Bald Mountain Shelter

[generoll]

Could have been. It was sure windy and wet getting there. Big Bald was beautiful and windy.

[Tennessee Viking]

Sent Diamond Doug a note on it. He is the maintainer for that section. Let me know if you seen anything north of Spivey Gap for my club's section.

[generoll]

Couple of blow downs. Nothing major. I had my Gerber saw with me and cleared the one I couldn't get past. Just yards north of a stream if I recall. Probably could have done a better job of clearing it, but I was tired and wet and not feeling too ambitious.

[DiamondDoug]

I heard some of the bear cables have been torn/pulled apart/yanked out. We (Carolina Mountain Club) will be going up there sometime this month to scout out a new privy location (the old one was getting full - maybe that's why someone tipped it over?) and to check out the cables. If anyone has any details that would help us know what tools to take. Thanks, -<>-Doug

[generoll]

as of Dec 5 or so the bear cables were functional, although as I recall one had been damaged and needed repairing. I think some cable clamps would do the trick, I can't recall if it will require climbing or not.

[QuietZombie]

i was just up there this past weekend and one of the bear cables was busted and there was another that was on it's way to being busted. looked like the crimps on the cables might not have been secured well enough. great shelter other than that. oh, and the privy was in pretty rough shape, i assume from high winds. it was noted in the shelter log from new years eve that it was in rough shape that night too.

[fredmugs]

I plan on staying there on Friday the 13th! I'm guessing that if the low is going to be around 20 in Erwin I'm going to freeze my butt off up in the shelter right?

[Berserker]

From what I read on this thread it appears that this shelter has a decent/reliable water source, a privy (that may or may not be tipped over) and bear cables. Can someone confirm all this? Also, how is the tenting near the shelter?

[DiamondDoug]

From what I read on this thread it appears that this shelter has a decent/reliable water source, a privy (that may or may not be tipped over) and bear cables. Can someone confirm all this? Also, how is the tenting near the shelter?

The spring is good; never known it to go dry. Don't stop at the seep that you come to first on the short path from the shelter but go another 20-30 feet or so to the pipe.

I understand the privy has been stood back up. It is going to be moved to a new location at some point this year. It does get windy up on the ridge. Two of the four bear cables are operable. Please don't use them for swings, which is apparently what happened to the other two.

There is some tenting space available in the vicinity of the shelter. There is also another tenting area about a half mile further north on the trail, with a spring down a side trail. If you are a boy scout troop, there is more flat room for tents at the camping area than at the shelter.

I should be up there in the next week or two for spring maintenance.

[DiamondDoug]

Was at Bald Mtn. shelter today. Spring is good. Privy is standing but getting full. Two bear cables are fully functional and a third partially. It looks like some one used them for swings. The shelter register is full and needs to be replaced; I did not takeone with me as the one I left last year was removed two weeks later. Maybe the person who replaced mine last year will be back again soon?

Other than than, spring walk trhough from Big Bald to Little Bald was conducted and the trail looks good. Waterbars cleaned out, a few blowdowns sawed off and rocks forming pools below the springs refurbished. Both are flowing strong. Happy hiking.

[YoungMoose]

I loved the shelter. the views there were nice. i did a 2 week trip and I stayed there for 2 nights

[Gray Blazer]

The Hermit of Little Bald told me he maintains the log. He'll prolly be there this Sat.

[CrumbSnatcher]

To any experienced AT sectioner...

My son and I are planning a June 04 hike from Roan Bald to Mt. Rogers. We are planning to be dropped off at Cloudland, and spend the day just getting used to boots/packs/altitude, etc., then spending the first night at Roan Bald shelter.

Question: Is it acceptable practice to spend a "prep" night at a shelter, even though we haven't done any real milage to that point? (Thanks in advance for your answers.) - hillbilly

first come, first served.

[Gray Blazer]

first come, first served.

That post was from three years ago. I guess that's why he thanked you in advance.

[fredmugs]

I am going to try and remember to bring a notebook for the shelter.

Diamond Doug: Thanks for all your trail work. I don't think you guys ever get thanked enough.

[CrumbSnatcher]

That post was from three years ago. I guess that's why he thanked you in advance.

i hope he didn't wait around for three years for a response? my bad i should look at the dates. S*** Happens

[fredmugs]

I placed the register in the shelter on the 13th and woke up to what became 36 hours of non-stop rain. I was the only one in the shelter so I used my tarp to block the wind and setup my tent inside. Bear cables and water and working just fine.

[Kerosene]

Nice piped spring was flowing well on 10/24/09. Easy to fit 10 on the dual-level sleeping platforms. We had a lot of wind towards evening accompanied by sputtering rain, but nothing directly into the shelter.

[Chaco Taco]

A really nice camp spot .4 past the shelter. Great views in the fall through the trees.

[DiamondDoug]

Did my spring walk through two days ago. Big Bald and it's northern shoulder were virtually free of snow, but as soon as you started to descend (northbound) into the woods towards the shelter the snow got thick. 12-18 inches in some places. Locating the trail was difficult, as the myriad of hiker tracks could attest. I did my best to stomp where the trail goes and placed sticks over the wrong tracks in the snow.

Walked all the way to Little Bald and back, beautiful sunny day. Need another week or two like that to melt all the snow. Rat went down from Little Bald to Spivey Gap and reported 24 inch drifts on the trail near the top. Tough hiking through there. The calendar may say spring but it's still winter at 5,000 feet.