[at-l] Warning to winter Smoky hikers

[Tim.Hewitt@fairchildsemi.com (Tim Hewitt)]

"Ron G" <solemates@prodigy.net> wrote:
>
> Warning to others:
> The Smokys are hardly the place to go without filtering water. It was my
> experience that at most of the cages er .. shelters had places for horse
> riders to tie their animals away from the shelter and the water source. It
> was also my observation that these were not used and horses were tied
> directly to the fence in front of the shelter. Sometimes the water source
> was just down the hill from where the horses would be doing their
> business.
[clip]

I'll go that one, one better.

In 1999 I arrived at one shelter only to find a horse standing in the spring
drinking, and of course when they drink, they pee. The owner was standing 30
feet away talking to another horseman about the difficultly of getting the
horse down to the water at this particular shelter, and that others were
much more appealing for watering their horses.  The second horseman agreed.
I moved on and did not get water at this shelter. I was horrified. I was
also greatly outnumbered and so did not voice my opinion. I did report them
to the ranger station by Mt Mamas, however the ranger there only shrugged.
He of course knew who they were since they were required to have
reservations for every place they stayed...

-Paddler
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Webmaster, Appalachian Trail Stories
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