View Full Version : Tentsites at Little Laurel Shelter
mikecordes
03-11-2005, 15:30
Nice shelter with raised floor. Shelter faces west for good afternoon sun. No wind on the night we were here. The first time in 4 days we hadn't been in snow or ice and frigid temperatures. Easy hike from here to Allen Gap. Good fireplace and nice privy.
Nice shelter with raised floor. Shelter faces west for good afternoon sun. No wind on the night we were here. The first time in 4 days we hadn't been in snow or ice and frigid temperatures. Easy hike from here to Allen Gap. Good fireplace and nice privy.
Mike, are you sure you have the right shelter? I'm pretty sure the shelter faces the North Carolina side which would be East. If you recall, going from Allen's Gap, (North) the shelter is on the right with the back facing the trail.
Here is a link to a photo of the shelter:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/2186/sort/1/cat/500/page/1
You are correct about it being a nice place to spend the night. Also don't forget to check out the Camp Creek Bald fire tower which is a little ways off the AT just North of the shelter. From there you can look down into Greene County (where I live), the Black Stack cliffs and into the Shelton Laurel section in North Carolina.
A little further North is Jerry's Cabin which does face West and has a built-in fire place. It is a great section. One of my favorite places on the AT is the relocate across Fire scald ridge. Awesome views both ways.
orangebug
03-11-2005, 23:09
I wouldn't waste the time on the fire tower now. There are many antennae and much trash around, and the detour delays the fun on the new relo on the "exposed ridgeline." That area has much better views, as well as the side paths for WhiteStack and BlackStack cliffs.
smokymtnsteve
03-11-2005, 23:36
the "new' exposed ridge" relo is awesome!
Alligator
03-11-2005, 23:38
I have a couple of photos of that area in my gallery.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/978
Berserker
09-15-2009, 13:15
Despite the fact that tent sites are mentioned in the title of this thread, no one actually mentions any tent sites. So, how is the tenting near this shelter?
Jack Tarlin
09-15-2009, 15:22
Lots of good spots, especially to the left of the Trail immediately South of the shelter.
Tennessee Viking
09-15-2009, 15:48
If you take the blue blaze to Jones Meadows, there is tons of camping there.
We tented just across the trail from the shelter.
That ridge, between Jerry Cabin and Little Laurel, Firescald? Incredible. We got the feeling it was fairly new in 2007 as it was not on our trail description or maps and the northbounders were telling us about it. The best part of our section hike. Wow! Beautiful. And for us flatlanders, the trickiest. Would not want to be up there in ice though, but we did see the blue alternative trail blazes which we assumed were for safety in rain and ice.
Hikes in Rain
09-16-2009, 05:23
The part over Firescald is a pretty recent relocation. The blue blazes you mention, the bad weather bypass, is the original AT. I was supposed to have done this section last May, but it looks like next Spring before I'll get out there.