Tom Leonard Lean-to

[poison_ivy]

Shelter is the four-bunk style with loft overhanging a picnic table. It is in great shape. Water was located to the left of the shelter this weekend. I imagine that source goes dry during the summer -- then you can find water about 1/4 mile down the path on the right side of the shelter (which is also the way to the privy.)

The shelter has one tent platform on a hillside with a beatiful view as well.

-- Ivy

[Blue Jay]

A very beautiful and majic place. The chipmonks have overthrown the mice. A sweet camping spot overlooking a clean revine just past it heading north.

[DebW]

As of June 21 the intermittent stream very near the shelter is flowing well, so no need to make the 1/2 mile downhill hike to the more reliable water supply. Southbounders need to watch carefully for this shelter, as the sign is 30 yards left of the trail.

[unsub13]

According to 'Exploring the Appalachian Trail' parking is available on Lake Buel Road - does anyone know if that is overnight parking, so that we could leave our car for a few days? Thanks....

Tor

[tribes]

I have friends that left a car there for four nights last August when I was out on a NY-VT section hike. They got on at US 7 in Connecticut and hiked to their car near Great Barrington. Their car was there for four-five days I think. They had no problems @ all.

[Jack Tarlin]

Nice spot...but if you're going to be there in the summer, bring maximum strength Deet or you will pray for death; over the past few years, this section of the Trail in July/August has been one of the most bug-ridden places on the Trail. Do NOT plan on sleeping in the shelter without netting.

[DebW]

The parking on Lake Buell Rd. is an official AT parking area with kiosk. Cars should be fine there (barring random acts of vandalism) . The Tom Leonard shelter is in need of roof replacement this year due to a large branch puncture over the winter. It has been patched and will keep you dry in the meantime, but look for a work crew there sometime this summer.

[eyahiker]

Was just here 9 days ago, lots of skeeters, and now you must go down the long down hill climb for water, upper area dried up and not running. Nicely built, and several 'tent' sites out front on the ledge in front of shelter over the "hump".

We almost missed this shelter, it is not well marked! Blue blaze was our clue, otherwise, it is beautiful and quiet and still, nicely tucked down "below" in a nice grove of trees, but doesn't jump out at you! No signs of bears.

Some notes:
Hiking with a NOBO couple, she went ahead and passed us, said she'd see us at this shelter, He passed us a half hour later and we passed the message along, he would also stay there for the night as well ( these are folks we stayed with the night before) She was there when we arrived an hour later, he never saw it missed it, she had to get down the Mtn before dark to try to find him.
ALSO passed several SOBOS that said they never saw the shelter & asked about it, they were already passed it by four miles.

the camping "platform" is falling in and rotten

[cbcbd]

Stayed at this shelter during a MA section hike in Sept 2001.
I'll second that it was very buggy when I had been there in August of that year. This time there weren't any bugs, but there was a porcupine chewing on the shelter all night long. We shooed him away, but he kept coming back... so we just assumed it as inevitable and went to sleep.

That summer had been very dry and the 1/4 mile hike down to a very shallow pool of water was not too much fun.

[wystiria]

Stayed at Tom Lenaord Columbus day weekendin Oct of this year. The shelter its self is in good condition although very smoky as the fire ring out front is not quite far enough away and when the wind is rigt the smoke billows back in to the shelter.

We pitched our tent on the AMAYZING tent platform! GORGEOUS! get there early and stake it out!

[adamkrz]

Stayed here this past weekend and wasprepared for a full house but when nobody else showed up my wife and I
had the run of the place and acted like kids.

It was a perfect night and the morning sunrise from the tent platform was simply magic. Better than any 5 star hotel..

[Manwich]

Slept here Saturday night. No mice or turds. Looks like the (years) aforementioned leaks in the ceiling have been fixed. Fire Ring and Picnic Table in good condition. Privy Okay.

[Emperor Near-0]

Crashed here two nights ago. At about midnight "The Kidd" and I were woken up by a constant scraping sound. We looked down from the loft where we were laid out and saw a nice sized porcupine going to town on the floor. We noticed that the floor and bunks looked whittled and chipped, but were too tired to even care. In the morning, I noticed the privy had taken similar damage. We passed someone the day after who had said that the resident porcupine had been there for two+ years, but saw no mention of it in the register or on the forum here. If you stop and the shelter is empty, I suggest using the loft to avoid pissing off the resident or rolling over into 1000 quills in the gut.

[Cosmo]

Yup, we've been trying to discourage this guy and his progeny for years. We've sprayed the shelter with bitter apple, and put salt blocks in the woods away from the shelter. The rocky terrain is ideal for denning, and plenty of hiker sweat to provide a tasty midnight snack. I'd be a shame if he should have some sort of tragic accident...

Cosmo

Crashed here two nights ago. At about midnight "The Kidd" and I were woken up by a constant scraping sound. We looked down from the loft where we were laid out and saw a nice sized porcupine going to town on the floor. We noticed that the floor and bunks looked whittled and chipped, but were too tired to even care. In the morning, I noticed the privy had taken similar damage. We passed someone the day after who had said that the resident porcupine had been there for two+ years, but saw no mention of it in the register or on the forum here. If you stop and the shelter is empty, I suggest using the loft to avoid pissing off the resident or rolling over into 1000 quills in the gut.

[lemon b]

There are a couple pictures of Tom Leonard in my gallery. Think I've only actually slept there once years back as I perfer going farther to North Wilcox or slething to the South. Always like the view from the tenting area.

[Cosmo]

Update, June 23rd, 2012. 5 Volunteers hauled a bear box into Leonard on the 23rd. Got help from a group of international students from Eisner Camp who were out for a training hike. Also shifted the privy to start the mouldering cycle on the full side of the crib and cleared the brush from the view from the tent platform. Register had two reports of a persistent bear at the site the week of June 16th.

For photos and more: http://massatprojects2012.blogspot.com/.

Cosmo

[Sarcasm the elf]

Very cool Cosmo. I thank all of you for keeping that area in great shape. One of my favorite times on the trail was taking a nero day at Tom Leonard a couple of years back, our morning consisted of lounging around at the tent platform and enjoying the view.

[coach lou]

Very cool Cosmo. I thank all of you for keeping that area in great shape. One of my favorite times on the trail was taking a nero day at Tom Leonard a couple of years back, our morning consisted of lounging around at the tent platform and enjoying the view.

I'm not telling Sherrie about the Porky or the Bear!

[Cosmo]

I'm not telling Sherrie about the Porky or the Bear!

There is a baseball bat at the shelter, if Mr/Ms Porky got a sharp lesson it would do a world of good. I think the bear is a pretty rare visitor. The easy water source is pretty dried up at this point, follow the blue blazes past the privy (not as bad as it sounds) all the way down to some really great water.

Cosmo

[mark schofield]

A few years ago I found the easy water source dried up and hiked down the hill to the stream. One of the first things I bought when I got home was a platypus 4L water bag. Open top, two handles, and a screw on cap. weighs about 2 oz.