Shelter stories mishaps and what not

[phishpapond]

I met Teabag (fully clothed) on the trail a couple of years ago. Boy, was he chatty. He's put a lot of miles on that 80-year-old body. True to his Brit roots, he was in the habit of stopping for afternoon tea, that's how he got his trail name.

Yeah That sounds like him. He was great company. I like to listen to poeple talk. I am a poeple watcher.
Do you happen to remember his first name

[bigmac_in]

yeah yeah yeah and I can pee further than you.

Oh, Look! Some hammocking threads! Let's go post in them about how we don't hammock and that they suck, because they'll obviously care.

Let me explain. It is called humor. Get it? Maybe I should have added one of these - . Better?

Now back to the stories. I'm enjoying them. Some of them are funny also.

[Nest]

Do you happen to remember his first name

Tea?

[SouthMark]

One warm Thanksgiving night at Mollies Ridge Shelter in Smokies, sleeping bag unzipped at foot, sleeping on lower end bunk, skunk crawled in bag, sniffed around, then left. Apparently my feet overwhelmed him.

[Rambler]

Double Springs Shelter GSMNP. A hiker full of himself talks loudly till midnight, about an hour past him saying, "I guess you would all like me to shut up". The other couple kept him going with occasional responses. Finally, I doze off, only to be awakened around 2AM. The guy is snoring loudly. He kept me awake when he was awake, then, he keeps me awake when he is asleep. I had to get out of there. He had also wrapped the chain around the chain link fence that enclosed the shelter. I took great pleasure in rattling that chain as loud as I could, hoping those three would hear it. Of course, as I was setting up my tarp, it started to rain. I was counting on waking up around dawn before they awoke, so I could make some more noise, but we all sort of woke up together. I high-tailed it out of there without even saying good morning.
Best night ever in a shelter was when one guy was setting up his tent nearby. "Hey, we got plenty of room in here," I said. "No," he answered, "I snore. Do not want to keep you guys awake."

[TrippinBTM]

There were five little baby mice in the ball.

Well I do not like mice or rats so i raise my hiking boot high off the ground to rid the world of the little rodents, when almost everybody in the shelter let out a big gasp at the same time. I turned to look and said WHAT!!!. I swear six people said at the same time don't kill them.... I think to myself to bad so sad, and start lowering my foot. When all of a sudden off to my left i hear a little squeak. I look over on the rock wall and there sets the momma mouse on her hind legs begging for her babys lives. So being the killer i am, i picked one of the little fellows up and held it in front of her saying if you want it, get it out of here. Much to my supprise she took it out of my fingers and went outside someplace, she then came back for another until she had gotten them all.

When it was over I had gone from a zero to a hero

dude, that's awesome. Remember, the mice are wildlife too.

But I agree sometimes it gets out of hand, the PETA people. At the Jim and Molly Denton Shelter in PA, there was a wasp just starting to build a nest under the eaves. I, just to be polite, asked if anyone mided if I kill it and destroy the (thus far still tiny) nest, so later on there's no problem. Preventative measuers... I wasn't personally bothered by it, but was looking out for future hikers.

I couldn't believe it when everyone said I should leave it! In a month it's going to be a swarming ball of wasps, and people won't be able to use the shelter. Or may not want to. Someone with allergies could be in trouble. But I left it alone.

Rambler, I had a night like that once; only, it was that when I got to the shelter at maybe 5 pm, the guy was already in his sleeping bag (mind you, this was summertime, long days and all). Felt I had to tiptoe around all evening and whisper, though in general I was kinda irritated by that so I was less quiet than I could have been. Then, the guy snored to wake the dead all night. People were leaving the shelter to set up their tents in the middle of the night, it was so bad.

I suffered thru it, and it seems I later learned to sleep like a rock. One time I slept through a really bad thunderstorm that was just getting going as I was drifting off. Well, I guess I just fell asleep in a lull in the storm, thinking it was over. I woke up refreshed and happy the next morning, and everyone was talking about this huge thunderstorm all night. I was like, what thunderstorm? They couldn't believe it.

[garlic08]

Does a hut story count? I walked into Lakes of the Clouds hut at 9 am, hoping to score some leftover breakfast goodies, maybe a pancake or two. They gave me a huge serving bowl full of green scrambled eggs! It was a raid from another hut's croo, put food coloring in the eggs and nobody noticed it until they were cooked and served. The 90 or so guests weren't hungry enough to eat green eggs. I think I ate the equivalent of two dozen eggs in one sitting, buttery, salty, still warm, and delicious.

[mbanja]

I was in a comfortably full shelter in the GSMNP last year with the infamous Col. Chaco, several thrus, and a pair named Rocko and Beaker. I think Beaker got off later but Rocko finished.. Anyway. There were two Korean guys (one named gas mask) and one of these guys started snoring so loud I worried that the shelter might come off the foundation and the rafters would come down on my head. First round of hard sawing and everybody let out a couple chuckles and "oh, boy"s. Second round either Rocko or Beaker voiced her discontent politely. I think his buddy nudged him because it stopped for a whopping 30 seconds. Third round she hollered out and achieved a whole minute of silence.

All the while, I'm just lying up above them enjoying the show. Finally-she can't take it anymore. I still don't know if it was Rocko or Beaker, but she goes over to this guy cussing a storm. On the floor right next to the guys head she unleashes a drum roll with her boots in her hand while hurling expletives. I wouldn't doubt that the guy crapped himself and jumped out of the bag at the same time. Unfortunately, he had limited English abilities, so I'm not sure he really understood what the heck was going on. The entire shelter erupted in laughter. Couple seconds later, he's right back at it. And it was good for a second round of laughter. She gave up.

[Montana Mac]

They gave me a huge serving bowl full of green scrambled eggs! It was a raid from another hut's croo, put food coloring in the eggs and nobweren't hungry enough to eat green eggs.

Are you sure it wasn't Saint Paddy's Day

[earlyriser26]

I don't stay in shelters any more and here are two reasons. 1) In the shelter I woke up to see a skunk looking at me about a foot away. Fortunately, he just walked away. 2) In the Smokies when they had wire bunks one guy got so mad at the guy snoring above him pushes him with his feet from below so hard he almost feel out of the bunk. Boy was it hard to pretend to sleep after that.

[MOWGLI]

I was in a comfortably full shelter in the GSMNP last year with the infamous Col. Chaco, several thrus, and a pair named Rocko and Beaker. I think Beaker got off later but Rocko finished.. Anyway. There were two Korean guys (one named gas mask) and one of these guys started snoring so loud I worried that the shelter might come off the foundation and the rafters would come down on my head. First round of hard sawing and everybody let out a couple chuckles and "oh, boy"s. Second round either Rocko or Beaker voiced her discontent politely. I think his buddy nudged him because it stopped for a whopping 30 seconds. Third round she hollered out and achieved a whole minute of silence.

All the while, I'm just lying up above them enjoying the show. Finally-she can't take it anymore. I still don't know if it was Rocko or Beaker, but she goes over to this guy cussing a storm. On the floor right next to the guys head she unleashes a drum roll with her boots in her hand while hurling expletives. I wouldn't doubt that the guy crapped himself and jumped out of the bag at the same time. Unfortunately, he had limited English abilities, so I'm not sure he really understood what the heck was going on. The entire shelter erupted in laughter. Couple seconds later, he's right back at it. And it was good for a second round of laughter. She gave up.

Childish behavior. Trying to control the involuntary behavior of another hiker. A non-English speaker, no less. As described - that was an assault. This is one reason I have almost zero interest to hangout with selfish thru-hikers. They are a minority, but one that tarnishes the bunch at times.

[Lone Wolf]

Childish behavior.This is one reason I have almost zero interest to hangout with selfish thru-hikers. They are a minority

hmmm. not so sure about that

[ofthearth]

hmmm. not so sure about that

good call

[sheepdog]

Childish behavior. Trying to control the involuntary behavior of another hiker. A non-English speaker, no less. As described - that was an assault. This is one reason I have almost zero interest to hangout with selfish thru-hikers. They are a minority, but one that tarnishes the bunch at times.

I was in a shelter just south of Erwin. Written on the wall was a thru's complaint that section hikers would not get out of the shelter and give it to them on a rainy night.

[Lone Wolf]

I was in a shelter just south of Erwin. Written on the wall was a thru's complaint that section hikers would not get out of the shelter and give it to them on a rainy night.

typical elitist attitude of thru-hikers

[cravj1988]

I was at a shelter in PA when about 15 school kids came rolling in. The chaperone wanted to know what I was going to cook for dinner and when I told him Hamburger Helper Microwavable Singles, he said "you have a microwave?" No kidding...

[Tinker]

I was in a shelter just south of Erwin. Written on the wall was a thru's complaint that section hikers would not get out of the shelter and give it to them on a rainy night.

Another good reason to bring, and use, your own shelter. Visit with the folks in the shelter and cook there, maybe, but give yourself the option to leave if you don't like what's going on there.

I snore. I won't subject others to it.

[Rain Man]

Childish behavior. Trying to control the involuntary behavior of another hiker. A non-English speaker, no less. As described - that was an assault. This is one reason I have almost zero interest to hangout with selfish thru-hikers. They are a minority, but one that tarnishes the bunch at times.

Yep, childish ... and hypocritical. Might as well dash soapy water on a smelly thru-hiker who you don't think bathes enough and is stinking up the shelter.

RainMan

.

[phishpapond]

typical elitist attitude of thru-hikers

Holy crap you said something I completely agree with!!

[mtnkngxt]

Thomas Knob shelter 06. Storm rolled through, and this girl assuming she was a thru, screamed every time a bolt of lightning would strike. It took me 45 minutes to eat my dinner because I couldn't stop laughing. Around 7 we headed back down to our tent spots, and could still hear her screaming for another 2 hours as the storm front pushed through. It was one of the funniest days of my life.