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  1. #1
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    Default Quarry Gap Shelter

    Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Quarry Gap Shelter

    Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?

    Future hikers - any questions?

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  2. #2
    Future AT Bag Lady Mini-Mosey's Avatar
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    Default

    I stopped there briefly on a backpacking trip a few years ago-as I remember, it was very nice-twin shelters joined by a covered area containing a picnic table. The caretaker took a lot of pride in keeping it up. There was even a garbage can there, if I recall correctly.
    mini-m.

  3. #3
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    We camped here in '02 and in the middle of the night what can only be either a bob-cat or a mountain lion came through our camp (extremely close to our tent, as it so happened) and aside from scaring us all to death, it was a lovely spot for camping. The water is really convenient, the shelter was nicely maintained, and there was lots of camping room and nice platforms for tenting, and it's a great place to aim for if you spend too much of the afternoon enjoying the sun and swimming at the pool in Caledonia State Park
    "It's a dangerous business, going out your door...if you don't keep your feet, there's no telling where you might be swept off to."-The Hobbit

  4. #4
    Registered User Peaks's Avatar
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    Default Quarry Gap

    I met the caretaker there when I hiked through in May 2001. He takes a lot of pride in this shelter. Typically, he goes out a couple of times a week to keep an eye on things. Certainly one of the best maintained shelters along the trail, if not the best.

    We owe him a big thank you for all his efforts.

  5. #5
    Registered User 2Questions's Avatar
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    Unhappy Bobcat

    Jumpstart....Your right about the Bobcat. We were camping there a few winters ago and about 1am this hollering, wailing, dying sound echoed throughout the hollow. We thought someone was getting murdered! Turns out the caretaker whom we met later in the day says a bobcat lives in the area and enjoys scaring the beejeebees out of hikers. I'll never forget that sound.

  6. #6

    Question "Innkeeper" of Quarry Gap?

    When I passed by Quarry Gap Shelters in southern Pennsylvania, there was a sign on the front saying "so and so, Inn Keeper".

    I didn't take note of the name. Anyone know who is the maintainer for this place? It's a beautiful place, well taken care of.

    Thanks
    Pb

  7. #7

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    I've learned that the "Inn keeper" is Jim Stauch.

    From my trip report of my section hike from Harpers Ferry:

    I then came upon one of the prettiest shelter areas of my whole trek: Quarry
    Gap Shelters. Surrounded by laurel groves and with a little brook running
    along the front were two shelters joined by a common roof, with a picnic
    table between them. Although the buildings were of 1940s vintage, the whole
    area was in great shape and exhibited a great deal of care. Hanging from the
    roof in the front, was a sign "Quarry Gap Shelters - Jim Stauch, Inn
    Keeper". I have learned that this was placed here by hikers who appreciated
    Jim's dedication to this site as maintainer. I too would like to add
    "Thanks Jim, great job here!"

  8. #8

    Default Pictures

    Here's a shot of the shelters.

    And another through the Mountain Laurel

    Pb

  9. #9
    Registered User knightjh's Avatar
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    Default Nice Shelter

    Stop there today (11/8/04) on a day hike shelter was very clean and well maintained
    Once again "Thank you Jim Staunch"
    "It will be a great day when schools have all the books they need and the Air Force has to have a bake sale to buy a bomber" (Unknown..to me at least if you know who said this I'll put their name here)

  10. #10
    Is it raining yet?
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    Default Just ridiculous

    I passed this shelter back in '03, & thought I was going to cry b/c I didn't get to spend the night.

    Let's just say I've played miniature golf courses that were not as well maintained as this shelter was. Someone should be charging a fee here for the amt of work put forth.

    That being said, I know that a certain contingent of you would absolutely HATE this thing, replete w/ trash can, covered picnic table, roll-a-way wind screen, cement park bench, & a landscaped, rock-lined stream! It Was SICK! Unfortunately, So PA is pretty damn boring.........
    Be Prepared

  11. #11
    Donating Member/AT Class of 2003 - The WET year
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    Amazing shelter ...that's all I can say. All the way from the hanging plants to the lighted walkway to the water source.

    In 2003 a group of us stumbled into a church group doing a huge hiker feed in Caledonia State Park. We overnighted and then headed out the next morning (in the rain). I made it the 2 or so miles from that campsite to this shelter and decided to duck out of the rain. The rain started to come down even harder at that point and I ended up taking my first "NERO" day. We dropped the wind curtains between the two shelters and just hung out the rest of the day. Great place to get caught up on my journaling and rest.

    'Slogger
    AT 2003
    The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.

  12. #12
    Peakbagger Extraordinaire The Solemates's Avatar
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    Stopped here for lunch on our thru on Opening Trout Day for PA. Caledonia had hundreds (I would venture to even say thousands) of people at it. Lunch at the shelter was with probably 30 other people. It was nice, but I was certainly glad to get out of there.
    The only thing better than mountains, is mountains where you haven't been.

    amongnature.blogspot.com

  13. #13
    Registered User Panzer1's Avatar
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    Default Head-banger shelter

    I call this shelter the head-banger. It has a low hanging brace over the front porch. I am 6 foot 1" and when I stepped up onto the front porch I struck the top of my head on the brace so hard that I nearly knocked myself out.

    Short people won't have this problem.

    Panzer

  14. #14
    Hammock and Bicycle camping Crash's Avatar
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    Really a great place.
    Met a lot of nice hikers there.
    I hammocked on the posts out front,
    Luckily no one wanted to use the fireplace.
    Has hooks on the back outside of the shelters to hang your smelly stuff.
    When the Trail calls you,
    its not on your cellphone!

  15. #15

    Default

    When we hiked into Caledonia a guy came running across the river asking if we were thru-hikers and invitied us over to a family reunion. They fed us extremely well and the guy was boasting of his prediction to his family that they'd meet some thru-hikers that day. It was a humbling experience and trail kindness at it's best.

    The guy was Jim, the caretaker of Quarry Gap where we stayed that night. It had been freshly painted and there was landscaping rock out front of the double shelters. Very nice.

  16. #16

    Default Almost too nice

    Socks the wonder dog and I hiked by this shelter on 3/25. Is this place really an AT Shelter? It seems more like a rental cabin!! The whole thing is freshly painted, EVEN THE FLOOR. There are two shelters joined by a kind of breezeway thing with a windscreen. A brick fireplace. Amazing.

  17. #17

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    The care taker is very proud of his shelter and privy, and was very taken aback when he found out someone didn't like that the door on the privy opened inwards.

    I met the family from hell here. A bunch of lunatics, the dad was running around making chipmunk noises trying to fish for it with a nut tied to a string, amomg other strange things, I wish i'd moved on but i'd already set up

  18. #18
    GA-ME 78, sectional 81-01 HIKER7s's Avatar
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    Default Quarry Gap Shelter

    All I have to say is that you cant say enough about how Jim takes care of this place. Many kudo's to you over and over. Took a scout group there over the weekend (August 4-5-6). As I wanted to provide a good spot on the Pa trail they would remember, I am glad to say that we had the shelter all to ourselves SAT night. The time there was enjoyed by all.

    I like the stone frontage you've put there, really shines it up! The c e water source and the nice fireplace walls provided great platforms for demonstrating filter and stove use respectively. The privy was I know a great source of releif for the newbies in my group who have never had the experience of "catholemanship".

    The thing I hadnt seen before in my times here, those platforms! When did they go in? They were great.




    Has anyone heard the bobcat here LATELY? I told the people I was with they may hear it. Much critter activity at night, lots o little feet and scrunching sounds most attribuitted to investegating as there was really nothing left out. It was a problem finding a good bear bag tree. Only thing missing here is a BB cable.

    Maybe one could be hung up behind the privy somewhere?????? Its not a complaint though. Its just thats the only thing that kept my stay there the other night from being 5 star trail stay. I had to bushwack over on a vector from the privy to the soutbound trail in a rockfall to find a suitable tree to hang in. About 200 YARDS away.

    Otherwise Great stay!!! well done Jim
    I hiked that ridge Pop told me not to that morning.
    Each time out, I see that same ridge- only different.
    Each one is an adventure in itself. Leading to what is beyond the next- HIKER7s


  19. #19
    Registered User Undershaft's Avatar
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    Quarry Gap is the nicest AT shelter I have ever seen. It was a 5 1/2 out of 5 stars. I really wish I had stayed, but I rolled through too early in the day to stop. According to what I saw written, there is a timber rattler that lives under one of the shelters, no mention of a bobcat though. This shelter must be seen to be believed.

  20. #20
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    Default Awesome Shelter

    The best on the trail. I felt like I was sleeping at a resort - except for the psycho section hiker that wandered in just as it was getting dark, ladened with a 70 pound pack, machete protruding from the top, and speaking of the fear he experienced the night before caused by what he swore were Velociraptor dinosaurs roaming the woods. He was checking himself in the next day at the sanitarium in Lower Mountain - and none too soon as far as I was concerned.

    Other than that adventure, the night was great. We spent it with an older couple working their way through the triple crown, and a great guy named Moon Goat and his dog Otto.

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