[at-l] Boy Scout Shelter in Central VA

[hopefl@juno.com (Lamar Powell)]

Hello Shep, I'm Hopeful, a volunteer trail maintainer. Are you aware that
all of the AT, including its shelters, is maintained by volunteers? Just
recently, I took a week's vacation to go work with the Rocky Top Trail
Crew on the north end of Great Smokey Mountain National Park. I've been
doing this, taking vacation to help out, for 5 years now. Last year, I
got to help replace the old Gooch Gap shelter down in Georgia. We dug
about two miles of side hill in order to build new trail. The new trail
relocated the AT route to the shelter area. In addition to the shelter,
tent pads were dug into the mountain. I didn't get to see the final
figures, but I'd say well over 100 people volunteered one or more days of
their time. I can believe that many thousand man hours went into that
project. I put 4 days in my own self. Oh, the money for maintaining,
relocating and replacing old shelter is not government money. In addition
to my ATC and GATC membership dues, I donate a few bucks to the ATC each
year. I guess if you factor in the gas money, wear and tear on my old
truck, food money, etc, well, I might actually donate a fair sum.

I was just wondering, why don't you volunteer to take care of the Boy
Scout shelter? Heaven knows it needs a regular volunteer caretaker, and
that old privy, mercy!!! It needs to be replaced with one of those
composting jobs. Year before last, I helped carry over 600 pounds of
building materials in from the Clingman's Dome parking area, about 3
miles, to replace a stinky, nasty old pit privy with one of the new
moldering privies. Shucks, 600 pounds ain't nothing. Why, did you know
that to dig a 10 foot length of side hill trail across a slope that is at
about a 45 degree angle means you have to move around 3000 pounds of duff
and dirt, all by hand. Oh, and those water bars! Mercy sakes, most of
those are fun to cut and move. They're locus you know. Actually, they
weren't all that much fun to move. All those 20-something kids! They kept
saying, "Now Hopeful, you're getting old, we can move these, you don't
have to take a turn lifting." I don't care if I am 55, bald and gray, I
don't like it when those volunteer kids suggest that I'm 55, bald and
gray. No sir.

Well, it's just an idea, you volunteering, I mean.  Somebody needs to do
something about the Boy Scout Shelter. Don't you agree?  I mean, being
that you have already surveyed the situation, who better than you to
handle the job? Hopeful

 Fri, 25 Oct 2002 14:42:21 -0400 "Tim Woodworth" <hiker_00@hotmail.com>
writes:
>
> Dear ATC,
>
> I recently section hiked the Central VA portion of the trail and was
> looking
> forward to visiting several shelters.  As a life-long Boy Scout, the
> BS
> shelter seemed an interesting place to spend the night or at least
> stop by
> for a break.  My travels took me past the shelter about mid-morning
> and good
> thing that it did -- what a dump!
>
> So my question is, why?  This reflects badly on the Boy Scouts of
> America.
> It is in no way an example of how the BSA maintains its properties
> or lends
> it=92s name to anyone or thing.  Why does the Boy Scout organization
> and RACT
> ignore this shelter so badly?  Furthermore, was this really built in
> a
> location that there is never water or is this a drought related
> happening?
>
> Disappointingly,
>
> Tim Woodworth (Shep)
> Sectioning Southbound since 2000
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Surf the Web without missing calls! Get MSN Broadband.
> http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/freeactivation.asp
>
> _______________________________________________
> From the AT-L mailing list         est. 1995
> Need help?  http://www.at-l.org
> Archives: http://www.backcountry.net/arch/at/
> Change your options or unsubscribe:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l
>
> Stay on topic!
>
>
=0D
________________________________________________________________=0D
Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today=0D
Only $9.95 per month!=0D
Visit www.juno.com