considering building a shelter, your thoughs on design,location,liability and so on..

[Don H]

You would have to get permission to blue blaze a trail. I know two people who told me they tried and were denied.
One was Sharon who does shuttles in the Front Royal area. Her home is right off the trail and I believe her husband was at one time president of the PATC. The other is the Harpers Ferry hostel but that was federal land along the C&O Canal which is also the AT. The feds wouldn't let them put a sign or blaze to direct people across the canal to the road.

[sequor pars vicinus]

somewhere between 19E and Dennis Cove

ok found this one Laurel Fork Lodge Dennis Cove Road, TN

[sequor pars vicinus]

You would have to get permission to blue blaze a trail. I know two people who told me they tried and were denied.
One was Sharon who does shuttles in the Front Royal area. Her home is right off the trail and I believe her husband was at one time president of the PATC. The other is the Harpers Ferry hostel but that was federal land along the C&O Canal which is also the AT. The feds wouldn't let them put a sign or blaze to direct people across the canal to the road.

Now here's the thing, you can easily look from the trail on to my property, only like 200 feet from the trail to the property line. I can blue blaze from the to where ever im sure. Surely if im allowed to post the boundary I could post it with big blue blazes :-)

[Jeff]

Another option is to speak with Bob Peoples, proprietor of Kincora Hostel. I am sure he would be a wealth of information.

His phone 423-725-4409

[RED-DOG]

I diffentanty wouldn't build a shelter, a campsite instead like a few tent Platforms and a solar shower.

[sequor pars vicinus]

seems this is being allowed along the trail http://www.flickr.com/photos/bltadventure/3081927755/

[sequor pars vicinus]

Another option is to speak with Bob Peoples, proprietor of Kincora Hostel. I am sure he would be a wealth of information.

His phone 423-725-4409

yes we met once along time ago, thanks for the info?

[sequor pars vicinus]

I diffentanty wouldn't build a shelter, a campsite instead like a few tent Platforms and a solar shower.

so why not a shelter?

[sequor pars vicinus]

I diffentanty wouldn't build a shelter, a campsite instead like a few tent Platforms and a solar shower.

a tent platform meaning what exactly, a flat spot?

[max patch]

Back in the day many shelters were built right next to or extremely close to forest service roads and trail heads to facilitate getting materials to the site. There is a reason many of these shelters have since been relocated or removed.

[sequor pars vicinus]

Back in the day many shelters were built right next to or extremely close to forest service roads and trail heads to facilitate getting materials to the site. There is a reason many of these shelters have since been relocated or removed.

i can imagine, when i first moved here there was a tale about some shelter near by that was burned down be the disgruntled local element. So how do they get the materials in now, pack it all? Air drop? lol

[Drybones]

The first law of Murphy: "no good deed goes unpunished".

[Slo-go'en]

So, your family owns the old farm field you climb up the side of to the top of the ridge where the big, solitary tree is and at the top of the climb is a dirt road which the trail follows for a little while? I love the view from there back to the humps.

Since the Apple house shelter has been removed, having a "secret shelter" up on top of that hill would be great. Since the FS only has an easement for the AT on your land, I don't see where having an unmarked side trail to your little shelter would be a problem. And if you did keep the shelter secret, being only known in the hiker guides or word of mouth, the chances of the local kids learning about it is greatly reduced, especially if it is a stiff hike up that hill to get to it.

I belive there are rules in place to allow public access to your land which still protects you, often this is done to allow hunting and hiking on private land.

Tent platforms are simple wood platforms rised off the ground. This is usually done if the area is uneven or rocky and making good tent sites isn't practical. You could start with a platform and eventually add walls and a roof. A friend of mine built a tent platform on some property he owned and eventually built a nice litte cabin around it.

Would this be the view from the top of that field?
SAM_0421.jpg

[max patch]

So how do they get the materials in now, pack it all? Air drop? lol

The Stover Creek shelter in GA which was built approx 5 years ago had the materials helicoptered in.

When the Blood Mtn Shelter was renovated a few years ago they used pack horses as the shelter is in a wilderness area and anything motorized could not be used.

[max patch]

And if you did keep the shelter secret, being only known in the hiker guides or word of mouth, the chances of the local kids learning about it is greatly reduced, especially if it is a stiff hike up that hill to get to it.

I disagree with that. I think its just a matter of time before a local discovers it, and when one kid know then they all eventually know.

[psyon27]

I disagree with that. I think its just a matter of time before a local discovers it, and when one kid know then they all eventually know.

I agree with this. Doesn't mean it isn't a good idea or can't be done so that hikers are generally the only ones interested though.

Ken

[Tuxedo]

When I went thru that area in 06' Bob had just built a shelter and told a story of it had not been the first choice for locations due to protected plant life or trees. He also mentioned the different ways to conform to the federal laws for shelter/privy building. I see alot of info needed to make your vision a reality. I would love to do the same if I owned land adjacent to the AT.

I would offer the thought of donate the area best suited for a shelter and then the maintenance club can oversee the major aspects of law and liability. It's very common for someone like yourself to be a hands on shelter caretaker and trail Angel. Being the shelter ambassador is fairly common, many times folks living close by would stop in to share stories and make sure health needs are addressed. Brought food, beer or soda with all the love of hikers bless them.

[sequor pars vicinus]

So, your family owns the old farm field you climb up the side of to the top of the ridge where the big, solitary tree is and at the top of the climb is a dirt road which the trail follows for a little while? I love the view from there back to the humps.

Since the Apple house shelter has been removed, having a "secret shelter" up on top of that hill would be great. Since the FS only has an easement for the AT on your land, I don't see where having an unmarked side trail to your little shelter would be a problem. And if you did keep the shelter secret, being only known in the hiker guides or word of mouth, the chances of the local kids learning about it is greatly reduced, especially if it is a stiff hike up that hill to get to it.

I belive there are rules in place to allow public access to your land which still protects you, often this is done to allow hunting and hiking on private land.

Tent platforms are simple wood platforms rised off the ground. This is usually done if the area is uneven or rocky and making good tent sites isn't practical. You could start with a platform and eventually add walls and a roof. A friend of mine built a tent platform on some property he owned and eventually built a nice litte cabin around it.

Would this be the view from the top of that field?
SAM_0421.jpg

yes this view is above me up either the trail through Bishop hollow or up old bill oakes road which is the road into our property. Bill oakes road once went all the way up as a private road but now crosses on to forest service lands at our back property line. I havent been up there in a long time, my wife still talks about having a picnic under that big old tree one day.

[10-K]

I'm risk-averse given I don't want to lose my assets but I'd recommend spending $100-$150 bucks talking to an attorney for an hour to see if he/she can scare you out of the idea. By building something and inviting others to stay there you're assuming a certain amount of liability, there's no doubt about that.

If you can get through that without throwing in the towel then call your insurance agent and tell him/her exactly what you're planning on doing. I'm guessing you'd want to increase your liability limits and maybe add an umbrella policy if you don't have one already.

It would be just my luck to build a structure and have a tree fall on it and paralyze someone....or lightening would hit it and kill a family of hikers.. Stuff happens.

[HikerMom58]

yes this view is above me up either the trail through Bishop hollow or up old bill oakes road which is the road into our property. Bill oakes road once went all the way up as a private road but now crosses on to forest service lands at our back property line. I havent been up there in a long time, my wife still talks about having a picnic under that big old tree one day.

That's beautiful! How cool is that- Slo had a pic of the view! I think you should do whatever you want to do.

If I were in your shoes, I would try to make this dream happen.

It's fun that you posted this idea on a thread on WB!