Tray Mountain Shelter

[briarpatch]

... Had a nice toasty fire courtesy of a giant dry dead tree about 20 feet from the shelter. easy pickins, and suprisingly no one else had thought to go for it.
There was about three gallon size ziplock bags of plastic and foil trash in the firepit that I packed out. ...

You do know there is a fire ban for all of the AT in Georgia due to the drought? Should make the upcoming through hiker season interesting, if it doesn't get lifted.

Thanks for packing out the trash, we really appreciate it!

Briarpatch
GATC Volunteer

[BlackCloud]

I would like to say that this shelter probably had the finest grassy camping area with a view to it that I've seen yet. Very nice.

The bear cables were convenient. The tarp to block the wind was stupid, if not noisy. Of the 12 people there on 5/24/08, only one stayed in the shelter.

Of the other 11, 3 were Neanderthals, and 2 were Crow Magnon.

The latter opted to camp ON the water source, as in 5 feet away. They cooked & ate on the cement piling over the spring. Their dog ran absolutely loose & didn't get along well w/ the Neanderthals' dog at all. Oh, & they started a firepit down there where previosly there was none. When I broached the subject of their violations, it didn't go well.

The Neanderthals were little better. They used a saw & ax to chop, cut, tear down, and otherwise collect firewood. Then, @ 10:00pm, and in the dark, they decided to try to hang a bear bag. Instead of informing them that they were absolute Fing morons, I told them of the bear cables, 20' distant.

"Yea, we know", they said. Then they went & used the bear cables. They left food & pots out anyway. What was IN their bear bags I'll never know. But I would guess about as much as is in their heads.

[bloodmountainman]

Tray Mountain Shelter..... Applachian Opium Den.

[MOWGLI]

I would like to say that this shelter probably had the finest grassy camping area with a view to it that I've seen yet. Very nice.

The bear cables were convenient. The tarp to block the wind was stupid, if not noisy. Of the 12 people there on 5/24/08, only one stayed in the shelter.

Of the other 11, 3 were Neanderthals, and 2 were Crow Magnon.

The latter opted to camp ON the water source, as in 5 feet away. They cooked & ate on the cement piling over the spring. Their dog ran absolutely loose & didn't get along well w/ the Neanderthals' dog at all. Oh, & they started a firepit down there where previosly there was none. When I broached the subject of their violations, it didn't go well.

The Neanderthals were little better. They used a saw & ax to chop, cut, tear down, and otherwise collect firewood. Then, @ 10:00pm, and in the dark, they decided to try to hang a bear bag. Instead of informing them that they were absolute Fing morons, I told them of the bear cables, 20' distant.

"Yea, we know", they said. Then they went & used the bear cables. They left food & pots out anyway. What was IN their bear bags I'll never know. But I would guess about as much as is in their heads.

Exhibit A for avoiding shelters.

[bigmac_in]

Exhibit A for avoiding shelters.

Agreed - and there are an infinite number of exhibits.

[Bulldawg]

You're not kidding! Kelly Knob is a butt kicker at the end of a day's hike!

I stopped just short of Kelly Knob the other week simply to avoid climbing that beast late in the day.

[Bulldawg]

Tray Mountain Shelter..... Applachian Opium Den.

Elaborate please?

[Dances with Mice]

A couple week.... ok, over a month ago I spent 2 nights there as a staging area for maintenance of my trail section (...and all y'all know how I never miss a chance to oh-so-casually drop that bit of info into a thread, any thread...) when two older, way over-the-hill ( ... about my age ...) couples arrived right after sunset and proceeded to fuss at each other as only long-married couples can. My co-maintainer and I tried to shush them because the shelter was full of already asleep hikers. The couples were, to be nice, kinda oblivious and continued their loud talking and general rudeness as they set up their tents nearby and prepared their suppers.

The next morning I'm up early as usual and took a walk over to the other, more scenic, summit to watch the sun rise. On the way back to the shelter, right beside the two couples' campsite, was a huge pile of noodles dumped on the ground. I was P.O.'d.

Back at the shelter the hikers were stirring so I sat down with a big cup of coffee and bitched about those two rude couples, how they had no sense of wilderness ethics, how could anybody be so STUPID to dump an entire pot of noodles out on the ground next to their tentsite didn't they know this would attract animals, how could anybody be so clueless, so stupid, so totally freakin' ignorant?!!! I went on and on about this as everyone packed up and headed out.

The couples were late to awake. The hikers had mostly cleared the area. But when I saw movement I stomped over to confront them about the noodles. I got blank looks back in response. "But we all had rice for supper last night."

Oh. So whoever did the dumping was among the crowd at the shelter where I'd spent all morning venting about the noodles. Come to think of it, some of them were being awful quiet about the whole situation.

On my way back to the shelter I noticed that somebody had already scraped up the noodle pile.

[Bulldawg]

I picked up a few handfuls of trash out of the shelter during my lunch there a few weeks back BTW Dances. I can send you my REI wish list if you need it.

[hopefulhiker]

Trail marking

[Mrs Baggins]

We were there in March 2007. Wouldn't know how good the tent sites were because a huge boyscout troop had covered every inch of the area. Then they picked up every piece of downed wood for their own fires. Five of us slept in the shelter (after the adults with the troop stopped using it as their personal lounging area). We had no mice problems at all and no wind.

[Egads]

I suppose that someone in the shelter was trying to even the score with the obnoxious couples

A couple week.... ok, over a month ago I spent 2 nights there as a staging area for maintenance of my trail section (...and all y'all know how I never miss a chance to oh-so-casually drop that bit of info into a thread, any thread...) when two older, way over-the-hill ( ... about my age ...) couples arrived right after sunset and proceeded to fuss at each other as only long-married couples can. My co-maintainer and I tried to shush them because the shelter was full of already asleep hikers. The couples were, to be nice, kinda oblivious and continued their loud talking and general rudeness as they set up their tents nearby and prepared their suppers.

The next morning I'm up early as usual and took a walk over to the other, more scenic, summit to watch the sun rise. On the way back to the shelter, right beside the two couples' campsite, was a huge pile of noodles dumped on the ground. I was P.O.'d.

Back at the shelter the hikers were stirring so I sat down with a big cup of coffee and bitched about those two rude couples, how they had no sense of wilderness ethics, how could anybody be so STUPID to dump an entire pot of noodles out on the ground next to their tentsite didn't they know this would attract animals, how could anybody be so clueless, so stupid, so totally freakin' ignorant?!!! I went on and on about this as everyone packed up and headed out.

The couples were late to awake. The hikers had mostly cleared the area. But when I saw movement I stomped over to confront them about the noodles. I got blank looks back in response. "But we all had rice for supper last night."

Oh. So whoever did the dumping was among the crowd at the shelter where I'd spent all morning venting about the noodles. Come to think of it, some of them were being awful quiet about the whole situation.

On my way back to the shelter I noticed that somebody had already scraped up the noodle pile.

[Roots]

I had the best night when I camped at Tray in April. There were about 6 in the shelter, and about 9 tents set up. We had a great time. We sat by the fire and told stories. It was the same day I met Colonel Chaco and he and I had trail magic in the form of BEER (thanks to a guy named Peanut) at Tray Gap. It was a good day.

[KG4FAM]

When I was there this April there was a guy that is attempting a thru that went into Helen and picked up a 12 pack of PBR and a bottle of rum and carried it from Unicoi Gap up to Tray Mtn shelter. He ended up drinking 6 of them on the way up with another guy and passing the rest of them out to everyone who wanted one and shared a little bit of the rum as well.

[Bulldawg]

When I was there this April there was a guy that is attempting a thru that went into Helen and picked up a 12 pack of PBR and a bottle of rum and carried it from Unicoi Gap up to Tray Mtn shelter. He ended up drinking 6 of them on the way up with another guy and passing the rest of them out to everyone who wanted one and shared a little bit of the rum as well.

I read about that guy in the shelter register when I was there earlier this month!!

[minnesotasmith]

When I was there this April there was a guy that is attempting a thru that went into Helen and picked up a 12 pack of PBR and a bottle of rum and carried it from Unicoi Gap up to Tray Mtn shelter. He ended up drinking 6 of them on the way up with another guy and passing the rest of them out to everyone who wanted one and shared a little bit of the rum as well.

It was one that was half a mile or so off the AT, so almost nobody else was going there.

I saw this terse, yet eloquent, entry in the register:

Name, date, "I have decided that packing in a six-pack and a carrot cake was one of my better ideas". Ah, the sheer hedonism (not to mention open envy) that picture brings to mind...

[Newb]

When I was there this April there was a guy that is attempting a thru that went into Helen and picked up a 12 pack of PBR and a bottle of rum and carried it from Unicoi Gap up to Tray Mtn shelter. He ended up drinking 6 of them on the way up with another guy and passing the rest of them out to everyone who wanted one and shared a little bit of the rum as well.

I was there that night, lol. I ran into him at Trail Days and can't for the life of me remember his name. Grizzly was also there. That was a good night on the AT. Got cold that night. I fell face first into the trail the next morning because I couldn't feel my toes. My big toe-nail is still black.

Oh, to prove my case of actual presences at the shelter that night I will confirm that it was "Sailors' Rum"

[daddytwosticks]

Overnighted here last night. The location is as beautiful as ever. Stars were amazing. As usual, it was very crowded and was glad that I tented. There are still a number of thru-hikers in this general area. Spring was flowing great and water all along the trail from Unicoi to Tray Mtn shelter was plentiful.

[gungho]

Hey Ray........****ters full

[Dances with Mice]

Hey Ray........****ters full

I ain't got one on my section.

Ridge runner mentioned a blowdown on my section so she's passed through the area. I ass-ume the appropriate authorities are going to get to the bottom of this with the proper paperwork and they'll keep us filled in.