Watauga Lake Shelter

[turtle fast]

The shelter IS NOT ON THE LAKE!!!!!! The companion said "on the bank of the lake" not to mention its not really on the shore...but up aways into the forest, not on the shore with a lake view. Better to camp at a spot before the trail heads inland for the shelter that is on the shore had rudimentary sign -----camp. Nice spot overlooking the lake as of two weeks ago.

[Tennessee Viking]

Its not that far from lakeside. Plus my club is laying out new relocations south of the shelter from Fishermans Camp to stay more lakeside until the shelter.

[neo]

Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Watauga Lake Shelter

Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?

Future hikers - any questions?

i stayed there in december 2001,i was all alone,good experenceneo

[neo]

all shelters suck

thats why i carry my hammock and tarp,i dont like shelters eitherneo

[Rain Man]

Its not that far from lakeside. Plus my club is laying out new relocations south of the shelter from Fishermans Camp to stay more lakeside until the shelter.

Benjamin, I'm losing my mind. Did you say you were coming on our hike? It would be great, as you know the area and trail!

But if not, would you be available to shuttle us from Hwy 91 back to Kincora? We haven't finalized any plans yet, but might need that.

RainMan

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[Tennessee Viking]

Thanks for the offer Rainman, but I can't do any more sections until I can get some lighter gear. I am packing way too heavy. Most of my pack is general retail heavy. Plus I am wanting time and a half for the 4th.

But throw Possum Bill feedback on the climb up to Pond Flats, he is the in charge keeping it clear.

Are you and your party getting off at 91 instead of heading into Damacus? Or you just dropping a car off?

What day do you think you will be hitting 91, I will need to check my schedule, but I am just 40 minutes away. Just PM me your schedule. Also check with Mtn Squid if he is available since he lives nearby. And Bob loves to give people rides.

[Rain Man]

Thanks for the offer Rainman, ...

Are you and your party getting off at 91 instead of heading into Damacus? Or you just dropping a car off?

What day do you think you will be hitting 91, I will need to check my schedule, but I am just 40 minutes away....

Thanks. Just so you know, there is a "rainman" on WhiteBlaze, but that isn't me. I wuz here first! LOL I am the "Rain Man" with two words. He puts them together as one. I'm not fussing, just letting you know in case you try to PM. It'll go to the wrong one.

Some of our group is getting off the trail at Hwy 91 on Sunday, yes. The rest of the group is continuing on up to Damascus. So, we are needing to arrange two shuttles. Personally, I'd like to get our vehicle shuttled to the Hwy 91 trailhead on Sunday, so that it doesn't really matter what time we come out of the woods. Does that sound do-able?

RainMan

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[smokymtnsteve]

thats why i carry my hammock and tarp,i dont like shelters eitherneo

yea and LW always says ALL SHELTERS SUCK!

he must be brain dead too.

prooly all that OLE DEMON ALKYHOL!

good to see you NEO!

[Lone Wolf]

yea and LW always says ALL SHELTERS SUCK!

he must be brain dead too.

prooly all that OLE DEMON ALKYHOL!

good to see you NEO!

pork yourself stoner

[Bearpaw88]

Last post in this thread was in 2005. Any updates or comments on the Watauga Lake Shelter?

A few WhiteBlazers are talking about a weekend hike from Kincora/Dennis Cove Road up towards Damascus over the 4th of July weekend. Is this shelter a good or bad place to camp at? Does it have water?

Thanks in advance!

RainMan

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I'd recommend camping right on the lake before the shelter and skipping it all together. Shelters do suck anyway. We stayed on the lake for 2 zero days swimming, relaxing, and eating hot dogs because it was such a great place. Our sign might still be there "Camp Delay"

[Berserker]

Watauga Lake Shelter is one of the nicer USFS shelters. Its small but one of their newer ones. The only problem with the shelter is that it gets a lot of visitation from local fisherman. They base camp out of it and leave lots of trash.

I'd like to add to that list of items left the enormous turd I stepped in when I was there last Sunday night. It's directly behind the shelter right in the middle of the beginning of a little path that goes up the hill. I'd like to smack the turd that left that turd. Get a freakin trowel and bury it like everyone else.

Sorry...just venting a little there. Anyway, you should be able to spot it cause it has a huge boot print right in the middle of it. It was dark when it happened by the way, and thus why I didn't see it.

[fehchet]

Yes it is a nice shelter but too close to civilization.
There is the 50 mile challenge from Kincora to Dot's before it closes. One needs to get up early and taste the beer in your mind.
Also, if you have ever hiked with Lone Wolf, you discover he trots and disappears in the distance only to be found again at the end of the day with his tent all set up and maybe a pile of wood all ready gathered -- depends. Lots of fun.

[Mr HaHa]

On the trail just south of the shelter it looked like the good folks who use the lake were well on there way to creating Tennesee's newest landfill. About the only form of garbage I did'nt see was an actual garbage truck. Must have dumped its load prior to my arrival.

[Lilred]

Wautaga lake shelter is at mile marker 420. Better known as the 420 shelter

[ChinMusic]

I actually stayed at Watauga Shelter on 1/3. Only the second shelter I have ever slept in. I arrived around dark and didn't see any good flat spots for my tent so I "slummed it". I didn't know until the next morning that a great campsite was only about a 1/2 mile to the south.

Berserker - when you stayed at Watauga Shelter, was there a guy still "living" there (short hair, cammo pack, large knife)?

[Sly]

Wautaga lake shelter is at mile marker 420. Better known as the 420 shelter

Your post was 10 minutes early.

[Berserker]

Berserker - when you stayed at Watauga Shelter, was there a guy still "living" there (short hair, cammo pack, large knife)?

Naw, it was empty...just me and my hiking bud. I tented and he slept in the shelter. I did meet a quite fellow with short dark hair wearing a camo coat with a camo pack at Laurel Fork Shelter on 1/11. He had a knife, but it wasn't that big (fixed blade with maybe a 4 - 6" blade). Not sure if this is the guy you speak of.

I didn't really comment on the shelter in my last post. All turds aside, it wasn't too bad. There's no real good tenting area, but after going over Pond Mtn I didn't really care. Man, did they get the guy that blazed the trails in Linville Gorge (NC) to come in to do the upper half of Pond Mtn going NOBO. That climb was freakin heinous.

At any rate, decent smaller shelter with water source close by. There was some trash in the fire pit, but overall the area wasn't too badly trashed based on what I read earlier in this thread.

[ChinMusic]

I did meet a quite fellow with short dark hair wearing a camo coat with a camo pack at Laurel Fork Shelter on 1/11. He had a knife, but it wasn't that big (fixed blade with maybe a 4 - 6" blade). Not sure if this is the guy you speak of.

That sounds like him. We had two groups going from Kincora to Damascus, hiking in opposite directions. The guy was at Watauga Shelter on Jan 1, 2, and 3 for sure. Says he's "hiking to Springer". Since he's made it a whole whopping 4 miles (I'm sure he blue blazed Pond as he was asking about it), he certainly ain't in no hurry.....lol

I didn't really comment on the shelter in my last post. All turds aside, it wasn't too bad. There's no real good tenting area, but after going over Pond Mtn I didn't really care. Man, did they get the guy that blazed the trails in Linville Gorge (NC) to come in to do the upper half of Pond Mtn going NOBO. That climb was freakin heinous.

The area north of Watauga Shelter and the south side of Pond will have relocates in the future. Did you see the orange tape?

[Delirious Nomad]

Yeah - being the one who stayed in the shelter, I can say that the shelter itself was clean, and AFAIK there were no mouse visitations. I had a good night sleeping in there!

There was a bunch of trash in the fire pit which we cleaned up and put in a plastic bag. It was too much to pack out, so we left it hanging.

The best feature was not having to trek to get water as is the case with many of he other shelters in TN, like Vandeventer and Moreland Gap, etc.

[Lilred]

your Post Was 10 Minutes Early.

Hah!!