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Former Admin
10-19-2002, 10:19
Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Wilbur Clearing Lean-to

Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?

Future hikers - any questions?

Cosmo
02-27-2004, 23:08
I thought I would continue DebW's excellent reports on our shelters and tentsites in Mass.

Wilber Clearing shelter is an older shelter--not one of the newer style built beginning in the mid 1980's. It is a single story and sleeps 8 friendly folks. Water is available about 200ft to the right of the shelter. Treat it, as it probably contains surface runoff from tentsites up hill. The shelter does have an overhang and picnic table as well as the ubiquitous fire ring. The area can be quite muddy early in the spring before the ground completely thaws.

There are several tenting sites behind the shelter, including 2 new 10ft square tent platforms built last June (in the rain).

The privy was moved in June as well (as were most privies on the Mass AT last summer--some sort of wierd syncronicity). It also recieved a new seat.

The area can be quite crowded on July and August weekends, and is especially popuar with groups.

The original location for the shelter was near the AT/Notch Rd crossing. It was moved (stick by stick) in the late 70's to it's present location which is approx 1/4 mile trail-west of the AT on the Money Brook Trail.

Cosmo

rickb
02-27-2004, 23:42
Saw a baby porqupine there when getting water a couple years ago. No bigger than a football.

RIck B

mooseboy
07-26-2005, 10:15
Stayed there on a Saturday in July 2005. Bugs weren't too bad, but I decided to tent anyway. I was originally there with just the other section hikers who had all arrived about 5-6 pm, but about 8-9 pm several more groups showed up. No problem, there was space for everyone (they all tented) and they didn't create excessive noise.

I can see what they say about it being popular on summer weekends.

wystiria
05-27-2008, 09:27
Stopped in for lunch Monday 5/26, older style shelter in good repair. Although the picnic table is falling apart. got here by 11am from Mark Noepel and caught of few campers packing up. Seems there were a lot of campers but no one signed the register. Plenty of tent spots!!

The approach blue blaze from the AT is nice and smooth - don't worry its not that far although you start to wonder where the shelter is :)

Water source is running.

texeverlasting
09-24-2008, 13:58
I'm planning a trip to hike some of the MA AT this weekend, and am trying to find a good camping spot close-ish to a trailhead. This one looks promising, but I can't really tell from maps how far it really is from parking...it looks close (1/4 mile?), but my guide tells me it's that far from the trail, no mention of the parking area. I just want to make sure I know what I'm leading the group into before making people haul their stuff super far (they're experienced campers and backpackers, but it's supposed to be gross weather this weekend and we'd all like the option of bailing if it gets too bad).

mikec
09-24-2008, 15:03
If you are heading south on the AT from North Adams, it is a tough 3.5 mile hike. Elevation changes are at least 800 feet. Here is a link to a picture of that shelter, complete with some Williams College students:

http://www.mikecalabrese.com/users/mikec/limages/at0907dl.jpg

Homer&Marje
09-24-2008, 16:37
I'm planning a trip to hike some of the MA AT this weekend, and am trying to find a good camping spot close-ish to a trailhead. This one looks promising, but I can't really tell from maps how far it really is from parking...it looks close (1/4 mile?), but my guide tells me it's that far from the trail, no mention of the parking area. I just want to make sure I know what I'm leading the group into before making people haul their stuff super far (they're experienced campers and backpackers, but it's supposed to be gross weather this weekend and we'd all like the option of bailing if it gets too bad).

From Dalton it is a 3 mile southbound hike to Kay wood Shelter... Stayed there back in June it's an Awesome place. Easy hike in to there from Dalton too off of Gulf Rd.

adamkrz
09-24-2008, 17:19
You can also try the Tom Leonard shelter , It's only a 2 mile hike if you park at lake buell road, We stayed there last weekend and enjoyed our stay.

WetBottom
09-24-2008, 18:54
I've been here on a day hike recently. There is a road probably 1/4 mile from the shelter, but it's unfortunately closed until 2009. Several roads going up Greylock and in the surrounding area are closed for construction.

We went from just outside N. Adams up Mt. Prospect. It's uphill a ways, and not super exciting (though there is a pretty outlook 1/2 from the shelter).

Tin Man
09-24-2008, 18:58
If you don't reschedule due to the washout we are going to have, a little farther north in VT is Stratton Pond Shelter. It is large and next to awesome Stratton Pond. The blue blaze hike in is a little longer than you might be looking for, but it is flat and easy.

jamarshall
12-27-2008, 19:25
I'm planning a section hike of the AT in Mass. in the spring and was wondering when the trees leaf out in the higher elevations.

I've been hiking the last week in April, but as I get further north starting a bit later seems like a better idea. I like no leaves and no bugs, but hope to avoid temps below freezing.

When's the sweet spot for hiking in the spring in Massachusetts? Thanks!

Tin Man
12-27-2008, 23:46
The leaves arrive with the black flies early to mid-may. Stick with April to enjoy fewer bugs and more views.

Tinker
12-27-2008, 23:59
I first hiked up Greylock in 2005 from the south, in April. There was still snow on the ground near the summit. Heavy, wet remnants of snowdrifts under the conifers. It is certainly possible to hike to and camp at Wilbur Clearing that time of year. Just keep your eyes and ears to trail reports from that area. I stayed at the Wilbur shelter earlier this year. I didn't notice any "clearing". Maybe once-upon-a-time.

Chenango
12-28-2008, 00:58
I was there on Easter weekend in 2007. Hiked in from the North through deep snow. The temps dropped to near zero that night. While reading the shelter register we saw an entry from January ... it was 50 degrees. Go figure!! That's weather in New England.

jamarshall
12-28-2008, 11:12
Thanks, I'll go with late April, early May.

Cosmo
07-04-2009, 20:52
A quick update on Wilbur Shelter and Campsite. The shelter has a new roof, so the chronic leaking problem should be OK now. The tenting area is undergoing some rehabilitation. The existing area is smack dab in the middle of the drainage for the water supply. This June, AT volunteers and the AMC Teen crew built and installed some tentsites and platforms on the north (left as you are approaching the shelter) side of the approach trail. Once those are in place (mid-July), we will be closing the former tenting area to see if we can improve the condition of the water supply. We also installed a new mouldering privy and burnt the old one.

Cosmo

SwissGuy
05-19-2013, 16:57
Was there last week, many huge pine blowdowns all over the site that had been chopped and cleared. The Bear Box had two large bags of trash, and there were bags of trash in the shelter. I packed out two bags. By the contents I'm guessing they were not hikers trash.

Privy is in good condition, shelter is in good condition, water source is 100yd to left of shelter and is a small but clean running stream. Firepit needs to be dismantled and ashes spread, as it is a solid 3ft high at this point. Plenty of firewood due to the fallen trees, but not much of it is seasoned yet. I stored several pieces under shelter.

Saw no mice or critters, there are 4-5 mice hangers in the shelter.

Cosmo
05-20-2013, 08:38
Thanks for hauling the trash SwissGuy. That site does see a lot of less-thoughtful visitors who don't get the carry-in/carry-out thing. We have a project day coming up soon to do a general clean up of the site, there's also some debris over at the far edge of the tenting area we'll need to pack out Not sure if we'll cut up all those trees--somehow they missed every structure and tent pad. Must have been pretty exciting when all those monsters started coming down!

Cosmo

SwissGuy
05-20-2013, 15:29
Yea, it must have been! I was marveling that none of the tent platforms had been crushed. And no problem on the packing out, generally the site seemed clean (as far as human trash) excepting the bags in the bear box and some general debris around the fire area. I packed out two bags, and I think the other group that showed up packed out the rest. Thanks for volunteering your time helping maintain the trail!