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Stovemonkey
07-24-2011, 15:25
I was wondering if anyone can tell me about some of the shelters and campsites from port clinton to leigh gap? Windsor Furnace, Eckville, Allentown, and Bake Oven shelters how are these shelters? I have heard alot of shelters are infested with mice and other rodents. Is it better to campout rather then use these shelters? And also, has anyone stayed at Pocahontas, Furnace creek, and New Tripoli campesites? How are they? Any info that is provided would be a great help. Thanks!

emerald
07-25-2011, 05:21
http://www.bmecc.org/at.html#water

Since there's likely to be little or no long-distance hiker traffic in either direction when you have indicated a desire to visit, space may be available when you arrive at BMECC's shelters, but you shouldn't count on it.

Please refer to Guide to the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania and bring it and the applicable maps with you when you visit. There are many different land owners on this portion of the A.T. where terms of use vary and the trail corridor in places is narrow.

In particular, when plannning your itinerary keep in mind that Hamburg's watershed is strictly a day-use area. Camping is permitted only at Windsor Furnace Shelter. Tenting or hammocking is permitted on the small NPS tract on which the shelter is situated.

Hope you enjoy yourself and visit some of the places I recommended to you in your earlier thread. Experiencing the surrounding countryside is one of the many pleasures missed by those who stick to the beaten path.

emerald
07-25-2011, 17:39
Not all water sources listed in Guide to the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania are certain to be reliable at this time of the year. WhiteBlaze.net shelter and water threads provide helpful information about alternate sources and the relative reliability of sources used most frequently by hikers.

One of your best sources of information about water will be hikers travelling in the opposite direction. Be prepared to provide them with same kind of information you seek. Shelter registers may also be of some value in determining the current status of natural water sources along the A.T.

Consider posting your own findings to the current water sources thread when you return home as a way of repaying the kindness extended to you by others who took the time to help you.

Stovemonkey
07-25-2011, 18:06
I plan on providing any info that is beneficial to other hikers. I owe it to other hikers since so many people have helpped me with my trip. Thanks again, emerald.

emerald
07-26-2011, 12:48
I'd like to believe someone started a thread for 2011, but haven't been able to find it. At one time, we were stringing them together. If someone did start a thread for 2011, it's not appended to 2010 Water sources in PA (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=62515), the most recent I can find.

I'll try once more, but I haven't been able to find things with the search feature as easily as I once did.

Blissful
07-26-2011, 14:01
As to one of your questions, its always better and nicer to camp out then use a shelter. :)

emerald
07-26-2011, 14:29
It's always better and nicer to camp out than [to] use a shelter. :)

It's not always better or nicer to camp out than to use a shelter. Where and how visitors camp determines the impacts of their overnight stays within the A.T. corridor and these decisions over time determine the opportunities available to others who follow them.

The A.T. is about more than hiking. It's a long-term strategy for protecting resources essential to those who live in nearby communities. Part of how we protect them is to teach people to value these resources and to take a personal interest in passing them on in a better condition to future generations.

BadAndy
07-26-2011, 17:03
I was wondering if anyone can tell me about some of the shelters and campsites from port clinton to leigh gap? Windsor Furnace, Eckville, Allentown, and Bake Oven shelters how are these shelters? I have heard alot of shelters are infested with mice and other rodents. Is it better to campout rather then use these shelters? And also, has anyone stayed at Pocahontas, Furnace creek, and New Tripoli campesites? How are they? Any info that is provided would be a great help. Thanks!

Just hiked that section this weekend. All in all the shelters are nice and in decent shape. They're the typical three-sided lean to's with the exception of Eckville which has a caretaker, running water, and a shower. Water is a huge issue on this section, some of the springs are reliable while many others are not, best to get an up to date report just before you hike. There are tons of places you could camp in between the shelters but, like Emerald said, make sure you know were you're at to be sure if it's ok or not.

BadAndy
07-26-2011, 17:05
I'd like to believe someone started a thread for 2011, but haven't been able to find it. At one time, we were stringing them together. If someone did start a thread for 2011, it's not appended to 2010 Water sources in PA (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=62515), the most recent I can find.

I'll try once more, but I haven't been able to find things with the search feature as easily as I once did.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?73701-PA-water-2011 - it doesn't show up in search for some reason but it does exist

emerald
07-26-2011, 17:36
I thought someone started a thread and I refrained from posting to encourage others to contribute. Thanks for the link which displayed fine for me. Sometimes, it's much easier and we accomplish more by working together as a team.

Stovemonkey, closer to your intended hike, wake up PA water 2011 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?73701-PA-water-2011) with a request for current information. There's a good chance someone will post something of use to you. That would also be the place to report your own experiences.

The information I posted to the earlier threads including National Weather Service and Mid-Atlantic River Forecast Center links may also give you some idea what to expect.