Guyot shelter -- mice..?

[Little Rickie]

Thanks, everyone, for all the responses. Okay -- we'll definitely plan on tenting and NOT using the shelter.

Now, how do you feel about snakes?

 

[wardsgirl]

...or bats?

Does anyone remember about 5 years ago when the Rocky Branch Shelter #2 was infested with bats? My BF and I ended up there one rainy night. We didn't notice that bats until we were half asleep. I still can't believe we didn't vacate the shelter immediately to set up our tent, but it was raining.

 

[TCD]

The snakes who live in Duck Hole #1 were gracious hosts in 2006, allowing us big strangers to share their lean to.

 

[swamp]

2 or 3 years ago the caretaker at Guyot (I think it was Storm) had made several rodent traps. He told me that they were for shrews. Maybe they are a problem at the shelter or maybe he had nothing else to do.

 

[skiguy]

Now, how do you feel about snakes?

.....or cockroaches......I had to go to Hawaii to find those in the shelters

 

[TrishandAlex]

Now, how do you feel about snakes?

LOL, I've no problems with them, neither does Alex. She doesn't mind mice either, actually -- it's the sensation of having one walk across your face in the middle of the night...that's what I'm trying to avoid. I'm pretty sure that if that happened I'd have a very high-volume kid on my hands, no one would sleep from that point on. Actually, I can't be sure I wouldn't react the exact same way myself, I can't really blame it all on her.

We'll tent it, no biggie.

 

[Trainwreck]

I'm good with mice, even bats Skip the snakes.
I've never been to Guyot, when are you going?
Sandy

 

[MichaelJ]

Even at a tent platform, hang that food bag! I also hang my pack, just to ensure any rodent that happens to come across it on the ground doesn't decide to chew through it in search of food.

 

[Wolfgang]

Thanks, guys -- Wolfgang, will the caretaker frown on using a bivy within the shelter?

I don't see why. I bivy is nothing but a glorified sleeping bag cover.

 

[David Metsky]

I don't see why. I bivy is nothing but a glorified sleeping bag cover.

It depends on the bivy. If it's just an outer bag, no one would notice, let alone complain. If it's a bivy with a tent pole or two, people would complain.

 

[TrishandAlex]

It depends on the bivy. If it's just an outer bag, no one would notice, let alone complain. If it's a bivy with a tent pole or two, people would complain.

Ours has a pole, it definitely looks like a little tent. I may just use that. I've been carrying it all winter, it weighs nothing, it's sturdy, and we both fit in it (albeit snugly).

Trainwreck, we're going in the summer, after Galehead hut opens, definite date yet to be determined.

 

[TDawg]

Even at a tent platform, hang that food bag! I also hang my pack, just to ensure any rodent that happens to come across it on the ground doesn't decide to chew through it in search of food.

Right, just because your not in the shelter doesn't get you away from mice altogether. At one of the platforms at Guyot, below the privy, we shared the platform with a mouse who lived below in the rocks. Hang that food bag!

 

[TrishandAlex]

Right, just because your not in the shelter doesn't get you away from mice altogether. At one of the platforms at Guyot, below the privy, we shared the platform with a mouse who lived below in the rocks. Hang that food bag!

Will do. I can deal with hanging food bags, etc. Just don't want to deal with a critter running across my head.

 

[NewHampshire]

I hope I'm not breaking any rules with making this comment on this thread but with the WMNF fees possibly going up, I've always been amazed that expanding this area (which obviously is popular) is not even in their 5-year plan! Rules are possibly being broken by camping in the overflow area (which I've done too many times) yet the WMNF turns the other cheek.

The overflow sites are not in the Wilderness. If you lookat the map you will see (rather conveniently ) the tentsite/shelter from the ridge down to the platforms is outside the Wilderness area. In the twisted thinking of the Forest Service they probably would not want the area expanded because they don't want to encourage overuse (yes, that is how their minds work )

Brian

 

[dr_wu002]

Ours has a pole, it definitely looks like a little tent. I may just use that. I've been carrying it all winter, it weighs nothing, it's sturdy, and we both fit in it (albeit snugly).
.

The shelter is fun.

One thing: if you decide to stay in the shelter and (unlikely) a mouse does run over your face, don't try to attack it with a gun or your dreadful car shock device. You probably wouldn't harm the other people there too badly, but in the dark like that I bet it's hard to hit a mouse. If you want an example of just how wily these critters are, here's a video of one I took at night while at Baxter State Park 2 years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ShlnNU7nO8

-Dr. Wu

 

[TrishandAlex]

Wu, that was very cute. That graham cracker was 4 times as big as that little fella. I also enjoyed the commentary.

Once at Guyot, I'll take your advcie and try very hard to remember NOT to smack my face with any of my secret, illegal weapons in the middle of the night.

 

[dr_wu002]

Wu, that was very cute. That graham cracker was 4 times as big as that little fella. I also enjoyed the commentary.

Once at Guyot, I'll take your advcie and try very hard to remember NOT to smack my face with any of my secret, illegal weapons in the middle of the night.

It's wicked fun, especially when you're at Baxter with MEB and Little Sister and they go to sleep at 8:00pm, to sit there in the dark and wait for mice and other critters to show up at the campsite. I actually try to catch the mice -- haven't been successful so far. Two years ago I slept outside and a skunk and a raccoon were quarreling which was quite amusing. Then the skunk kept trying to get in my sleeping bag which was only somewhat amusing but also a little unnerving. Last year at Baxter of course a strange creature visited our website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVYoL9r8Hvw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLCUnZ2SSfg -- imagine having that thing run over your face at night...

-Dr. Wu

 

[Neil]

I haven't read this thread but I learned this simple but effective method for ridding one's premises of mice.

Put bait under inverted and raised bowl.
Mouse goes for food.
Lower bowl thus entrapping mouse underneath.
Raise bowl just enough for mouse to stick its head out.

Lower bowl forcefully crushing mousy spinal cord and dispatching unwanted rodent to the great Mickey Mouse Show in the sky.

 

[--M.]

Well that cracks me right up, just like a mouse's spine!

I also got a tip from a thru-hiker from Georgia at the Imp Shelter to leave my pack open & rummageable, with no food in it. Having had a Kelty eaten through, I had learned my lesson & agreed with this.

I've also watched four guys (myself included) make complete stooges of themselves trying to hang a ludicrously over-weight food bag. Deadfalls came down, stooges scattered, it was tragedy narrowly averted. Insert appropriate Curly noises here.

Good luck!

 

[The Hikers]

Doesn't anyone else hike with their cat?