[at-l] History of the Huts (was About White Lies)

Lee I Joe wrote:
>I would like to begin by saying I've never stayed in a hut, that said, I
>think everyone needs to stop and look at the HISTORY of the huts.

folks,
Here's a little bit of hut history. As Lee indicated the huts are
patterned after the European hut system but each one comes with it's
own history. This stuff is taken from Reifsnyder's "High Huts of the
White Mountains" (1979). As you might expect there are different
reasons for the establishment of each of the huts. In the early days
this was usually in reaction to a specific tragedy or problem.

(IMO, the most important function they serve is as a base for search
and rescue operations during the mild weather months. Of course, there
might not be as many search & rescues if the huts weren't there to
encourage ill prepared hikers into the hills.)

Madison Spring - built on private land in 1888 (before the
establishment of the National Forest) as a base camp for scientific
studies of the alpine ecology and as a stay-over point for those
ascending Washington from Randolph, NH. A hut called the Summit House
was already established at the top of Washington.

Lakes of the Clouds - In June, 1900, two famous hikers, Ormsbee &
Curtis both died in a rain, sleet & wind storm on Washington that
lasted for 60 hours. Curtis died near Lake of the Clouds, Ormsbee
within a few hundred yards of the summit. The next year a 10 x 10 '
temporary wooden shelter was constructed in response to the tragedy. It
received so much use that it was decided to build a permanent building
in 1915. It's located for those trying to reach the summit of
Washington from Crawford Notch. (It's about 1 mile from the summit).

Carter Notch - built in 1904 as an open shelter, then in 1914 a stone
hut was added nearby. The reasons for building it seem to be lost, but
the area was probably of interest to scientists & artists. In the early
days both purposes were part of the 5 original goals of the AMC:
Natural History, Topography, Art, Exploration and Improvements. (I take
Improvements to be trail building, hut construction, guide books ...).
Guy Waterman believed that this spot was a favorite camping site for
club members.

Pinkham Notch - Located on a gravel track road when opened in 1920,
near two favorite areas - Crystal Cascade & Glen Ellis Falls. It was
established as a campsite, and to coordinate activities for the first 3
huts. It rapidly gained a reputation for hospitality & service by
helping road travelers making their way over Pinkham Notch in bad
weather. The road was permanently opened in 1927.

Greenleaf Hut - built in 1929 with money left to the AMC by Col. C.H.
Greenleaf. By this time Mt. Lafayette had been without a summit hotel
or shelter for about 60 years, the last one having burned in the late
1860's. In those days it was a custom to ride a horse to the top of
Lafayette, spend the night and then return the next day by the Bridal
Path (a spur trail off the AT).

Lonesome Lake - Added to the AMC hut system in 1929 at the request of
the state of NH. The original cabins were private fishing camps built
around 1876. In 1963 the State of NH tore down the old buildings and
built the present 3 buildings. (More Improvements, I guess.)

Galehead Hut - opened in 1932, then destroyed by the Hurricane of 1938,
and rebuilt. It's located on a bump of Garfield Ridge, at the head of
the Pemigewasett Valley in an area that was once completely clearcut by
logging companies. This hut and Zealand were built in order to link the
western huts with those in the Presidentials. The motivating factor was
the recently completed trailwork that unified the trails through the
Whites.

Zealand Hut - opened in 1932. This area was also logged heavily and the
site of an historic fire the length of Zealand Valley in 1903. The
sterilized soil, and stripped slopes of Whitewall Mt, triggered
landslides so the present day AT is about a hundred feet above the old
valley floor.

Mizpah Spring - opened in 1965. Reduces the gap between Lakes and
Zealand.

Lee I Joe wrote:
>The huts predate ecological concerns so all the tripe about minimalize
impact/concentrate impact, etc. >just won't wash, that's not why they
were built. Nort were they put there because of safety concerns as
>another suggested, people simply didn't concern themselves with safety
at that time the way we do >today, weather was a day to day part of
there lives ina a way that we no longer quite appreciate.
>

(me again)
There are different reasons for all of the huts. Some were
opportunities presented to the AMC, others deliberately developed to
create a coherent chain along a well established, unified trail system.
Others were for very specific purposes - good campsites, safety, to
facilitate studies, etc.

Arthur D. Gaudet         	"Is walking down called hiking, too?"

(RockDancer)  	                 -heard at the top of Mt Washington, NH


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