Mt Langdon Shelter Removal

[peakbagger]

https://www.conwaydailysun.com/news...cle_c00bd4a2-d0dd-11e9-b42b-afdab180cb0c.html

The national forest is slowly running out of structures to maintain in the forest which I believe is the ultimate plan.

 

[jniehof]

Cripes. This is the first I've heard of it. I'll see what I can mobilize.

 

[richard]

From the same newspaper. Very interesting and informative piece on the dangers climbing & hiking during https://www.conwaydailysun.com/news...cle_a9525d26-518a-11e9-9128-1b847e0a489e.html

 

[egilbe]

For what it's worth the Forest Service did do a great job fixing up the shelter of Mountain Pond.

I hiked over to mountain pond, thinking to stay in the shelter, but a young couple had their huge cabin tent set up in it. We found another spot to set up our tarp.

 

[maineguy]

https://www.conwaydailysun.com/news...cle_c00bd4a2-d0dd-11e9-b42b-afdab180cb0c.html

The national forest is slowly running out of structures to maintain in the forest which I believe is the ultimate plan.

Yes, I believe that you are correct. That appears to be the plan, and it has been going on for decades. A few of the shelters that I stayed at in the late 60s that are no longer around: Liberty Spring, Camp 16, 13 Falls, Greeley Pond, Nauman #1,2, Great Gulf Shelters #1,2,3, Isolation, Resolution, Desolation, Franconia Brook, Carrigain Tower, Camp Hermance, Camp Shehadi. And these are just the ones I remember staying at.

 

[sierra]

Yes, I believe that you are correct. That appears to be the plan, and it has been going on for decades. A few of the shelters that I stayed at in the late 60s that are no longer around: Liberty Spring, Camp 16, 13 Falls, Greeley Pond, Nauman #1,2, Great Gulf Shelters #1,2,3, Isolation, Resolution, Desolation, Franconia Brook, Carrigain Tower, Camp Hermance, Camp Shehadi. And these are just the ones I remember staying at.

Your post brought back some memories. Shelters I have used as well, Desolation, Camp Hermance, Camp Shehadi, Franconia Brook, I also remember the Edmonds Col shelter, although certainly not in the same category.

 

[maineguy]

They were all great places to stay. My favorite was the Carrigain Tower. Back then you could drink the water from the well unfiltered. Of course, at that time, the parking lot for the Wilderness Trail off the Kanc only had spots for about 6 cars (it was on the other side of the river from the present parking).

 

[skiguy]

I personally miss all the above mentioned long gone shelters. It certainly has changed the Whites. So glad one can still tramp The ADK where a lot remain and are maintained.

 

[TCD]

I personally miss all the above mentioned long gone shelters. It certainly has changed the Whites. So glad one can still tramp The ADK where a lot remain and are maintained.

Thanks God we still have most of our leantos.

This is thanks to the tiny volunteer organization Lean2Rescue, which does great work.

Our misguided fools in Albany were on a tear some years ago to destroy as many leantos as possible, much like the "Molly destroys bridges" era in NH. I think we're finally ahead of the curve.

It takes constant vigilance to stay ahead of the vandals in so called "land management" agencies...

 

[TEO]

Thanks God we [ed. the Adirondacks] still have most of our leantos.

This is thanks to the tiny volunteer organization Lean2Rescue, which does great work.

Last summer I stayed in Lean2Rescue's beautiful new leanto at Duck Pond. The logs are fit so tightly that there was no need for chinking. Their craftsmanship is impressive. Unfortunately it was infested with Carpenter Ants.

 

[TCD]

The ant infestation is unfortunate, but thanks for the info. I'll pass that on to the group for reference.

 

[Salty]

“We can’t afford to maintain all of these structures in the woods,” said Innes, who noted that when the shelters have to be repaired materials, are flown in by helicopter.

Thank God helicopters were invented so we could have shelters in the woods!

 

[peakbagger]

Many of the shelters had the unfortunate problem that they tended to attract crowds. I remember one october weekend when there were over 50 tents in the woods around Desolation shelter. Folks looked on a map, saw a shelter and used it for destination. In the great gulf there are still significant signs where the shelters where 30 years ago. The ground got so compacted that nothing will grow back in. The concentrated use also tends to concentrate human waste. My guess is unless there is a caretaker the temptation is rip it down.

 

[wardsgirl]

Thanks for making us aware of this! I plan to call and comment today.

I love the Mt. Langdon Shelter and have spent many nights there. (You can make a nice loop with Rocky Branch, Stairs Col, DP, Parker, Stanton.) I've always been alone there! It's one of the few places left where one can experience the uncrowded trails as they were back in the days when I first started hiking. I miss the shelters on Whiteface and Passaconaway, some of the first places I ever spent the night outdoors.

Thanks TCD for making me aware of Lean2Rescue, too!

 

[JustJoe]

I have heard of people setting up tents in shelters. Seems pretty oblivious at best. It's a fairly accessible shelter, so it probably attracts more of a certain kind of person (lower wilderness etiquette). We found emoty beer cans when we were there.

I've only been by it once but the group that was at the Sawyer Pond Shelter the day I hiked around the pond was one of the most ignorant groups of a-holes I've ever seen. I don't know if that's the norm there but it does seem to shelters that are easy to get to attract this type of crowd.

Now, as far as a USFS "proposed plan". isn't that just their way of saying what we ARE going to do after the kangaroo public hearing. Democratic, is not a word I would use to describe how they conduct business.

 

[peakbagger]

Now, as far as a USFS "proposed plan". isn't that just their way of saying what we ARE going to do after the kangaroo public hearing. Democratic, is not a word I would use to describe how they conduct business.

Sadly, you have it right. The decision has been made and public comment is just a box to click off. If there are enough written (IMO they ignore emails and phone calls) comments they will delay the decision, reinvestigate it and come to the same conclusion several months from now when the public is calmed down.

 

[Tom Rankin]

I have heard of people setting up tents in shelters. Seems pretty oblivious at best. It's a fairly accessible shelter, so it probably attracts more of a certain kind of person (lower wilderness etiquette). We found emoty beer cans when we were there.

It's against regulations in NY state....

 

[JToll]

The decision may have been made, but I wrote in to register my opposition.

 

[TCD]

Yeah, it's an overall management strategy. If you want that changed, you need to change the people in charge. The 'lack of funding' argument can be used to justify just about anything - and the lack of funding is an intentional strategy of conservative leadership. Of course, that strategy should mean no deficient spending (i.e., that there will still be a 'good faith effort' to balance the budget), but alas, we can all agree that the federal budget deficit has grown substantially. Therefore, we lose Mt. Langdon shelter to help pay of the national debt.

Nice try, but it's the same everywhere. Our whacko green leftie demo Governor cries poverty all the time to avoid doing what he should do in the High Peaks, while at the same time building a 16 million dollar bathroom at exit 18. This kind of behavior is not a monopoly of one party or wing. The current culture encourages all politicians to make it look like they are doing something, but actually do as little as possible. Look like you are doing something to whip up cash, but actually do as little as possible to avoid the sad piano music on NPR when they find the one person out of a thousand who is adversely affected.

 

[Raven]

Yes, I believe that you are correct. That appears to be the plan, and it has been going on for decades. A few of the shelters that I stayed at in the late 60s that are no longer around: Liberty Spring, Camp 16, 13 Falls, Greeley Pond, Nauman #1,2, Great Gulf Shelters #1,2,3, Isolation, Resolution, Desolation, Franconia Brook, Carrigain Tower, Camp Hermance, Camp Shehadi. And these are just the ones I remember staying at.

I had the pleasure of one night in Resolution Shelter in maybe 1998. Great spot. Got there early, napped on the roof and read "Never Cry Wolf."