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  1. #1
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    Default Mollies Ridge shelter

    Ok, our last stop on our hike thru the Smokies was at Mollies Ridge Shelter. We went from Spence to Mollies which is a easy and amazing hike. A couple of climbs but nothing major. the shelter is very pleasant and lies in an open area(grassy) with some trees. There is a fire ring and with some longs around it. There is no privy. The water source was like a waterfall the day we got there but the next morning the flow was significantly less. Still a good source for sure. The shelter's eating area was on the side of the structure not in front like alot of the others. We got there around 2:30 pm and chilled out but by 9 pm it was a full house. Also a team of trail maintainers had shown up that number about 10. They tented outside the shelter but one of them had to come in the shelter due to his tent leaking from all the rain that hit us that evening. His gear was soaked including his basketball shorts which he simply could not keep up his ass. I'm pointing this out because it was quite disgusting. he was having problems hanging his pack up in the shelter and he decided to hang it right in front of myself, wife and daughter. One big ass 5 feet away. LOL. Well there is a shelter story for you to tell your friends and chuckle about. The bunks seemed a little shorter in length than some of the other shelters but it was not big deal. this concludes my shelter reviews on this trip. I hope the info is helpful to other hikers in their planning.

  2. #2
    GSMNP 900 Miler
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by slow moe View Post
    The shelter's eating area was on the side of the structure not in front like alot of the others.
    I think Mollies was one of the first shelters to be renovated (like 10+ years ago) from the old chain-link fence front.
    XXXhttp://www.mysmokymountainvacation.c...s-shelter1.jpgXXX

    [What a coincidence... the 1st image of a chain-link fence shelter I find happens to be of Mollies before the renovation]
    So, for comparison, here's a random Mollies Ridge shelter image I found on Google.
    https://hikinginthesmokies.files.wor...ay-16-2012.jpg

    [Edit]
    Wait a minute... despite its name, I don't think that 1st image is of Mollies Ridge. When I specifically search for Mollies Ridge and find older images with the chainlink still in place, I find images like this...
    http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3147/2...82ba2c42_z.jpg
    ...where the gate is in the middle (and the rock pattern is the same as the renovated shelter).
    Last edited by HooKooDooKu; 08-01-2013 at 12:23.

  3. #3

    Default

    I know the chainlink fence was there in 2006 as far as beyond that date I don't recall, by 2007 and beyond it was just another rat hole to me

  4. #4
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    Default

    the second pic is what it looks like now. How can you call it a rathole, that fine living space in there!!!!

  5. #5
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    Default

    Mollies was the second shelter renovated, right after Davenport. It was renovated in 2000. Mollies and Derrick(3rd) are the only shelters with the eating area to the side. All the shelters renovated after Derrick have the eating area extended to the front of the shelter.
    ----------------
    SMHC Trail Maintainer
    Volunteer in the Park (VIP) GSMNP

  6. #6

    Default

    Hey OX, are all the Smoky's shelter going to eventually have privies?

  7. #7

    Default

    @ OX- " It was renovated in 2000. Mollies and Derrick(3rd) are the only shelters with the eating area to the side."

    Derrick Knob Shelter. (Photo borrowed from the web)

    http://hikinginthesmokies.files.word...ne-23-2011.jpg

  8. #8
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    Sly, The plan is to upgrade the existing privies, but not add privies at any of the shelters that dont currently have one.
    ----------------
    SMHC Trail Maintainer
    Volunteer in the Park (VIP) GSMNP

  9. #9

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ox97GaMe:1510414
    Mollies was the second shelter renovated, right after Davenport. It was renovated in 2000. Mollies and Derrick(3rd) are the only shelters with the eating area to the side. All the shelters renovated after Derrick have the eating area extended to the front of the shelter.
    Davenport was renovated? It still has a chain link fence.

  10. #10
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    yes, davenport shelter was renovated. They didnt remove the chain link, but did do the following:
    a) replaced the roof
    b) raised and put windows in the front
    c) extended the awning in front of the shelter
    d) added outside cooking area/bench
    ----------------
    SMHC Trail Maintainer
    Volunteer in the Park (VIP) GSMNP

  11. #11

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    Why did they leave the fence? I didnt stop there, but figured it was not updated since I had heard the fence was still there.

    Removing fence worked for rest of the shelters and occupants.

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ox97GaMe View Post
    Mollies was the second shelter renovated, right after Davenport. It was renovated in 2000.
    Icewater Springs was second, in 1999.

    Interestingly, the chain link fence was airlifted to Icewater to be installed like at Davenport Gap. The decision to not install it was made after the delivery.

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Why did they leave the fence? I didnt stop there, but figured it was not updated since I had heard the fence was still there.
    They did not "leave" the fence. The original fence was removed and a new fence was installed. The decision to go "fenceless" was made the year following the Davenport Gap renovation.

  14. #14

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    I stopped at Davenport shelter this spring. Of the shelters on the AT in GSMNP Davenport appeared the worst. It was filthy and run down. About 1 mile north was really nice camping just outside the park along a stream.

  15. #15
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    Default

    I stopped by Davenport Shelter about 5am to have a blow out late May this year. There was someone staying in the shelter so I didn't shine my head lamp in there to check it out but from what I did see, it wasn't any where near as nice as all the other shelters on GSMNP AT trail. I was hiking early to get up the mountain before the sun came out. I don't understand why they didn't take the fence off since it's one of the easiest shelters to gain access in the GSMNP.

  16. #16
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    Default

    If I recall, the decision to remove the fences was made partially to try and prevent idiot hikers from feeding the bears through the fence. The added benefit is that the mouse problem in the shelters has somewhat lessened now that we are all putting our food on the bear bag cables.

  17. #17
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    Default

    the ranger explained to me that the fences were took down because they had caught several people feeding bears from inside the shelter. A reverse zoo.

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