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  1. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by TNhiker View Post
    this was posted on FB today via the ATC...


    "Due to an increase in bear activity near Thomas Knob Shelter — including multiple instances of campers' food being taken by a bear — two new boxes have been installed for overnight storage of hiker food. While the shelter remains open for now, hikers are highly advised to camp elsewhere if possible and to make extra effort to hang their food properly in Southwest Virginia. The entire Appalachian Trail is home to black bears, and one hiker's improperly stored food can lead to negative wildlife encounters for the hikers who follow. For more information, visit "

    Wow they took my advice seriously and acted very quickly lol
    Trail Miles: 4,927.6
    AT Map 1: Complete 2013-2021
    Sheltowee Trace: Complete 2020-2023
    Pinhoti Trail: Complete 2023-2024
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  2. #22
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    I own a bear canister, but never used it. I'm planning to do Virginia this summer, and I seriously considering to use it for the first time, along with my bear spray. significant weight increase though.

  3. #23
    Registered User Sandy of PA's Avatar
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    Thomas Knob is very highly used by locals and distance hikers. I stayed there last June on a Sat night with over 100 of my new best friends! I carry a canister, so easy.

  4. #24
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    don't camp any where near those damn shelters and sleep with your food and you'll be fine

  5. #25
    •Completed A.T. Section Hike GA to ME 1996 thru 2003 •Donating Member Skyline's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lone Wolf View Post
    don't camp any where near those damn shelters and sleep with your food and you'll be fine
    I agree with the first part.

  6. #26
    Registered User tagg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lone Wolf View Post
    don't camp any where near those damn shelters and sleep with your food and you'll be fine
    That’s exactly what I did when I went through there, and you’re right...I was fine.
    -tagg

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by wolfywolfy View Post
    Listed on the ATC website "Problem Bear Activity - Mt. Rogers/Thomas Knob Shelter (05/10/2018) Problem bear activity has been reported at Thomas Knob Shelter in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in southwest Virginia, mile 498.5 from Springer Mountain, Georgia."

    In reddit found this "I did an overnight up there last night. Was camping north of the shelter near the water source at the crest trail. A guy from the ATC was going around the sites warning people about the problem bear so I made sure I had an extra good hang.

    About 1 in the morning I woke up to bear horns and people yelling "no bear, get on bear" a few campsites away. That seemed to scare it off but I did hear the horn again about an hour later. Needless to say I didn't sleep very much.
    Long time lurker here....just made an account to say that was my reddit post! But yeah....tons of people were camping near me with terrible hangs. I heard the ridge runner telling a guy close by he had a poor hang because it was literally 4 feet from his tent and 4 feet off the ground. The guy said he was used to problem bears since he does a lot of camping in the Smokies. Sigh.

  8. #28
    Wanna-be hiker trash
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    Quote Originally Posted by dankwizard22 View Post
    Long time lurker here....just made an account to say that was my reddit post! But yeah....tons of people were camping near me with terrible hangs. I heard the ridge runner telling a guy close by he had a poor hang because it was literally 4 feet from his tent and 4 feet off the ground. The guy said he was used to problem bears since he does a lot of camping in the Smokies. Sigh.
    One of the many reasons I stopped using bear hangs years ago. After trying several other methods I’ve been surprisingly happy with carrying a BV500.

    A87D203F-5B23-41FA-BFAD-F5FFEB79AEB9.jpeg
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  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sarcasm the elf View Post
    One of the many reasons I stopped using bear hangs years ago. After trying several other methods I’ve been surprisingly happy with carrying a BV500.

    A87D203F-5B23-41FA-BFAD-F5FFEB79AEB9.jpeg
    This really needs to be made into a wall calendar!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #30
    Registered User JPritch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KCNC View Post
    Sunday night he made off with 4 bags, all hung PCT-style. He climbed the tree and broke off the limb. (One of the 4 was my son.) Fortunately he was able to recover all of his kitchen gear, so he just had to hike 2 miles for breakfast after cleaning up the mess.
    That was my issue, I had it high enough and far out enough, and did a PCT style hang....but the branch itself looked weak as $hit and I just knew a determined bear could pounce on it a few times and knock the entire branch down. I was just lucky that night.

    ...but good to see bear boxes put in up there. Great solution, assuming people use them. That area has absolutely gorgeous camping/views, so I understand its popularity.
    It is what it is.

  11. #31

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    Hopefully the bear boxes don't become trash receptacles.

  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by martinb View Post
    Hopefully the bear boxes don't become trash receptacles.
    oh they will. count on that

  13. #33
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    oh they will. count on that


    yeah....

    thats pretty much a guarantee.........

  14. #34
    Registered User carouselambra's Avatar
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    I occasionally browse trail journals and saw a post related to this.

    http://www.trailjournals.com/journal/entry/590895
    Snippet:
    Scissors packed up and we headed for Thomas Knob Shelter. It was a smooth climb to the shelter. When we arrived Pumpkin Spice, Bandito, Chill, and Poncho were there. They mentioned that a bear was trying to break into the bear locker all night long. It even tipped over the locker and tried to dig under it. There was also the remains of a bear bag with empty food packages all over the ground. The owner just left the mess there without packing it out.

  15. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by martinb View Post
    Hopefully the bear boxes don't become trash receptacles.
    They become places where selfish lazy people leave things that they convince themselves "others will want"

  16. #36
    Wanna-be hiker trash
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    Quote Originally Posted by Heliotrope View Post
    This really needs to be made into a wall calendar!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I wish I could take credit for it, but I stole the photo from Jester. If he’d had taken a photo of all the terrible bear bags on his 2015 hike, he probably could have made a page-a-day calendar.

    http://nighthikingtomars.blogspot.co...ppy_3.html?m=1
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  17. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    They become places where selfish lazy people leave things that they convince themselves "others will want"
    "hmmm if I can get enough of these bar wrappers I can make a groundsheet."

  18. #38
    Registered User JPritch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    They become places where selfish lazy people leave things that they convince themselves "others will want"
    Like the used boots and empty liquor bottle in Thomas Knob shelter last year. Because hikers really need those.
    Quote Originally Posted by carouselambra View Post
    Scissors packed up and we headed for Thomas Knob Shelter. It was a smooth climb to the shelter. When we arrived Pumpkin Spice, Bandito, Chill, and Poncho were there. They mentioned that a bear was trying to break into the bear locker all night long. It even tipped over the locker and tried to dig under it. There was also the remains of a bear bag with empty food packages all over the ground. The owner just left the mess there without packing it out.
    Looks like it worked! It will at least spare the food of anybody using it, but I still think the bear has plenty of options up there with all the campsites for the next .5 mile N of Thomas Knob.
    It is what it is.

  19. #39
    Registered User wolfywolfy's Avatar
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    I plan to hike from fox creek to Damascus very soon and think I will just hike thru this area and camp elsewhere.

  20. #40
    Registered User JPritch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wolfywolfy View Post
    I plan to hike from fox creek to Damascus very soon and think I will just hike thru this area and camp elsewhere.
    Yes, but, that stretch up there is GORGEOUS and so are the campsites. It really is hard to pass up if you can snag a pad on top of that ridge.
    It is what it is.

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