Tray Mountain Shelter

Former Admin · 09-29-2002, 22:40

Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Tray Mountain 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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**Hammock Hanger** · 09-30-2002, 08:39

Nice piped water in back. Plenty of places for tents. Nice spot to walk out a bit and watch the sunset. -- However, during my April 01 hike when I got there, belly full from Boy Scout Feed the Hiker Day it was infested with gnats. I was given a different name but can't pronounce it. Supposedly GA's rendition of the BLACK FLY!!! I had hoped for a little afternoon siesta but was almost driven insane with the buzzy and biting. Left my sticker in the journal and RAN away. -- I stayed there during Nov with my family and it was very pleasant. Hammock Hanger

**chris** · 09-30-2002, 08:51

The water source is much closer than the 800 yards that the Companion lists. Maybe 200.

**Jumpstart** · 09-30-2002, 13:19

What I rememebr about Tray mountain was an incredible sunset, and an amazing amount of wind that funnels directly into the shelter, 4 of us hung our tents over the shelter opening to keep the wind at bay most of the night....

**bjackw** · 03-17-2003, 12:45

Q: How many thru-hikers can you put into a shelter?
A: How many you got?

I spent Saturday night at the Tray Mountain Shelter with 11 others (all thru-hikers) packed in like sardines. Amazingly, there was very little mouse activity. (I imagine all the bodily noises created by the mass a people scared the rodents away.) BTW, Sunday morning dawned with a stunning sunrise. Very good water source too.

**Youngblood** · 06-22-2003, 11:16

http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/sh...papass=&sort=1

**Chip** · 05-14-2004, 21:09

We stayed in our tent. This shelter was dirty compared to other shelters in GA. Mice poop everywhere.

**Tha Wookie** · 05-14-2004, 23:33

It gets very cold on a cold night. It's wet on a humid night. There's wild boars that make it a regular stop. There'a a constant amount of trash in the firepit. Great sunrises. It's my favorite area on the trail.

**Lilred** · 05-15-2004, 10:50

Originally Posted by Tha Wookie

It gets very cold on a cold night. It's wet on a humid night. There's wild boars that make it a regular stop. There'a a constant amount of trash in the firepit. Great sunrises. It's my favorite area on the trail.

Stayed there on a very cold Nov. night. The wind came up over that mountain and straight into the shelter. Gorgeous views in that area.

**Rain Man** · 05-15-2004, 12:37

Originally Posted by Lilredmg

Stayed there on a very cold Nov. night. The wind came up over that mountain and straight into the shelter. Gorgeous views in that area.

ALSO..... great views of the lights of towns in north Georgia at night.

This shelter isn't far from one of the forest service roads, so it's easy for locals and city folk to frequent the shelter and area.

**Tha Wookie** · 05-17-2004, 21:46

This shelter isn't far from one of the forest service roads, so it's easy for locals and city folk to frequent the shelter and area.[/QUOTE]
Have you seen the locals in that area? From my experience, it seems most of them never leave that road. I think the uphill to the peak keeps most locals away from the shelter area. But I guess I'm a semi-local (60 miles), and I go up there all the time. I always see this guy in his jeep with the same woman. Then again, he always sees some crazy hippie-looking redhead dude. Locals are alright... it's the boars we should be wary of.

**windwalker** · 07-29-2004, 18:06

Nice shelter. It can get very dirty at times. Mice have been quests every time I have been there. Awesome views if you camp near rocky area. Saw 2 bears on the way up. Wow! No boars though.

**English Stu** · 04-30-2005, 16:21

I was there in late October last year southbound to Springer ,there was heavy rain all afternoon and it got dark earlier than I thought and I was wary of missing the shelter sign and having to tent in the rain.Very relieved to see the Shelter and got even wetter going for the water .The rain was so hard it was reaching half way into the shelter so had to sleep parallel to the opening which I am not keen on as you cannot see out as much and the register mentioned bears-I was alone -I thought surely its too wet even for the bears.The Georgia lights looked great ,next morning was dry and there are super views.

**jackiebolen** · 05-01-2005, 17:06

I had my worst night on the AT at this shelter...just picture me and 2 other girls with a bunch of redneck, pot-smoking, drinking, snoring 40 year old men. Mix in that with a 50 or so boyscouts and that equals a bad, bad time. My advice is to avoid on weekends.

**Brushy Sage** · 05-01-2005, 18:24

Four or five "local" people were there, along with their dogs. They had put plastic sheets over the front of the shelter to keep the wind from blowing in so hard. I believe they might have welcomed me, but I elected to hike on.

**walkin' wally** · 05-01-2005, 19:13

So what is up with these boars? I was wondering what threat they present, if any? Will they take a run at someone? I haven't read that much here at Whiteblaze except that they are destructive.

**Happypappy** · 05-01-2005, 20:40

Originally Posted by walkin' wally

So what is up with these boars? I was wondering what threat they present, if any? Will they take a run at someone? I haven't read that much here at Whiteblaze except that they are destructive.

Wild boars can be VERY dangerous at times, and yes, they have been known to charge at people. They grow tusks (large canines) that rub on each other and stay quite sharp. Fortunately, here in Pa. they are found only on large fenced in hunting preserves.

**Footslogger** · 05-01-2005, 22:51

My favorite story regarding Tray Mountain shelter is from my wife's (BadAss Turtle) 2001 AT hike. I was hiking along with her from Springer to Franklin that year. We got into the Tray Mtn Shelter area about 4 in the afternoon and joined about a dozen or so other thru hikers ...among whom was a hiker named Texas Jack. After pitching our tents and having a little dinner I headed off for water and stumbled into a rather sizable pile of bear dung. I asked around if anyone had heard of or seen any bears in the area and Texas Jack came over to personally inspect the dung heap. After carefully studying the pile of waste, he proclaimed that the bear who had left that deposit was a 300 pounder. I stood there in amazement ...totally shocked that anyone could pinpoint the size/weight of a bear based on the excrement.

No realy point to this story ...but it gave everyone at Tray Mtn Shelter that night good cause for laughter and I have never forgotten it.

'Slogger
AT 2003

**fiddlehead** · 05-01-2005, 23:32

A few thoughts on this shelter:

1/ i have fond memories here because i met 2 great friends who i hiked many miles with one night when i got in after dark after some folks at Blue Mt Shelter ( i think that's the name of the next one south) told me i'd never make it to Tray that night. (i love a challenge like that)
2/ the weather is more bad than good. Of the 5 or 6 times i've hiked that part of the AT, i've had more bad weather experiences than good. but that doesn't mean they were bad experiences (see #1)
3/ Slept in my homeade tent (the wedge ) in front of the shelter in '95 and had a horrendous storm that night. (i got wet and had to make a few changes in the design the next day)
4/ Played the "Dead's" version of "Dark Hollow" there for a bunch of locals one time and one of them later told me it was his favorite song.
5/ It's all downhill in the mornin!

**RockyTrail** · 05-02-2005, 09:23

Originally Posted by fiddlehead

A few thoughts on this shelter:

5/ It's all downhill in the mornin!

...Kelly Knob

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Tray Mountain Shelter

nice place,

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Stomping grounds

locals

bad times

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