R
robohiker
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I've heard such good things about the Dartmouth Outing Club's shelters that I'm thinking of doing an overnight on the section of AT from Hanover to Moosilauke. What's the #1 "don't miss" shelter in this section?
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Waumbek
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The DOC shelters that I like most are Trapper John and the newish Beaver Brook Trail shelter. TJ has a great stone fireplace and lots of tenting space nearby. It's a really classic shelter that reminds me of the ADKs, supposedly the "home" of such structures. BB has a good view. It's clean and nice. Hexacuba is popular too. I really like the Smarts Mtn fire warden cabin, which is 4-sided so not technically a shelter (3-sided) if that matters to you. The last time I stayed in the cabin (summer 03) was during that rainy period in early August and I was glad for a dry place to cook and sleep that could accommodate lots of hikers. I don't know whether or not it's DOC property, probably not, but the #1 shelter to skip in the Hanover-Moosilauke corridor is the Moose Mountain shelter. It's nasty--old, ramshackle, and it sits down and dirty in the mud (see pic). I assume it leaks but there were so many hikers there that night that I used my tent instead. Happily. I'd also think about which mountains you want to climb as well as which shelters to stay in.
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David Metsky
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The old Moose Mountain shelter is gone. The new one was built this year fairly close to the old site, I haven't been there yet.
There's also the new Ore Hill shelter which I haven't visited either.
My personal favorite is the Jeffers Brook shelter that I helped build as a freshman in college back in 1981.
-dave-
There's also the new Ore Hill shelter which I haven't visited either.
My personal favorite is the Jeffers Brook shelter that I helped build as a freshman in college back in 1981.
-dave-
Waumbek
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Looks like Moose Mountain shelter (and that odd privy) have both been rebuilt, and in the old way, as the Dartmouth Online reports:
"One of Rory's goals from the beginning was to construct the shelter using only hand tools. He never hauled a chainsaw up the mountain or used any energy other than manpower. It sometimes took more than nine people to maneuver one cross-hauler in order to carry a clean log to the roped-off site, yet the bulk of the work was still completed before winter. Some days in the summer more than 15 students volunteered to work on the shelter. Thanks to student help and initiative, construction progressed quickly and Rory plans on completing the structure in the spring. The old shelter on Moose Mountain was in very poor condition, but because of student interest in trailwork -- despite academic pressure and often undesirable outdoor conditions -- it will soon be replaced."
You can google an image of the new MM shelter. Looks nice. Sorry I was there a year too early. Still no view from it, I assume, so my vote remains for TJ, BB or warden's cabin.
"One of Rory's goals from the beginning was to construct the shelter using only hand tools. He never hauled a chainsaw up the mountain or used any energy other than manpower. It sometimes took more than nine people to maneuver one cross-hauler in order to carry a clean log to the roped-off site, yet the bulk of the work was still completed before winter. Some days in the summer more than 15 students volunteered to work on the shelter. Thanks to student help and initiative, construction progressed quickly and Rory plans on completing the structure in the spring. The old shelter on Moose Mountain was in very poor condition, but because of student interest in trailwork -- despite academic pressure and often undesirable outdoor conditions -- it will soon be replaced."
You can google an image of the new MM shelter. Looks nice. Sorry I was there a year too early. Still no view from it, I assume, so my vote remains for TJ, BB or warden's cabin.
RoySwkr
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I would certainly say that Hexacuba is the most interesting architecturally
Ore Hill had some problem with the outhouse door last year, hope you like thru-ventilation
I saw Moose Mtn under construction, note that it is on the ridge not the road so it will hopefully get less vandalism
Ore Hill had some problem with the outhouse door last year, hope you like thru-ventilation
I saw Moose Mtn under construction, note that it is on the ridge not the road so it will hopefully get less vandalism
Joe Hanlon
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In fact, there is a view from the new Moose Mountain shelter. During the process of felling trees for the shelter's construction, we (Cabin and Trail) cleared an area in front of the new location. I've actually been told that the sunrise is pretty good from the shelter, so I'll be leading a group up there this Thursday morning, if anyone plans on being in the area.
As for my personal favorite, I have to go with Beaver Brook. Being able to wake up at a semi-reasonable hour (not for your average college student, granted) and hike to the summit of Mt. Moosilauke to watch the sun rise over Franconia Ridge, the Bonds, and Mt. Washington too if you're really lucky is just plain awesome.
Only problem with BB is that they used a helicopter to get some of the wood in - I mean, yeah, that's ridiculously cool, but sorta the opposite of what we were going for with the new Moose Mt. shelter. Using all hand tools led to at least one ER visit (that I'm quite aware of)...imagine the stories if they'd have carried everything up Beaver Brook trail!
I'm kidding, mostly.
But really, far more important than the best DOC shelter is certainly the question of which is the DOC's best privy. We take pride in our shelters, but we really like to go all out when it comes to making privies. Parthaprivy at Moose Mountain is definately one to be proud of. Pentaprivy at Hexacube shelter is also very cool. And until the bar thing broke, I liked the one up at Stoddard a whole lot too.
Joe
As for my personal favorite, I have to go with Beaver Brook. Being able to wake up at a semi-reasonable hour (not for your average college student, granted) and hike to the summit of Mt. Moosilauke to watch the sun rise over Franconia Ridge, the Bonds, and Mt. Washington too if you're really lucky is just plain awesome.
Only problem with BB is that they used a helicopter to get some of the wood in - I mean, yeah, that's ridiculously cool, but sorta the opposite of what we were going for with the new Moose Mt. shelter. Using all hand tools led to at least one ER visit (that I'm quite aware of)...imagine the stories if they'd have carried everything up Beaver Brook trail!
I'm kidding, mostly.
But really, far more important than the best DOC shelter is certainly the question of which is the DOC's best privy. We take pride in our shelters, but we really like to go all out when it comes to making privies. Parthaprivy at Moose Mountain is definately one to be proud of. Pentaprivy at Hexacube shelter is also very cool. And until the bar thing broke, I liked the one up at Stoddard a whole lot too.
Joe
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Hi Joe.
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Waumbek
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Nice job, Joe! The picture of the new shelter looks great, and I'm glad to hear it's better situated. I'll try to get back now, alas, not this Thursday however.
David Metsky
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My favorite privy was the one up on top of Smarts, now gone I believe. Actually, there were two interesting ones up there. The first was the bare box atop the hole, to the north of the old shelter/tent platform. It had a spectacular view and the feeling of really being "out there". The second one was the car-themed unit. We hauled up a car door, steering wheel, license plates, headlamps, and assorted other paraphenalia. I believe the driver's side window actually went up and down. (Hand crank, no power)
The cabin privies have a long and varied history. The Johnny Donovan Memorial Safety Bar at Stoddard was a fine example, plus the original door handle was a rubber glove filled with spray foam insulation. There was the two story unit at Armington, the Rand John 3-holer at John Rand cabin (with steeple and prayer book rack), and the Loydd Iverson ******* at Great Bear with the opposing seats and the fold down chess board in between.
Beaver Brook was made with choppered in logs from the Grant because there wasn't enough wood at the site to make the shelter. Hauling wood any appreciable distance up there was considered to be too much work, plus we would have needed to cut all the large trees in a pretty large area, then do further damage by hauling them to the site by hand. That's the only way we could build that high inside the AT corridor. We used the chopper for all the wood and most of the tools.
For Hexacuba we hauled in all the lumber by hand, some of the 12' 2x12s were a bear. Lots of trips, lots of people.
Welcome Joe, always good to have another chubber on board.
-dave- C&T, TOR
The cabin privies have a long and varied history. The Johnny Donovan Memorial Safety Bar at Stoddard was a fine example, plus the original door handle was a rubber glove filled with spray foam insulation. There was the two story unit at Armington, the Rand John 3-holer at John Rand cabin (with steeple and prayer book rack), and the Loydd Iverson ******* at Great Bear with the opposing seats and the fold down chess board in between.
Beaver Brook was made with choppered in logs from the Grant because there wasn't enough wood at the site to make the shelter. Hauling wood any appreciable distance up there was considered to be too much work, plus we would have needed to cut all the large trees in a pretty large area, then do further damage by hauling them to the site by hand. That's the only way we could build that high inside the AT corridor. We used the chopper for all the wood and most of the tools.
For Hexacuba we hauled in all the lumber by hand, some of the 12' 2x12s were a bear. Lots of trips, lots of people.
Welcome Joe, always good to have another chubber on board.
-dave- C&T, TOR
