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steve hiker
02-29-2004, 21:38
Anyone know the park service's intentions regarding fences at certain GSNMP shelters? I just hiked Newfound Gap to Fontana, and all the shelters south of Newfound Gap still have the fences except for Mollies Ridge. The fence was removed from that shelter last summer when it was renovated (and a nice job they did with the renovation, too). However, I believe Siler's Bald shelter was recently renovated, and the fence is still there.

North of Newfound Gap, the fences have been removed from Cosby Knob, Peck's Corner, and Icewater. Don't know about Davenport Gap. There is still a fence at Tricorner, though.

So what's the deal?

I know bears can be a real problem in the Smokies, as well as ignorant hikers. The Spence Field shelter register is replete with entries from last summer about bears, including one entry from a guy who was charged by a bear to get at his food just outside the shelter (didn't work, he and his buddy chased the bear off by waving their hiking poles above their heads and shouting at it). On the other hand, removing the fences will force people to adopt better food handling practices. Just wondering if there is any rhyme or reason to the park service's practices regarding the fences.

Peaks
03-01-2004, 08:54
The fences were put up a long time ago to "protect" backpackers from the bears.

Now, with bear cables to hang food, removing several problem bears, and hiker education, they hope that backpackers are better informed on how to act, so the fences are no longer needed.

As funding becomes available, expect all shelters to have the fences removed.

chris
03-01-2004, 09:07
The three western most shelters (Mollies, Russell, Spence) are directly above Cades Cove, where bear activity is high due to the large numbers of tourists that visit that spot of the park. Some of this spills over to Derrick Knob, as well. I had a 30 minute encounter with a bear at Spence in 2002, during which the bear behaved in a very unbear-like fashion. All of my other encounters with bears in GSMNP have been more natural and ended well for all concerned.

There are fences at Silar (2001) and Davenport (1998), but I do not know why. Davenport does not have a bear cable system, which is, I suspect, the reason for the fence. The fence is down at LeConte, which was renovated in 2002, and at Mollies (2003). It may be that the park believes that the fences should go down first at the lower-use shelters before taking them down at the higher use spots.

azchipka
03-01-2004, 10:14
Slowly but surely all fences are being removed from the shelters. Its a matter of man power and money. By 2006 there willl be no more. Expect 1 - 3 more to be removed this year.

Doctari
03-01-2004, 11:16
I didn't stop, just looked from the AT, but I THINK that Davenport gap didn't have the fence anymore. At least from my vantage point The fencing looked gone.

Doctari.

smokymtnsteve
03-01-2004, 17:42
davenport shelter had a fence when I was there this past sept.

Doctari
03-02-2004, 17:52
davenport shelter had a fence when I was there this past sept.


Looked gone, oh well, guess I need my eyes checked, again. Unless, oh yes, I know, they put it back after I passed. YES, That must be it. It's all a plot by the park service to make me think I'm seeing things :bse

OR, it was wishful thinking on my part.


NAAAA, It's a plot :datz

Doctari.

smokymtnsteve
03-02-2004, 17:54
I agree Plot as the fence was down at one point.

Picasso ( ! )
11-20-2006, 01:14
Confused newbie.... The shelters were fenced due to bear problems and now their removing them? I have done none of the GSMNP, but I need too, to catch up on some hiking friends. I want to do this section with my wife.

Why the change to less protection?

Hang your food and no worries?

aaronthebugbuffet
11-20-2006, 02:49
I would love to see the shelters torn down with the fences.

Peaks
11-20-2006, 08:57
Confused newbie.... The shelters were fenced due to bear problems and now their removing them? I have done none of the GSMNP, but I need too, to catch up on some hiking friends. I want to do this section with my wife.

Why the change to less protection?

Hang your food and no worries?

Most shelters in GSMNP now have bear cables or bear lines. So, hang your food. In addition, don't be stupid and leave food out for bears and other critters (hiker education).

BlackCloud
11-20-2006, 09:40
Speaking to rangers at a GSMNP backcountry office I was informed that all fences will be removed. Originally installed to keep bears out of occupied shelters, the Park Service decided to remove the fences after repeated incidents of visitors feeding bears through the fences! :eek:

Some people are truely STUPID.

Lilred
11-20-2006, 16:48
There are a couple of shelters in the GSMNP that are only a couple of miles apart. Spence Field is one of them. Anyhow, the first one you come to as you are heading north is where an incident happened a few years back. Seems some hikers left bait out to attract a bear, and when it came taunted it. Well, the bear was having none of it and rammed the fencing a few times trying to get into where all the food was. You can still see where the fencing is all bent up from the bear.

CaptChaos
11-20-2006, 19:59
I can only report on the shelters that I go to on a regular basis when I do get the chance to backpack in the Smokies.

As of October of last year, 2005, the redesigned Spence Field shelter no longer has a fence. If you continue South you will run into Russell Field Shelter and it still had a fence as of June of 2006 when I was last there.

The shelters and the campsites in the Smokies have the bear lines and you should use them. As for the fence being removed when I was first learning to backpack and went to the Smokies I was scared of the bears, now that I have learned more in how to backpack correctly, and the info that I pickup on WhiteBlaze.com, I no longer fear the bears and could care less about the fence now then when I first started 8 years ago.

I am sure it was done for a reason but you can't regulate stupid people and what they do behind fences. I say get rid of them all and let the Darwin principle weed them out.

The gene pool gets dirty from time to time so it helps when you can get some of the trash out and put new water in.