Whitley Gap Shelter

[Former Admin]

Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Whitley 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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[Hammock Hanger]

I have hiked the GA section of trail numerous times over the years and never went the 1.2 miles to the shelter. I hear it has a nice view but I don't hike 2.4 round trip off the trail for a shelter. I would rather do the AT miles and find some trees. ***** of a climb up there when you are tired and full after Neels Gap. Hammock Hanger

[Singletrack]

Its a long way down to this Shelter (1.2 Mi.) Downhill all the way. Uphill back up. Alot of groups and Boyscout troops use this shelter, but will probably be empty during the Spring hiking season. Water source is good, with usually a good flow through a PVC pipe, another good ways from the shelter. Shelter is similar to Tray Mt. Bears frequent this shelter, so bring your camera, you might have one come into the shelter, like a couple did a few years ago. This place is pretty, and quiet.

[bretb]

Last year we were there in January. There was a large pile of Bear scat just outside of the shelter itself. We didn't see any bears while we were there however. The water source is a bit of a way from the shelter so if you are tired and arrive late as we did be prepared to hike a bit more to the water.

Bret

[SGT Rock]

In the summer of 2001 I didn't see a single bear in two weeks. A couple of guys on the trail with me had a tent failure, so they decided to do the 1.2 miles there, then back again the next day. I ran into them at Walasi-Yi and they said they saw a bear and got a picture. It was the only confirmed bear sighting of that trip.

Maybe there is a local bear.

[Happy]

I went to the Whitley Gap shelter on a dayhike in December 02,
and was reading the register. On December 12th, a couple from Florida had a bear come to the shelter 3 times during the night trying to get their foodbag.

I heard that in December 01, that numerous bear dens where confirmed in the valley between Hogpen Gap and Cowrock mountain so that is probably why you have so many bear visits at this shelter.

[Youngblood]

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

[FatMan]

Was at the shelter today and someone left trash everywhere. I took what I could in my day pack and placed the rest in the fire ring. If anyone is nearby in the next few days you might want to help and carry some of it out.

This happened this week. I was there last Saturday and it was very clean.

[Happy]

FatMan, you are right, they do a great job of keeping that location clean...to Hell with the campers who dare to do this to an AT location. I guess it is too far off the trail to monitor frequently. One great thing is it is probably the best location in GA to spot a bear!!!

[MtnTopThinker]

I took my yearly New Years hike this year from Unicoi Gap to Neels Gap (I thank Curt "Corsican" for the shuttle). It was a beautiful hike, but after walking the fourteen miles to Hogpen gap and with both foul weather and darkness closing in, I decided to hike down to the shelter for the night rather than trying to sleep out in the storm.

The shelter is in good shape (if you discount the graffitti). There is a new moldering privy. The water source is excellent and its not really too far away from the shelter. No bears. No mice. No other people. It would have been a quiet night except for the frontal system that roared through.

The hike out the next morning though quickly burned up the breakfast I had eaten!

[general]

the crest of wildcat mountain, before you get to the shelter on the shelter trail, is one of the most beautiful spots in GA. large rock and nice view. it is close to the road and can be crowded in the summer on weekends. i have heard of a small bear hanging out in the shelter on several occasions. from what i understand however, it scats pretty quickly when confronted. nice camping near the shelter as well, but not as nice as the top of wildcat.

[Hikes in Rain]

Back in August 2000, when I spent the night there, the shelter register mentioned a bear, not at all afraid of humans. Great, I thought, just saw my first bear in Georgia the day before, just hiked in from Woods Hole in a drought so severe the only water source running was at Walasi-Yi so I added a couple of gallons to my load there (oof!), and still it's raining 24-7 so I'm soaked to the skin?? Oh, and the spring here is flowing nicely, so I didn't need all that water after all. Now a bear? And I'm alone in the shelter, with heavy fog rolling in.

A memorable night. Let's just say advil and brandy can occasionally be a good combination.

[Phreak]

Spent last night at the shelter. There were 3 guys camping at the top of the mountain but we had the shelter to ourselves. Very cozy and comfy camp site.

Bear cables are little too close to the shelter for my liking but we had no issues with any bears in the night.

[Doughnut]

10/12/07 My son and I hiked in to spend the night,
there are EXCELLANT tent sites about 75 yards in front of the shelter, the spring was DRY, and we saw no bears or mice. Actually the shelter is very clean and someone left about a half gallon of water (trail angle).
It was cold and windy, and beautiful fall weather.

Overall a great short hike, and a wonderful introduction to hiking for my son!!

[El Toro '94]

I remember doing my first 0 day here in '94. Came out of Walasa Yi in a light drizzle, then the wind picked up and it started to rain. Tent blew out when I tried to camp, so I slogged it down to the shelter and what is for me, the worst memory I have of my thru-hike. Stayed a full day trying to dry out with temps in the forties and a north wind howling. Wearing mostly cotton like a dumb@#$. Then had to walk back up that hill. Wet, cold, fat and out of shape, it was miserable. The locals can have this place, I have no intention of revisiting, and I would advise thruhikers to avoid it, unless they are real masochists. Nothing really wrong with the shelter itself, just the pointless 2.5 mile grind to get there and back to the Trail. Sure seemed a helluva lot farther than 1.2 miles. Should have just sucked it up and gone on to Low gap, it wasn't that much farther. Got to say that was the only 3 days that stood out as a negative in 7 months of hiking. That and the fact my boot soles started delaminating about the time I crossed the GA state line.

[thelowend]

SPent the night there two nights ago. Had a lone bat visitor once it was dark but otherwise, I was alone. Shelter is in great shape and honestly, I didn't mind the extra 2.4 because I only hiked from the Bryce Reese memorial so I was only going about 15 miles total anyways. Everything was in good shape, except the privy was surrounded with what looked like unused handiwipes?.. Usually I am one to pick up any trash I see if I have a way to carry it with me but I wasn't about to get down and dirty with some potentially used wiping material. The water source is not to far down the hill behind the shelter and was flowing fast which was nice because three of the water sources on the way there, sucked.. one was stagnant and the others were bone dry.

[B.B.]

Just got back from hiking from Springer to Deep Gap, NC last week-- My first section of the AT. Stayed at Whitley Gap on 7 13-2010. Long day from Wood's Hole shelter. Poured down rain on us from Tesnatee Gap. Blue Blaze trail to shelter is pretty long (over a mile) and mostly pretty steep heading down to shelter. Probably awesome views from on top of the mountain before heading down, but with clouds, rain and lightning we traveled pretty fast through that part as it looked like a place you didn't want to be in a thunderstorm. Shelter was in good shape. Loved the remote location. No trash when we were there and mice weren't particularly bad here. Water was pretty convenient and there was plenty of it. Overall one of the better shelters we stayed at--probably second favorite, with Plumorchard being the best.

[Pedaling Fool]

I wonder how much traffic this shelter sees.

Anyone ever look at the register to see gaps in dates to get a feel of # of visits per month or whatever?

[B.B.]

Think someone had been there a couple of days before we were. Don't think it has people every day.

[scope]

Our for a dayhike and visited this shelter and area. Small 6-person shelter (based on pack pegs, might could get 8 in there) in decent shape. Area around it appears to be well-used but was in good shape, not trashed.

As others have mentioned, there are large campsites for a distance out in front of the shelter, and I noticed that from those sites is a trail leading further out that appears to be somewhat frequently used. I followed in for about a quarter mile and turned around when I saw no obvious destination. Anybody know of this trail and where is goes? Seems to go in the general direction of the Raven Cliffs area and wonder if in fact it does go there.

Also, I'd like to make a point about the 1.2m trail getting there. First of all the first half mile of the trail is an easy UP to the top of Wildcat Mt - so its not "all downhill" to the shelter as has been suggested - and a beautiful part of trail at that, some of the best that Ga has to offer. There are several cleared tent sites in this first half mile, though almost no really level ones. The trees being stunted and close together, it would be hard to hammock as well, although doable I'm sure. The rest of the .7m down to the shelter is just mostly pleasant downhill trail. I'd say if one spent the night there, you would have about .3m of huffing in the a.m. with a mild uphill grade the rest of the way to the top of a mountain with a great view - not a bad way to start the day - and then you have about 14m (Nobo) of some of the easiest AT in Ga after that.

So, IMO, I think hikers should give this shelter more consideration than it appears to be getting.