This Appalachian Shelter blog was originally going to be quite different It was going to be the first and would feature the famous Overmountain Shelter.
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| The old Barn |
Well, Jerry Cabin Shelter ended up being first (mainly because I decided to do it at the same time as the AT Section TN-NC #13). Since I planned to do a blog on the Roans AT Section I completed in July 2019 I was going to do one on Overmoutain at the same time. However, the direction of this blog changed two months after I stayed here. Overmountain was closed last September as it was declared structurally unsafe. So, this blog will be about two shelters in the boundaries of Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club (TEHCC) that have been closed in the last decade. First Overmountain, which as of now, still stands and Apple House which has been removed.
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| Overmountain (L) & Apple house (R) |
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| Apple House stretched off from 2013 & Overmountain in 2020 |
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| Location of the Shelters. |
Anyway, first up is the Overmountain Shelter. Once called Yellow Mountain Barn it is located off the AT about 0.3 miles from Yellow Mountain Gap. What makes Overmountain Shelter unique is that it's a converted barn, making it one of the largest "pure" shelters on the Appalachian Trail (AT). However, it started life as an ordinary barn for a homestead in the 1970s. When the US Forest Service bought the land they removed the house but kept the barn. Then with grants from the LL Bean and help from TEHCC. and Appalachian Trail Conservancy the USFS converted the barn into an AT Shelter in 1983. As its fame grew in the late 1980s, the barn would be used as a movie set for the film the Winter People, unfortunately, the scene didn't make the final cut.of the film.
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| Overmountain Shelter |
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| The barn with the Roan Highlands towering above. |
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| Yellow Mountain Gap... |
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| Story of the shelter. |
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| Overmountain in the 1980s *Photo From TEHCC) |
With the conversion, it will sleep 20 in the old hayloft. It has a door that opens upstairs to help with the airflow. I slept downstairs on the side which can be used for cooking, but it's even better for sleeping. It is more open so it is cooler in summer and always has a spectacular vista.
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| The old barn... |
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| ...inside & the ladder... |
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| ...to the sleeping loft... |
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| ...the other end &... |
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| ...the open loft door... |
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| ...with it open from the outside. |
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| Some of the signage at the shelter. |
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| Overmountain mileage. |
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| Words to live by. |
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| The lower loft where you can cook... |
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| ...where I slept... |
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| ...one more look. |
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| View from the lower loft. |
Water for this site is as you come in. There is an upper piped spring, but it does go dry. The lower water is far more reliable. Also, from what I have researched that there use to be a spigot behind the barn (but I have not seen any evidence for this).
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| Water in good times... |
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| ...but it can dry up. |
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| The area of reliable water. |
You will notice before you get to the old barn is one of the best fire rings you will find, because it has an incredible view into Roaring Creek. As of now, this is the area where you can camp as you have to set up 40 feet from the barn. But as the pictures show it is an awesome place to camp!
This shelter had a unique feature for a TEHCC Shelter as it had a privy. I mention this because since Overmountain has been decommissioned the privy might be too. Plus, it is on the other side of the barn and you're now supposed to keep your distance.
The next site is on this same AT Section and was Apple House Shelter. This is what is now called a Ghost Shelter. This is one that has been removed or abandoned like Apple House. The original shelter was first built in 1952 as a building for explosives for the old Iron Mine and to hold tools for a nearby apple orchard (hence the name). It was rebuilt in 1984, to serve as a shelter, by the TEHCC. It was a small building, sleeping six and like most of the TEHCC Shelters, it had no bear cables or privy (except for the shovel). However, it's location, just half-mile from US-19E, would be its Achilles heel.
The crossing at busy US-19E is one of the most notorious for vandalism and been so close to the road made this a hangout spot for local partiers. I even heard a story that someone was living in it in the mid-2000. All of this led to the USFS and the TEHCC to close and remove the shelter in 2012. This means I never got to visit the shelter, but I did get to pass the tent site that was built in its place.
The fate of the Overmountain Shelter is still uncertain. I have heard different scenarios. One it will be refurbished and some just want to tare it down and start over. I hope it is refurbished but if not I hope they incorporate something from the old shelter in a new one, like using the wood from the barn, keep the signage and or put a plaque in a new one about the bar. Hopefully, it doesn't become just a footnote like other Ghost Shelters, like Apple House.
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| Firepits & vista... |
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| ...it is a wonderful view... |
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| ...& the firepit too. |
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| Even with the shelter closed it is still a great camping area |
This shelter had a unique feature for a TEHCC Shelter as it had a privy. I mention this because since Overmountain has been decommissioned the privy might be too. Plus, it is on the other side of the barn and you're now supposed to keep your distance.
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| The sign... |
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| ...to this privy... |
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| ...I call it the TEHCC Unicorn... |
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| It is behind the barn, so is it still open? |
The next site is on this same AT Section and was Apple House Shelter. This is what is now called a Ghost Shelter. This is one that has been removed or abandoned like Apple House. The original shelter was first built in 1952 as a building for explosives for the old Iron Mine and to hold tools for a nearby apple orchard (hence the name). It was rebuilt in 1984, to serve as a shelter, by the TEHCC. It was a small building, sleeping six and like most of the TEHCC Shelters, it had no bear cables or privy (except for the shovel). However, it's location, just half-mile from US-19E, would be its Achilles heel.
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| Old Apple House Shelter |
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| Apple House Shelter in better days (Photo From WhiteBlaze.net) |
The crossing at busy US-19E is one of the most notorious for vandalism and been so close to the road made this a hangout spot for local partiers. I even heard a story that someone was living in it in the mid-2000. All of this led to the USFS and the TEHCC to close and remove the shelter in 2012. This means I never got to visit the shelter, but I did get to pass the tent site that was built in its place.
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| The junction... |
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| ...for the Apple House Tent site (& former location of the shelter). |
The fate of the Overmountain Shelter is still uncertain. I have heard different scenarios. One it will be refurbished and some just want to tare it down and start over. I hope it is refurbished but if not I hope they incorporate something from the old shelter in a new one, like using the wood from the barn, keep the signage and or put a plaque in a new one about the bar. Hopefully, it doesn't become just a footnote like other Ghost Shelters, like Apple House.
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