List of Shelters w/ Bear Cables

[WMR]

Anyone know of such a list, or other source that id's which shelters have cables, available online or elsewhere?

[flemdawg1]

I don't think there is one list.
But from my limited experience:
GA: most have them (Blood Mtn didn't, others?) .
NC: few have them
Smokies: All have them
TN: few have them (Walnut Mtn and Bald Mtn Shelter have them but none other I remember)
VA: ?
MD: nope, not a one.
PA: I've been to 4 shelter in the southern half, none were there.
NJ-MA: haven't been there.

[Pedaling Fool]

And of the ones that have them....I remember, on more than one occasion, reading about how they were inoperable, for whatever reason

[flemdawg1]

Yeah but its much easier to work with a partially broken bear cable than a place without. 2 weeks ago at Rock Gap shelter, the bear cables were broken, the cable were off the pullies at the top. But it was pretty easy to toss a rope/string over the top cable, then use PCT method to suspend the bags.

[Pedaling Fool]

No comment since were in the SF forum:D

[general]

the forest service discourages camping at blood mountain shelter. i doubt that there will be any improvements made there.

[bulldog49]

And of the ones that have them....I remember, on more than one occasion, reading about how they were inoperable, for whatever reason

I've noticed that as well. The Smokies keep them in good working condition. But every shelter outside the park that has them that I have been to, the cables were inoperable. :confused:

[double d]

I believe that in the GSMNP all shelters have them, but as to an actual database with the information your seeking, I doubt it exist. It would be cool if one did through!

[Cosmo]

You'll have to put together your own database. Check with the local maintaining clubs (links at the ATC web page). Mass has bear boxes at most overnight sites, except Tom Leonard, Wilcox North and South, Crystal Mtn. Basically, whenever we get a report about a bear, we install a box. Cables last about one season before they get jammed up. Several sites in the Mid Atlantic are going with bear poles, which seems like a reasonable thing to do--just a lot harder to install than a box (but the don't accumulate trash).

Cosmo

[couscous]

MD: nope, not a one.

Pine Knob Shelter and Dahlgren Backpack Campground both have them.

[Jeff]

Several sites in the Mid Atlantic are going with bear poles, which seems like a reasonable thing to do--just a lot harder to install than a box (but the don't accumulate trash).

I always liked the bear poles in Shenandoah NP. You are so right about how they are not trash collectors as well as being easy to maintain. The bear cables down south are just too easy to break.

[flemdawg1]

Pine Knob Shelter and Dahlgren Backpack Campground both have them.

Oh yeah, they have those poles things like in SNP. Personally, I don't think they're as effective as a 20 ft bear cable. They're too easily climbed and too short, IMO. I've seen shelter register entires in SNP saying the bears and raccoons had figured that out.

[TIDE-HSV]

It's interesting that the Smokies tried out the bear poles in Walnut Bottoms before deciding on cables. If the poles aren't kept greased, then bears and coons climb them easily, and then, you're into the same type of maintenance problem as the cables. At Big Creek (Walnut Bottoms), the NPS tried a "swingup pole" as well as cables under the bridge across Big Creek, before the standard pole and then, finally, cables. When they had the counterbalanced swingup, the two supporting posts (really cutoff utility poles) were too high and bears could stand on the posts and reach the food bags. Since I was leading a group in about 20 years ago, I hiked in a week ahead and hammered in #8 nails into the tops of the posts, which I had clipped the heads off of and then resharpened with a file after I'd hammered them in. The next week, all of them were mashed flat. I don't think the bears even noticed they were standing on them...

[peakbagger]

Chimney Pond campground at Baxter State Park has a bear cable strung between two steel posts with hooks attached to the cable. To hang your food you use the same method as a bear pole. I.E. put food in bag, tie two loops and lift in place with the provided wooden pole. They have had zero problems with bears since the pole went up and they required all the campers to use it.

[moldy]

So the answer is no there is no database that annotates if there are bear cables. If we could get the clubs to provide this info to the data book perhaps they should also include other useful information like cell phone signal information. How hard would it be for the ATC to gather this useful information? Lamberts Meadow Shelter, water, privy, no bear cables, good cell signal. I wish for too much progress?

[brian039]

My guidebook would always mention if there were bear cables, if they weren't mentioned then they weren't there. Generally GA, NC/TN, and VA have them where you need them. I don't remember seeing any north of VA.

[Cookerhiker]

I hadn't seen an apparatus like this: a strong, tight, thick wire strung between 2 trees high enough with sufficient distance between the trees to throw your food bag rope up and hang it.