I wasn't referring to you Bemental.
Good to know :-)Originally Posted by No Directions
Can't take things on the internet too personal anyway. Gots to have that thick skin and all!
The thing to keep in mind is that you can not plan for a full shelter every night. You need to make sure you're prepared to have to sleep in the shelter.
More than once I've had a reservation at a shelter that the online system indicated was full. But then less than ideal weather apparently changed a lot of plans because I've then been the only camper at the shelter or only a few others showed up.
Rules have a way to be changed. Rules that are abused often get changed to be more restrictive.
And that's exactly what happened in the Park..
people abused and ignored to rules for years and low and behold they had to change them...
thats how the new fee reservation got started....
and then people bitch about the new system....
And it's why many of the shelter fireplaces have been concreted up. There's a sign threatening this at the Mt LeConte shelter.
Actually... just to clarify...
The fireplace at Mt LeConte shelter was concreted up several years ago, and is currently the one place in GSMNP that fires are prohibited. The site is very popular and people were starting to cut down live trees to try to burn.
The current warnings are at Ice Water Springs Shelter. They've already removed the fire ring and posted a sign that fires are only permitted in the fireplace, and that the fireplace will get sealed up if people continue to violate the rules on burning only downed dead wood.
People use to bitch about the old reservation system, because you'd call and call and no one would answer, so the Park's answer to that problem was this new reservation system, which came with two rangers, who, supposedly, would only be paid for by the new admission system. So, I'm not sure what you're talking about WRT "ignoring rules..."
So my question is how much more likely are you to see a ranger while hiking thru GSMNP nowadays?
That's why people are bitching, because the fee went just for the rangers salary (at least that's what we were told by the Park authorities). Furthermore, thru-hikers had no problems getting a permit, it was only the people who were visiting, as opposed to passing thru, so this new reservation system is more of a PITA, at least for thru-hikers. And paying a rangers salary via backcountry fees is kind of annoying and what do you get for it? You can't even get a reserved spot in the shelter. So what's changed -- Tougher getting a permit and you gotta pay for rangers who do what -- it's anyone's guess.
I guess the only trouble then is figuring out when the thru hikers will fill up the shelters, and getting a thru-hiker permit? From what Iv'e read you don't have to be a true Springer-to-katadhin thru-hiker, only a hiker that started more than fifty miles before the entrance to the park. I'd really rather just do the AT through the GSMNP as day hikes to get around all this nonsense, but it doesn't look like that's possible.
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"I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. Thank God for Search and Rescue" - Robert Frost (first edit).
People use to bitch about the old reservation system, because you'd call and call and no one would answer,
there were other complaints besides the non answering of the phone.....
rules were being broken (ie----bringing in 19 people for a campsite that was rated for 8) and they had to clamp down a little harder...........
People make the reservation process out to be way harder than it actually is. Relax, it's not that bad. The shelters aren't that bad either.
No one forces a hiker to thru hike or section hike. It is a voluntary, leisure activity...a vacation. If you don't like the rules in the Smokies, don't hike the Smokies...very simple.
haha so true.
So...if you prefer tenting, it seems that being a thru-hiker tilts the odds in your favor in that if the shelter fills up, thru-hikers are supposed to vacate by the rules. And the rules say you can only register as a thru-hiker if you begin & end 50 or more miles outside the park. So, the question begs to be asked - are they branding or tattooing you at the 50-mile-outside-the-park locations to prove that distance? I assume section hikers can register as a thru-hiker, jump on the AT in the park & pitch a tent near the shelter without having to have a hiking-in-the-park reservation. After all, there won't be a ranger there demanding to see their 50-mile branding.
Anyone with knowledge of the trail can just lie, not a thing they can do about it.
Hikers not following the rules is exactly what BSP is complaining about. If you don't want to follow the rules why not just stay out of the park. Plenty of other places that will allow you to do whatever you want to do.
So the real danger is that people will not follow the current stupid rules so they will need to make new rules that make even less sense???
Frightening :-)
Seriously....how much sense does it make to have people waiting till all hours of the night to see if they won the shelter lottery...assuming they have any interest in the prize?
I can totally see those poor souls that were forced to have a reservation being stuck sleeping in the shelter. But for all the thru-hikers to be forced to set-up in the shelter (or hover around waiting) with the very real possibility of losing that spot and having to pitch their tent in the dark.
Sorry....just seems silly
No wonder you read about folks making an effort to arrive late in the Smokies!
A lot of people would rather tent, but wouldn't it be best to follow the rules?
Hell I'd rather not stop at traffic lights. After all it's public roads and I should be able to do as I damn well please. Screw the rules, especially the ones I deme to be "stupid".
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No Direction posted this a few responses above..................but it is still pertinent.......and sums it all up in one simple sentence.....
If you don't want to follow the rules why not just stay out of the park.
Since that post was from 2014 I can only assume they have already taken the trip
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