Hiker pecking order?

[KMartman]

great point doug - also depending on the temps, - it can get chilly at night even in the summer in some spots anyone who has slept at hermit lake can attest to this.

- tents are warmer than shelters. you toss some rain in the picture and it can get chilly quick.

like i said - if the space is there and your not putting someone out - its not silly or stupid - its comfort! its a common sense situation.

I agree if you arent putting anyone out by taking the space then its cool...I was just saying it was silly if its a full shelter...or if your tent is taking up space others could use to sleep..

M

 

[C.Tracy]

That would be quite a interesting event if a so called "more important hiker" came along with an attitude trying to take claim of my shelter It would be something I bet I could sell tickets for I go back into the woods to get away from idiots like that, and fortunately I have had no problems with anyone like that yet. I have met people before who for one reason or another were quiet and not real friendly, but it could be that they also wanted to get away from people or were just plain tired. I do not think you will find this behavior any different than some of the "head butting" that happens on these forums ocasionally

 

[Chip]

You won't beleive the result!
He forces the family of 3 out of the shelter...thats right....the "first comers" get ejected to the overflow camping area, which is way overflowed now!
Here is the caretakers reasoning:
"Shelters are for 1-2 people max each group size and priorety given to AT through hikers regardless of thier group size.."

I would have refused to move. Not that I want to butt heads, but what REAL authority does the caretaker have ? Other than suggesting that I not return to "His" shelter, what action could the caretaker have taken ("if caretaker could take action")?

 

[KMartman]

I would have refused to move. Not that I want to butt heads, but what REAL authority does the caretaker have ? Other than suggesting that I not return to "His" shelter, what action could the caretaker have taken ("if caretaker could take action")?

The mere fact that this "caretaker" chose to put CHILDREN out in the cold and damp rain shows how intelligent he/she was....why choose that group out of everyone??? Must not like kids....

Just seems out of line...and like you say...if I were that father...I wouldnt have budged...caretaker could talk til they were blue in the face....but i wouldnt move...ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS..

M

 

[Dugan]

Then came 2 more with 2 wet DOGS and they said jokingly, "If it rains it sleeps 16 right?"
My gear was a total mess with muddy doggie tracks all over everything.

Even though I'm a dedicated dog owner, I completely agree. I would have been mad too.

This wasn't a dog issue, it was a handler issue. If your dog is a mess, you keep it away from other people's stuff. Now that I think about it, you should always keep your dog away from other people's stuff.

I ALWAYS opt to tent when I bring a dog. It's easier on both of us, rather than trying to keep the dog under what amounts to constant supervision.

 

[Jeff-B]

The mere fact that this "caretaker" chose to put CHILDREN out in the cold and damp rain shows how intelligent he/she was....why choose that group out of everyone??? Must not like kids....

Just seems out of line...and like you say...if I were that father...I wouldnt have budged...caretaker could talk til they were blue in the face....but i wouldnt move...ESPECIALLY WITH KIDS..

M

The Guyot ordeal was, in fact, in fair weather, not rain.
Even so, this Caretaker was a pain, and he was not the first caretaker I have seen that I had not agreed with either.

 

[KMartman]

The Guyot ordeal was, in fact, in fair weather, not rain.
Even so, this Caretaker was a pain, and he was not the first caretaker I have seen that I had not agreed with either.

Sorry about the weather mistake..I assumed..too many stories in this thread..

I agree weird city for the caretaker to pick the first arrivals to kick out. Maybe he had the "elitist" attitude himself and didn't think a father and his young children "deserved" the comfort of the shelter..even though they WERE the first to arrive..

M

 

[Puck]

the Guyot incident is both interesting and disturbing. I looked on the AMC web site for the rules and regulations for the backcountry sites and shelters. There is mention of "first come first serve." and to register groups of more than six, with an emphasis that a registration is not a reservation.

Has there been a rule change?
Was the caretaker acting like the new sherif in town and making up the rules as he went?
And (as mentioned) by what authority can s/he enforce or insist on rules?

His actions seem to go against everything for which the AMC stands. Especially with families.

 

[pudgy_groundhog]

I have myself pitched a tent in a leanto in the middle of the night when the bugs were bad and there was rain. But at this point, we were pretty sure noone else was coming by and if they had, we certainly would've modified our set up to accomodate people. Even with our small tent on one side of the leanto, there was plenty of room.

I'm full aware that it is technically illegal to pitch a tent in the leanto. The people who I have encountered that have done this either didn't know or didn't care. And it was not so much that they had pitched the tent, but they had spread their stuff all over the leanto and left no room for others, nor made any effort to accomodate more people (and in the case I posted above, was actually aggressive about keeping the leanto to themselves). And these def. weren't thru hikers. I don't think thru hikers are lugging around coolers and ghetto blasters. =P

 

[expat]

Hence, winter

This is one reason I've always preferred backpacking in the winter. Bugs is reason #2. Heat is #3.

I have pitched a tent inside a shelter in the winter. The walls of the tent flapped in the winds much less there. There was nobody else around the shelter.

 

[Lawn Sale]

Setting up your tent INSIDE the shelter is just plain stupid...HA....too funny...

M

I have also done it, rain and snow was blowing in the shelter and no one else was around. I'd do it again under similar circumstances.

 

[Raymond]

I too set up a tent inside a lean-to, in Baxter State Park where it is specifically prohibited. But, my then-four-year-old son was with me and it was too buggy to sleep out in the open and of course there we had the entire site to ourselves. It is also prohibited to set up tents at lean-to sites, so it was the only way to protect ourselves overnight. Nobody noticed or said anything to us about it.

It is good to see that nobody has resurrected the "throw some tuna fish into the shelter" notion.

 

[JOD]

been fighting the reaction too

toss gorp in there and move along. Let them have some company all night with the little fury four legged creatures.

 

[dvbl]

It is good to see that nobody has resurrected the "throw some tuna fish into the shelter" notion.

Just curious, what does that mean?

 

[MadRiver]

My friend and I were doing a Pemi Traverse and arrived at Guyot in the late afternoon. We were told by the caretaker that all the platforms were full and we could either stay in the shelter or go to the overflow. We are not shelter people so we chose the overflow. I headed over to the spring to filter some water and noticed that there was only ONE tent on the first platform and TWO tents on the second platform. Both these platforms could hold three to four tents. The caretaker had left to do some rounds and I didn’t feel like waiting around so we headed to the overflow. I did email the AMC to clarify that it is first come first serve, but I never received a response. Now, when a caretaker says that they are full, I actually look at each platform before heading to the overflow.

 

[KMartman]

I have also done it, rain and snow was blowing in the shelter and no one else was around. I'd do it again under similar circumstances.

Circumstances would always effect this situation...I was saying it was "stupid" or "silly" under the PARTICULAR circumstances....

Sorry if I offended anyone..no harm intended..

M

 

[HighHorse]

Just curious, what does that mean?

pretty much stinks to high hell and guarantees an animal visit...