Another shelter without a thread...
Rattle River Shelter,
eastern New Hampshire
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2688/...7349e410_o.png
It's close to Gorham but has anyone stayed here? Good? Bad?
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Another shelter without a thread...
Rattle River Shelter,
eastern New Hampshire
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2688/...7349e410_o.png
It's close to Gorham but has anyone stayed here? Good? Bad?
Its an ok shelter in the woods. Not many stay there, as once you get there, its an easy walk out to the road and town.
Good place to go for a quick overnighter in the winter without much effort. Trail is basically flat to the road, so easy to snowshoe or ski there in an hour or so.
The homeless sometimes live there.
.....And....an ample supply of rambunctious mice at night.
On one winter hike last year, they were so active, running over bodies and faces, that it was more comfortable sleeping outside away from the shelter.
Not going South, unless you backtrack 2 miles.Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo-go'en
Skipping Gorham, this is a potential place to stop.
Well, if your going south, you'd head into town first, get resupplied then go to Rattle River. This gives you the option of not spending the night in town.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoooma
If you want to skip spending the night in town going north, you'd be best off stopping at Rattle River for the night, then go to town early the next day and contiune on to Gentian pond in the afternoon.
Going NOBO or SOBO, you definately want to go to Gorham for resupply.
Not necessarily definitely. Gorham definitely can be skipped. SOBO can resupply in Rangely, 5 nights on the trail, then hit Pinkham Notch (where I'll hope to get a ride into North Conway for the weekend.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Slo-go'en
What makes you think you can average 20 miles per day for 5 days through southern Maine and NH? That is a pretty tall claim.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoooma
I'm not sure I made that claim that I could do that. (Did you read words that I typed that are invisible to me that I don't remember typing?)Quote:
Originally Posted by white_russian
In any case, here's what it looks like...
9.4 miles: Rangeley to Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
21.1 to Hall Mtn Lean-to
14 to Baldpate Lean-to
16.7 Carlo Col
18.1 Rattle River
19.2 Pinkham Notch
16.4 miles per day
OK so you are figuring six days instead of five. The plan you listed is still a tall order. Why do you think you can do it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoooma
Now if you are hell bent on having a plan to throw out the window he is a better way to do it (still silly, but better):
Rangely to Bemis Stream or maybe up to the lean-to if time permits
BS/LT to Hall Mtn.
Hall Mtn to somewhere in Grafton Notch
Notch to Carlo Col
Col to White Birches hostel outside of Gorham
Slackpack between US 2 and NH 16
I'm sure your suggestion would work for plenty of folks but no slackpacking for me so that's out.
Some will want to call me nuts or an idiot or lazy but I'm planning on utilizing shelters unless I absolutely need to break out my tent.
With two nights in North Conway, I'd rather not have a night right before that in Gorham . . . that's why Rattle River Shelter might figure into my plans.
Reading a lot of trail journals, I've seen plenty of hikers who've gone through this section in 6 days time just fine and so it won't be a problem :)
Rangely to Gorham is one rough streach of trail - one of the hardest on the AT. Anything but perfict weather will slow you down a lot. One mile an hour is a good pace for much of this section. 10 days is more realistic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zoooma
Rangely to Andover (resupply there) then Andover to Gorham is the way to do it.
There is a bus from Pinkham to North Conway, but it stops at the notch early in the morning, about 7:30 AM. I suppose you have your reasons for wanting to go to N Conway - meeting up with someone with a car? Otherwise, Gorham is a much better place to stop.
As a shelter, RR is just okay, but the river itself is amazing!
if you follow the trail down to the water, and walk down the river about 100 ft, there is an awesome swimming hole. three good jump spots and a triple-level waterfall-waterslide!
Have fun.
Rattle River Shelter can be buggy.
There is a new hostel at the road crossing just north of Rattle River Shelter. As noted Rattel River is close to the road so it gets some walkin traffic. For southbounders there are some nice unofficial campspots along the hydro impoundment when you drop down from Mt Hayes onto the Hogan Road. Usually there is a nice breeze coming down the river. Great fishing but its catch and release as there is potential contimination in the river sediments. The stretch of the Androscoggin from Gorham to the NH state line is managed as a trophy fishing water.