John Robb Leanto (Catskills)

My wife's friend told her the other day that John Robb leanto on Hunter Mountain burned down. Not sure if it was an accident or not. According to her DEC isn't planning on replacing it as it's too high.

Just curious if anyone heard anything about this. I always liked John Robb, much better than the Devil's Acre leanto on the other side of the mountain. It's a real shame because of the nice view near the leanto.

I heard somebody torched the outhouse at Devil's Acre but that's about it. I haven't heard about the Robb leanto...

Bummer if that is true.

Jay

Boy, I hope it's not true. This is one of my favorite leantos in the Catskills. The current thread on why winter backpack had me thinking about the first winter trip I took with my son a couple years ago to John Robb leanto.

Can anyone confirm the status of the leanto?

Jay H said:

I heard somebody torched the outhouse at Devil's Acre

Click to expand...

that outhouse was useless anyway - the porkys chewed the seat out and the bottom off and it has been useless for years - i think we need a steel outhouse there (aluminum is no good, they chew that too).

Not to my knowledge -- i received an inquiry came from someone who wanted to adopt the shelter. Also, if it does burn, usually it's just the roof or floor. People who use lean-tos in the Catskills include hunters, hikers and, especially beer keg parties. When I hiked Balsam Mtn one winter, I saw three hikers who brought in a case of Coors for a two night outing.

Moose

I can call DEC tomorrow and see what, if anything, they know about this. Region 3 HQ is right here in New Paltz, so it's a local call for me. Hopefully it's not true.

Matt

Ken, I've also heard that outhouse is like built right over a stream too.

I've never stayed at Devil's Acre and never used the outhouse, I've only hiked past it...

Perhaps when we get Steel outhouses in the catskills, we'll get Porkys who will develop a love of steel!

Jay

According to this trail report the lean-to is burned down.
http://www.vftt.org/trail/ny/3645.html

It`s true & It sucks.

trying to add pic

Well, it does suck, but at least they are planning to replace it. If I recall correctly, wasn't the leanto overrun by porcupines? As in not only chewed up, but also full of feces?

True Keb - but it sure sucked getting there and seeing it. Depressing is probably the right word.

Wow, thanks for the picture evidence Dean! Certainly looks like rubble, unless it was an explosive porcupine. ka-boom!

Hope the DEC can get to that quickly next year or sooner..

Jay

Thanks for the reports and pic. It really sucks. Glad there will be a replacement. The shelter wasn't overrun with porcupines in the winter.

It should be a fairly easy place to build a replacement, since the access trail is basically a jeep road.

This is a picture of John Robb Lean-To in May, 2004. It will be missed.

Jay H said:

Perhaps when we get Steel outhouses in the catskills, we'll get Porkys who will develop a love of steel! Jay

Click to expand...

i think if you put salt on steel they will eat it (or screw up thire teeth trying).

I spent a few interesting nights in that lean-to. I once skied there from Hunter and spent the night in -30 degree windchill huddled in the corner brewing tea fighting off the spindrift. I was gear testing and only had a 20 degree bag. I was trying to supplement the bag with insulated clothes. It was brutal!!! I was there when the hunter fell into Stoney Clove and died. An ATV from search and rescue cruised by at midnight looking for him. I got interviewed the next day by the State Police. I figure that he was dying as I was eating dinner - something I think of often. It kind of spooks me.
I agree that it is in an easy spot to access and rebuild. Hopefully soon.

Exploding porkies? Why not, I've heard of exploding snakes and crows. But on a more serious note, could this be related to the supposed missing canister on SW,(Vly's was gone also).Trail nazi's?

Leanto

The porcupines in the Catskills- especially the Hunter Mt area- have been very destructive in the past. But the Rangers had begun a "progrom" against them (like 7 years ago) and their numbers are way down (they reproduce at a very slow rate- one kit a year, twins rare and most wild animals only reproduce in the good years, when food is plentiful, etc.) I have several memories of nights spent in porcupine territory- always an "interesting" experience.

The Devils Acre Leanto's out house was never built over a stream (this is actually non-conforming to the Catskills Master Plan and no construction done in the Catskills Forest Preserve is done without the DEC's involvement)- but it was built on a flat area that floods easily in the spring and after heavy rains. That leanto is built on a very wet bench as any one can see- there is a wet meadow right next to the leanto clearing.

It is too bad about the John Robb leanto- But iI would put good money on it that the DEC will not be in a hurry to replace it.

Anyone intersted in becoming a vlounteer maintainer in the Catskills Forest Preserve should contact the NYNY Trail Conference. They train and organize the maintainers. I am a maintainer and I enjoy the work very much.

I second Woodstrider's recommendation on maintaining a trail.

I maintain the Curtis Ormsbee trail from the junction of the Phoenicia East to the first viewpoint. However, I typically do the whole trail, it's not that long. I was working on it on Friday (yesterday) and had fun. Not much work to do other than clearing one branch that was close to falling over the trail and pruning back a few branches here and there.

There is a huge tree across the Burrough's Range trail intersection with the PE trail. I took my Gerber saw and sawed off all the smaller 4" diameter branchs back so at least hikers could pass through the blowdown and not go around it. Needs a nice chainsaw or Pete Hickey's axe for that one. I am going to report that to the 3500 group...

Jay