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  1. #1
    Addicted Hiker and Donating Member Hammock Hanger's Avatar
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    Default 501 & Eckville Shelter, PA

    Both of these shelters are privately owned and operated by the local Mt Eagle Climbing Club. They welcome the hikers and offer extras not normally found at shelters. Solar showers, sodas, pizza delivery at 501 and a frig stocked with drinks and ice cream at Eckville. The caretakers live on site and are very friendly. HH
    Hammock Hanger -- Life is my journey and I'm surely not rushing to the "summit"...:D

    http://www.gcast.com/u/hammockhanger/main

  2. #2
    Registered User whcobbs's Avatar
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    Default

    I stayed overnight at the 501 shelter during bitter cold weather early in Jan 2003 on my way to the PA Ruck. This is a fully enclosed 4-wall shelter adapted from a pottery barn, with wooden bunks and a central dining table. The caretaker, George Schollenberger (?sp) was very accomodating. You can get water from an all-weather outside foundation tap on his house next door. His Dalmatian dog, chained in a doghouse outside, responds top proper etiquette.
    Walt

  3. #3

    Default Eckville Shelter

    In 2002 I had a great stay at the Eckville shelter. It was pretty much a full house and we had a great time there. The caretaker has a great collection of Blues CD's and kept us all entertained.

    I meant to stay at the 501 shelter but somehow and unfortunately I missed the turnoff and by the time I realised it It was too far to go back so I camped out.
    Downunda

  4. #4
    Donating Member/AT Class of 2003 - The WET year
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    Default 501 and Eckville

    Passed through the 501 shelter this year in the early AM but didn't stay there. The resident caretaker retired this year and there was a new guy standing in for him. He was a pretty nice guy but pointed out to me that the hikers had been bugging him about the use of his phone to order pizza the night before. Turns out that the phone is his personal unit and the reception is poor in that area. He had loaned it to some hikers in the past weeks and due to connections having been lost and several redials having taken place that his phone bill was high. If you want pizza you either need your own phone or be willing to hitch into town.

    I did stay at Eckville. It was a nasty night. Raining cats and dogs. Eckville is really no more than an oversized tool shed on some private property that has been equipped with bunks for hikers. It is set up to sleep about 6 - 8 people comfortable. We had 17 hikers and one dog inside that night. One dude even hung his hammock from the rafters to make more space. The ownver of the land and adjacent house is pretty cool. He stocks a refigerator on the porch of his house with an assortment of sodas, candy bars, cookies and ice cream. He posts the prices for each and there's a can inside the fridge for the money but it's an honor system.
    The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.

  5. #5
    Registered User wilconow's Avatar
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    09-17-2003
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    Default thanks!

    i like to thank everyone for the info on the 501 shelter. im planning a backpacking trip up there for the AT photo project.

  6. #6
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    Default 501 Shelter

    I stayed here on 4/23/04. Please be aware that the new caretaker will not stock any snacks nor will he allow use of the telephone. You are on your own now. However, the menu for the Italian restaurant is at the shelter and if someone has a cell phone, you can order what you want. They will bring your order out to the highway (150 yards) and you must meet them out there.

    This shelter is one of the nicest, so far, on the AT. It is a very roomy building with a big center table, a number of bunks, and big skylight in the ceiling. There is a cold or solar shower and a clean and regularly serviced porta-can outside. Water is from a convienient fawcet by the shower.

    Just John
    Duncannon to Great Barrington
    4/20 - 5/19/04

  7. #7
    Registered User wilconow's Avatar
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    Default

    well i stayed here memorial day weekend. surprisingly enough, myself and one other section hiker were the only ones sleeping there (i had 2 friends tent).

    not much more to add, it's a great, roomy place.. dart board, magazines (national geographic, popular science)

    there was no solar shower, just a hose with a shower curtain. i didnt take one but was told it's very cold. if it was more hot and humid im sure it wouldve been great.

    ordered pizza, which of course was nice to be able to do.. but i must say, it wasnt one of the best pizzas ive ever had

    the caretaker stops by a lot to make sure everything is cool.

  8. #8

    Default

    Took our church's youth along the AT here. We had planned to stay at the 501 Shelter, but decided (since we were on such a short trip) to stay at the Applebee Campsite instead. Very different than what I expected -- all indoors, with plywood bunks and a red-and-white-tableclothed picnic table inside!

  9. #9
    Registered User Toolshed's Avatar
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    06-13-2003
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    Default

    I stayed at Eckville in November 02 while Southbound section hiking. I was the only one there, but lazee the owner treated me very kindly. It is a nice place and I appreciate his hospitality!!
    .....Someday, like many others who joined WB in the early years, I may dry up and dissapear....

  10. #10

    Default

    The 2 shelters/hostels mentioned here are a blessing in a part of the AT where camping is not allowed. most of the land that the AT is on there is Pa State Game Lands and they do not allow camping. so, Eagles nest shelter, and Wm. Penn are well off the trail on land that the ATC was allowed to buy. Lazee is a 2 time thru-hiker (AT 91 and 96 i believe) but doesn't take crap from those staying there. He's seen a lot over the years and is tired of the yellow blazers getting dropped off there at night and the cigerrette butts. He's found hikers in his house, going through his Cd's, watching his TV, using his phone. Please don't ruin this place with lack of respect. He has gone out of his way countless times to: search for missing hikers, taking hikers to the nearest hi-way (4 miles over hawk mt.), sheltering cold hikers, etc. etc.
    The snacks are there because he puts them there, no one tells him or asks him to. (He's been robbed of the money in there more than once.)
    Please respect these 2 places so they don't go the way of Manchester Center, VT church, or the Hot Springs hostel on the hill, or .........so many places that used to be free but have since closed up from lack of respect.

  11. #11
    Registered User
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    Pine Grove,PA
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    Default Hostel & Shuttle service....

    Hey all,
    We are a fairly new hostel & shuttle service very close to the 501 shelter. I wanted to post cause I have recieved alot of calls about the shuttle but people think we are near the Pine Grove Furnace S.P., which we are NOT......I have no problem doing a shuttle to there but it will be quite costly. My rates are reasonable, been doing alot of slackpacking for the hikers to Port Clinton,PA. Looking forward meeting alot of new faces this season. Be safe and give us a call ..We want to make your A.T. experience a wonderful one. 570-345-1119.

    Maybabie(Amy) & Fritz the Cat (fritz)


  12. #12

    Default

    when I got to the 501 I was pretty down and miserable, we had already gotten over a foot of rain and people were saying it was going to rain for the rest of the week. I had only done a 15 mile day but it was a day of fording floods with my pack over my head which was fun for awhile but when I got to the shelter I just wanted to sleep. So I was pretty antisocial that night which I regret because it sounded like popole where having a great time. A lot of people were lazy and had 0'ed so it was a full house. I got a top bunk but could barely pull myself up to it and looked like a fool coming down.

    The pizza theb trail angels brought really cheered me up, and I was able to get to port clinton the next day on a pretty could pace for me

    Thanks^

  13. #13
    Registered User joel137's Avatar
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    Default

    There currently is no snack refridgerator at Eckville.

  14. #14
    Geezer
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    11-22-2003
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    Default 501 shelter caretaker

    Is there a contact phone number for the caretaker at the 501 shelter? I'll be driving through the area, but not sure if he'll allow me to park my car and "hike" 150 yards to the shelter for a stay.
    Frosty

  15. #15
    Registered User
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    11-20-2002
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    Default

    Only open May-Sept.

  16. #16

    Default This is old info, not all valid anymore...

    Quote Originally Posted by Hammock Hanger View Post
    Both of these shelters are privately owned and operated by the local Mt Eagle Climbing Club. They welcome the hikers and offer extras not normally found at shelters. Solar showers, sodas, pizza delivery at 501 and a frig stocked with drinks and ice cream at Eckville. The caretakers live on site and are very friendly. HH
    When I stayed at Eckville, the fridge had been permanently removed due to theft of contents and/or money. Too, I don't recall any chow at the 501 shelter, but there may have been some available.

  17. #17
    Registered User
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by minnesotasmith View Post
    When I stayed at Eckville, the fridge had been permanently removed due to theft of contents and/or money. Too, I don't recall any chow at the 501 shelter, but there may have been some available.
    Typical these days with the hiking crowd. The Blueberry Patch hostel used to have cokes in a fridge and you would pay on honor. Nobody was paying. Same for white gas. A can was available to fill your bottle, pay by the once or donation. No money.

  18. #18
    Registered User Toolshed's Avatar
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    06-13-2003
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    Default

    Hi Frosty,
    I beleive Lazee (previous Thruhiker and a nice guy) is still the caretaker, but IIRC the property is owned by the Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club - Here is their contact info. They might give you permission or put you in contact with Lazee.
    .....Someday, like many others who joined WB in the early years, I may dry up and dissapear....

  19. #19
    Registered User
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    02-05-2006
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    Pennsylvania
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    Default

    I was at the blueberry patch in march and they were still doing the honor system for sodas and fuel, i guess thats a long time ago as well.

  20. #20
    Registered User Bravo's Avatar
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    08-30-2006
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    Default

    That's too bad about Eckville and that fridge. I must have paid about a buck or more for every ice cream sandwich I ate. They were worth every penny until I started walking up that next hill SOBO. LOL. 501 is cool until it rains. Man talk about a screaming tin can.

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