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  1. #1
    LT '79; AT '73-'14 in sections; Donating Member Kerosene's Avatar
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    Default Catawba Mountain Shelter (VA)

    Lovely basic 6-person design formed with close-fitted plywood that doesn't give the mice any direct access. Two fancy, industrial strength food bag holders with multiple hooks available, although one was broken somehow as of October 2003.

    Picnic table is uncovered and raised off the slope to make it level, which makes it difficult to sit down and get up, or even stand by the downill side of the table to cook.

    Privy is in front of shelter to the left about 100 feet. A nice piped spring is just south back on the Trail (to the right heading south).

    Western exposure, so you might see a nice sunset over the ridge but obscured by trees. Moderate direct sunlight.

    The Trail here that passes within 50 feet of the shelter is heavily used by day hikers climbing up from the road to McAfee Knob, especially on weekends.

    Click here for a picture of the shelter.
    GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014

  2. #2
    Is it raining yet?
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    Post Status Report

    As of 6/18 the cabin was clean and empty. Nothing exciting to report other then my surprise to find 3 shelters w/in 5 miles!

    Never before...
    Last edited by BlackCloud; 06-20-2005 at 14:43. Reason: I wrote unempty!
    Be Prepared

  3. #3
    GA-VA 2005, VA-CT 2007, CT-ME ??
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    Default

    Very clean and accessible. The only complaint for me in late June was a hyperactive whip-poor-will who refused to sleep.
    -Mark

  4. #4

    Default

    passed by on Wed. 7 Sep 2005 - spring was going well just off of the AT south of the shelter. Privy was a bit buggy if I remember correctly.

  5. #5
    Registered User bulldog49's Avatar
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    12-27-2004
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    Anderson, IN
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    Default

    Planning to stay here next month on a section hike.

    Any updates on the shelter, especially on water availability?
    "If you don't know where you're going...any road will get you there."
    "He who's not busy living is busy dying"

  6. #6
    Trail Traveler f8lranger4x4's Avatar
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    Default

    I was just up the other day and water is a trickle. But still plenty of water. About the most reliable water on this section.

  7. #7
    Registered User sweetpeastu's Avatar
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    12-14-2006
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    Somewhere near the A.T.
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    Default

    has anyone heard of any bears problems in this area recently?

  8. #8
    Trail Traveler f8lranger4x4's Avatar
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    No i haven't been up many times recently and never heard of bears around their

  9. #9
    13-45 Section Hiker Trash
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    Default Tenting

    Nice shelter that sits on a slope as noted by others. Not much in the way of tenting next to the shelter, but there is a designated camp spot a few hundred yards North on the AT that could accommodate several tents. Campbell shelter 2.4 miles North has room for several tents near it, plus there is the Pig Farm campsite just South of Campbell.

  10. #10
    Registered User fehchet's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Berserker View Post
    Nice shelter that sits on a slope as noted by others. Not much in the way of tenting next to the shelter, but there is a designated camp spot a few hundred yards North on the AT that could accommodate several tents. Campbell shelter 2.4 miles North has room for several tents near it, plus there is the Pig Farm campsite just South of Campbell.
    Is this a bacon reference?

  11. #11
    Diatribe's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Berserker View Post
    Nice shelter that sits on a slope as noted by others ... Campbell shelter 2.4 miles North has room for several tents near it, plus there is the Pig Farm campsite just South of Campbell.
    Would someone explain what the Pig Farm Campsite is?
    Thanks!

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Diatribe View Post
    Would someone explain what the Pig Farm Campsite is?
    Thanks!
    Just a little campsite with a picnic table and fire ring right beside the trail. It used to be a pig farm there many many many years ago. It's a nice little spot.
    [COLOR="Blue"]Hokey Pokey [/COLOR]

  13. #13
    13-45 Section Hiker Trash
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hikerhead View Post
    Just a little campsite with a picnic table and fire ring right beside the trail. It used to be a pig farm there many many many years ago. It's a nice little spot.
    Thanks for explaining that Hikerhead. I apologize for the confusion everyone. This spot is labeled as the "Pig Farm Campsite" on the 2001 version of the official ATC map for this section, which is why I referred to it in those terms.

  14. #14
    GoldenBear's Avatar
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    Exclamation Update, five years later

    Quote Originally Posted by f8lranger4x4 View Post
    No i haven't been up many times recently and never heard of bears around their
    I've hiked 1040 miles on the A.T., and have seen bear a total of four times.
    Once was three days ago, close to the Johns Spring Shelter.
    Just like the previous three times, the bear scampered away in a hurry before I could even get my camera out of its bag, so I had no chance of getting a photo.
    So it would appear it is far from a problem bear.

    But there are bears in the area.
    So, treat this place like you should treat EVERY inch of The Trail, as a place where there's the potential for a hungry bear to become a problem bear and then a dead bear -- all because a hiker was careless.

  15. #15
    Registered User
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    Dumfries, Virginia
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    Default

    Any recent (2019) updates for Catawba Mountain Shelter?

    Also looking to hear more about the tenting near/just North? of Catawba Mountain Shelter.

  16. #16
    Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by Outcast View Post
    Any recent (2019) updates for Catawba Mountain Shelter?

    Also looking to hear more about the tenting near/just North? of Catawba Mountain Shelter.
    "near" and "just north" are relative terms but that section is designated campsites only, so if by these terms you mean something like a mile beyond catawba mountain shelter then no.

    https://www.ratc.org/mcafee-knob-and-the-triple-crown/

    there is both a catawba mountain shelter and a catawba mountain campsite but my memory is that they are basically the same place. though perhaps the campsite is " just north" of the shelter.

  17. #17
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    Default

    Thanks, I found that URL via Google, but looking for some recent experience personal experience. Sounds like you have some memory of it, how recent was that?

  18. #18
    Registered User
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Outcast View Post
    Thanks, I found that URL via Google, but looking for some recent experience personal experience. Sounds like you have some memory of it, how recent was that?
    april 2018. what exactly are you looking to find out?

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