Bear Cables in NC

[Brass Rat]

Anyone know if there have been new Bear Cables installed at any of the shelters between Winding Stair Gap and Fontana Dam? My sources show them only at Siler Bald and Wesser Bald.

[whitelightning]

cold spring shelter was the only other place I remember having bear cables on that stretch of trail. tho they weren't "new". the cables were pretty mangled, but I was able still use the cable to rig my own line to hang my food bag.

[DiamondDoug]

Carolina Mountain Club has installed bear cables at all of its shelters in the last two years. Going from north to south, that would be from Spivey Gap (just south of Erwin) to Davenport Gap (north edge of the GSMNP). That isn't in the section you asked about, but outside of the Park that's where you'll find them in NC.

[Ox97GaMe]

SMHC has installed bear cables at Sassafras, Cable Gap, and Brown Fork shelters. No cables at the Fontana Hilton.

Also, new privies were installed at Sassafras and Cable Gap shelters in 2009. Brown Fork gets a new one in May.

[shoe]

Halleluiah for the new privy at Sassafras, That thing looked like it would blow over at the slightest breeze

[cool breeze]

we were there in 10-09 and they were all messed up between Dicks creek and the NOC (includes wesser).

[kyhiker610]

none at siler bald--was there in april of this year and the main (horizontal) cable was still there, but all others were not usable. we bear-bagged using the main cable as our tree limb...

[bigben]

If there were bear cables at Sassafras Gap and Brown Fork, I sure couldn't find them. Either could any of the 20 other hikers that were there.

Sassafras and Cable Gap have good privys. Brown Fork, not so much.

[Pedaling Fool]

Sassafras and Cable Gap have good privys. Brown Fork, not so much.

Brown fork has the best privy on the trail

[daddytwosticks]

Just got back from a section hike from Wayah Gap to the NOC. No bear cables at Wayah Bald shelter and the privy is awful close to the shelter and needs a door! The bear cables at Cold Springs shelter were a tangled mess and looked useless. The cables at Wesser Bald shelter were in very good shape.

[JohnF]

As of late May, 2010, the old wood slats have been upgraded to a blue tarp! Actually, there were some bits of surveyors tape clustered nearby, perhaps indicating the site of the promised new privy.

[Ox97GaMe]

A new privy will be constructed at Brown Fork the weekned of June 18th. It will be about half way between the shelter and the current privy location. It will look very similar to the ones at Sassafras and Cable Gap. Also, the crew will replace the roof on the shelter while they are there. Gonna be a fun time for sure.

[Brass Rat]

The bear cables at Cold Springs shelter were a tangled mess and looked useless.

This raises another interesting question, as I noted the same thing at Cold Springs: what's the expected lifetime of the bear cable system? I thought those were a relatively recent innovation, and I was surprised to see what kind of condition some of them are in, already.

[daddytwosticks]

I suspect some undisciplined hikers were using them as swings....

[kolokolo]

I stayed at Siler Bald shelter on 6/19, and one or two of the cables were usable, while the others were a tangle on the ground. I was able to hang my food with no problem, but I was the only one at the shelter that night.

[Tinker]

Brown fork has the best privy on the trail

There is something very disturbing about using the words "Brown Fork" and "privy" in the same phrase...........