View Full Version : Cherry Gap Shelter
Former Admin
10-19-2002, 12:36
Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Cherry Gap Shelter
Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?
Future hikers - any questions?
This could be the best watersource on the AT: The water is piped out, flowing fast, and is on a flat(!) trail not far from the shelter. A good place to stay coming out of Erwin and just before reaching the Balds and Roan Highlands.
We had an interesting experience here. During the night we were awakened by something rustling around right outside the shelter. My hiking partner shone his headlamp outside to reveal a pair of red eyes. The animal ran away and we thought it was a fox from the way it ran. It came back around several times during the night but we never caught sight of it again.The next morning it was discovered that the excess rope had been chewed off the line we used to hang our bearbag. As we were packing up to leave I spotted a dog lurking nearby which was probably a bear hunting animal since it had a collar of the type used by hunters for radio tracking. It ran off as soon as it saw us looking at it. A new varmint to watch out for - domestic dogs. :rolleyes:
Footslogger
11-02-2005, 16:31
[quote=hiker33]We had an interesting experience here. During the night we were awakened by something rustling around right outside the shelter. My hiking partner shone his headlamp outside to reveal a pair of red eyes.
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May well have been a coyote. Have had a similar experience.
'Slogger
[quote=hiker33]We had an interesting experience here. During the night we were awakened by something rustling around right outside the shelter. My hiking partner shone his headlamp outside to reveal a pair of red eyes.
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May well have been a coyote. Have had a similar experience.
'Slogger
That was what we thought initially, or possibly a fox. From the way the black lab was acting, though, I'd say he was the culprit.:)
freefall
12-05-2005, 06:13
Had a coyote encounter at this shelter in spring of `05.
Cookerhiker
12-05-2005, 10:49
Hiked from Erwin to Cherry Gap Shelter early last May as part of a longer section hike. I remember:
Banging my head several times on the low roof -my sheltermates were ready to give me a new Trail Name
The shelter is situated in a flat area affording many places to pitch tents so plan on staying there, even if the shelter's crowded
Didn't hear/see coyotes and/or foxes but a pileated woodpecker certainly made his presence known
The NOBO hike from Erwin was stirring up to Beauty Spot and Unaka. Wildflowers - particularly spring beauties and bluets were prolific. But the 2 or so miles just before the shelter featured PUDs which no one needed at the end of a day's hike.
Buhzerker
05-21-2008, 22:13
It's a nice place, I live in the area..
flemdawg1
05-24-2010, 18:02
Stayed there last weekend. nice place. unfort it seems too few people are walking far enough to dig their catholes as there was TP 50 yards behind the shelter.
Water was running strong, plenty of spots to tent, which at least 7 people did.
In addition to all of the above remaining true, especially about the water source being excellent even in drier times and the area having pleasant level sites to camp rivalling some campgrounds...
If travelling on potentially hostile weather days it's a much safer choice to resist the urge to stop atop Beauty Spot or the like especially since the TEHCC's fine relo on Unaka is in place and the climb is no worse than that from Indian Grave Gap to Beauty Spot itself.
The shelter's cinder block structure served me well in Aug. '11 to avoid a nasty storm that had countless strokes of lightning including one within probably 750' that was pretty intense.
In addition to all of the above remaining true, especially about the water source being excellent even in drier times and the area having pleasant level sites to camp rivalling some campgrounds...
If travelling on potentially hostile weather days it's a much safer choice to resist the urge to stop atop Beauty Spot or the like especially since the TEHCC's fine relo on Unaka is in place and the climb is no worse than that from Indian Grave Gap to Beauty Spot itself.
The shelter's cinder block structure served me well in Aug. '11 to avoid a nasty storm that had countless strokes of lightning including one within probably 750' that was pretty intense.
I thank you for the report on the new Unaka Mt. relo. How was it from Iron Mt. Gap to the shelter - there was supposed to be some work done there as well.
At that time, the trail from the shelter to Iron Mtn. Gap was good tread in fine shape for the most part, especially from Little Bald Knob back over Piney Ball down the lesser grade to the shelter, with one exception:
There were a pair of major fresh blowdowns (perhaps due to the storms I mentioned) on the upslope two or three turns from Iron Mt. Gap approaching Little Bald Knob. The worst one was on a steep side slope entirely blocking the trail and well to either side that required a real scramble worth maybe a half hour delay and a few scrapes/bruises navigating it with a pack.
The Unaka segment is now mild enough that hikers being warned about the grade by those who experienced it in the past might wonder where it is or went. I would describe the entire section from about Indian Grave to Hughes as having a similar rolling grade, with Unaka to Indian Grave being more of a longer steady slope.
wornoutboots
11-03-2011, 08:13
I had lunch here last week on my section from Damascus to Erwin, it seemed like a nice beautiful location in a large gap & it was clean. I didn't check out the water source, I was was just in for a bite after starting at the Greasy Creek Friendly & went onto Curley Maple Gap Shelter that day & that is a REALLY nice shelter with some Great Owls nearby
I stayed the night in June of 2013. The water source was great, and there are plenty of flat camping areas. Expect lots of mice at night! In addition, I woke up in the middle of the night to the sounds of a couple barred owls.
FrogLevel
01-24-2019, 21:31
Was there last week and it was in good shape but lots of graffiti. There's a picnic table out front and the strong water source is close behind the shelter on a blue blazed trail. There is still space for many tents in the area.
I did notice the trail register was full (last entry was mid Nov) and partially eaten by mice. I never know what to do in those situations... should I take it with me and mail it to the EHC or what?
It was a dark and stormy night.....
Hiking Day #27, 6th day in a row of rain. Never complain about the rain, this is what can happen if you do. Near Indian Grave Gap, it's windy, it's raining, it's cold. I start muttering to myself, bitching and complaining and it stops raining, and turns to snow, light at first, then those huge flakes, then to blizzard where I can't see 50 feet. The Beauty Spot was a white out. The storm kept it up, I had difficulty keeping on trail in the deep snow in the forest at the top of Unaka Mt. The white clumps of snow stick to the trees and the white blazes are hard to spot. It was almost dark when I got to Cherry Gap shelter. Everything was frozen over with 4 or 5 inches of snow. I was the only one there. I set up my tarp as a wind break inside the shelter. Someone had left behind inside the shelter 3 or 4 large black garbage bags full of dry leaves which I put to good use by making an extra layer of insulation for my sleeping bag. Snug as a bug....
jfarrell04
01-25-2019, 13:38
44539Came across Cherry Gap Shelter in this condition in the Fall of 1991.
Tennessee Viking
01-25-2019, 15:54
Was there last week and it was in good shape but lots of graffiti. There's a picnic table out front and the strong water source is close behind the shelter on a blue blazed trail. There is still space for many tents in the area.
I did notice the trail register was full (last entry was mid Nov) and partially eaten by mice. I never know what to do in those situations... should I take it with me and mail it to the EHC or what?There is a secondary group made out of the TEHCC and Erwin area local that regularly maintain Unaka. Probably been delayed due to rain, snow, and temps.