
He lives on the Mechanicsburg/Dillsburg border - ALDHA address is his mailing address only.
I know where you guys went to eat :mad:
camojack
08-04-2008, 08:20
He lives on the Mechanicsburg/Dillsburg border - ALDHA address is his mailing address only.
I know where you guys went to eat :mad:
Well, we had Thai food for dinner...then I spent the night.
We went to a diner for breakfast; I got steak & eggs, my usual Sunday fare...
(Big surprise, huh? ;))
StarLyte
08-04-2008, 09:00
Charlie Duane, member of the Earl Shaffer Foundation, posted this link to some awesome photos from this weekend:
Click here ! (http://sites.google.com/a/cduane.net/shaffershelter/)
camojack
08-04-2008, 09:19
Charlie Duane, member of the Earl Shaffer Foundation, posted this link to some awesome photos from this weekend:
Click here ! (http://sites.google.com/a/cduane.net/shaffershelter/)
See, I told ya, I took out the floor (http://888602895471156155-a-cduane-net-s-sites.googlegroups.com/a/cduane.net/shaffershelter/prep-work/DSC_1938_camo_floor.jpg?attredirects=0)... :)
trailangelmary
08-04-2008, 09:45
Charlie Duane, member of the Earl Shaffer Foundation, posted this link to some awesome photos from this weekend:
They are some great photos. Thanks, Marsha and Charlie.
shelterbuilder
08-04-2008, 10:45
Great pics - I had been unaware of Earl's Pillow. I wish that I could have been there, but BMECC was still represented. (Tell me, did Martyann get respectably dirty?:D)
trailangelmary
08-05-2008, 13:53
Here is a link to the video I have created from some of the pics and video I took on Aug 2 on You Tube under trailangelmary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czTa5fh7cHw
This is a newer version with some more pics and links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVpjBNr2Uv0
Great pics - I had been unaware of Earl's Pillow. I wish that I could have been there, but BMECC was still represented. (Tell me, did Martyann get respectably dirty?:D)
Yes, of course!! I know of only one of us who went into the shelter who escaped without at least one log or (even worse) pile of one of three generations of roofing - and she more than made up for it! ;)
trailangelmary
08-11-2008, 23:23
Did they find the missing log yet?
This is a newer version with some more pics and links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVpjBNr2Uv0
Mary that was really good! What program did you use to make it?
trailangelmary
08-12-2008, 00:03
Mary that was really good! What program did you use to make it?
Thanks, Sly. Windows Movie Maker
camojack
08-12-2008, 00:27
Did they find the missing log yet?
Not yet. :(
Thanks, Sly. Windows Movie Maker
You're :welcome I have that and a few 1000 pictures. If I could only get off the Internet! :o
Last word (?), from the ATC website: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.4423721/k.2959/Earl_Shaffer_Shelter_Preserved.htm