A Shelter Life

Shelter along the Appalachian Trail

All along the Appalachian Trail are “shelters”. They have been constructed over the years by Trail Hiking clubs and associations or the National Park Service. They are spaced about 12 to 20 miles apart and most are in remote sections of the trail to discourage Weekenders and locals from using and or trashing them. Hikers are also encouraged to use these shelter locations to overnight. This keeps long sections of the trail pristine and not cluttered with old camp sites. A sturdy shelter can be a welcome sight on a rainy, foggy, or snowy day.  Silas shared with me his Shelter experience.

"I found the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to be a difficult hike. Six days of relentless rain and cold kept my clothes wet. Hikers are required to use the shelters and I didn't sleep well. The Shelters are old and usually smell like hiker's feet and body odor. Mice love to live in them because of the food crumbs they can feast on and packs they can raid. On the positive side they are normally warm and dry.....those are my favorite words at the moment."


"I can’t remember the name of the first shelter I stayed in, but I know it was in the Smokies. It was a rainy day and I was not looking forward to the crowds I knew would be crammed inside the shelter I was planning to stop at. I arrived around 4:00 pm and walked inside. It was a stone structure with wooded bunks built inside. The bunks are actually two rows of wooden shelves. The top shelf was full so I claimed a space on the bottom with five total strangers. I rolled out my sleeping bag in the last open area which happened to be next to a young girl hiking with her family. She was a bit nervous and I was as well but such is shelter life. The wood was hard and uncomfortable, I could hear mice squeaking as if they were laughing at my awkward situation. As I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep the girl I had felt so bad for next to me began to snore. Her snoring was louder than my Dad’s legendary snoring. He can be heard from a mile away. I no longer felt any sympathy for that child at all.”

"Silas"

Shelter Buffet

The Fontana Hilton, Lake Fontana NC

Shelter at Sassafras Gap



A Packed House