Re: [at-l] Huts, two three four

[rambleon@email.unc.edu (Jeremy Reiter)]

Felix wrote:
> i know this has all been recussed before, but let's go again.
>  
> How do the Huts in the Whites work? First come first served? How much 
> dinero? Can the Huts be easily avoided? Should they be avoided? Tent 
> sites costs...? Tell me more...

The Huts have be cussed, and recussed, and.... can you hear me in the back? Is this
thing on? But seriously folks....

The Huts are pretty expensive accomodations if you pay to stay like Joe Sixpack.
They run upwards of 50 bones a night (this includes meals). You might need to make
reservations if you are planning to pay to stay, or if you are planning to stay in
The Dungeon at Lakes of the Clouds. Reservations can be called in from the Huts as
you travel, or from Gorham if directionally-challenged hikers like Felix want to
plan that far ahead. The Huts also have a work-for-stay deal that they offer
thru-hikers. Usually this is limited to two thru-hikers on a first-come,
first-served basis. The work-for-stay usually involves around 2 hours of work...
usually the morning after your stay. The best job you can get is moving the
incredibly large, HEAVY, stinky waste drums from the bathroom :-) Some of the
tent-sites have work-for-stay as well, but it's not as good a deal as doing it at a
Hut. Work-for-stay is a very nice service that the AMC provides for thru-hikers, and
i would try to take advantage of it at least once during your trek through the
Whites. You get to see what the Huts are like, eat some good chow, and talk to the
cool croo folks who are working the Huts. 

If you do want to avoid the Huts, it can be done. You can't camp above treeline
(unless you happen to get like a foot of snow, which is possible even in August),
but there are tent-sites and some lean-to's throughout the Whites. Be careful
though, because some of the sites are off sidetrails that go STRAIGHT down (1000'
over less than a mile type drops). The Perch and the tent sites at Mt. Madison are
two steep ones that come to mind. You might be cussing yourself on the way down, and
then recussing yourself in the morning if you pick a steep one. If you don't have a
free-standing tent, make sure you have some rope you can use to stake your tent down
on the tent platforms. The tent-sites usually cost from 5 to 10 bucks. As for ease
of avoiding the Huts, i only "officially" stayed at two Huts last year during my
thru-hike. I "unofficially" stayed at Mt. Madison (it was closed for the season and
the caretaker let us tent there instead of doing the nasty descent to the
tent-sites) and at Lakes of the Clouds (closed for the season... had to stay in the
Dungeon when the 80 mph winds and snow were causing whiteouts). The two that i
stayed at were Zealand Hut (work for stay) and Mizpah (paid for a tent site). 

Oh yeah... for those that don't know, the Dungeon is the "basement" at Lakes of the
Clouds. It is dark, dank, damp, and small. There are 3 bunkbeads in it and it is
also used as the emergency shelter when the Hut closes. You can stay there for
pretty cheap. 

Cool huts you might want to think about: Carter Pond (incredible setting... located
north of Pinkham Notch), Lakes of the Clouds (although it might be a madhouse...
located about a mile south of Mt. Washington), and Lonesome Lake (lakeside with a
great view of Franconia Ridge...last Hut you hit going southbound, i believe).

HTH! HAND!

Walk with light,
-Rambleon-

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