7 days in the White Mts. Need help planning.

[rafe]

burger - I'm not wealthy, but I still play in the Whites. A lot. Not gonna defend AMC or the hut $$ but I'm starting to think that, as far as the Whites are concerned, the peakbaggers and dayhikers have the right idea. Spend some time in the Whites and you know that the huts are mostly avoidable -- except for thru-hikers or anyone else constrained to the white blazes.

Thru hikers have to deal with AMC, but self-sufficient hikers (not concerned with making AT-miles) do not.

You say: "Public lands should be for everyone." OK, I agree. I don't see where pricey huts violate that. Just don't use 'em. It's not like they occupy vast quantities of real estate - a house-sized lot every ten, twelve miles or so.

[magneto]

Two full meals, a bunk, a bathroom, running water and shelter for the night in the Mountains for ~$100 is a pretty good deal. That is about what it costs for a chain hotel on the highway.

I both love and hate the huts for various reasons, but the price is not one of then.

As rafe says, if you don't like them, don't use them. There is plenty of camping out there, including sleeping under the stars - if wx permits.


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[burger]

Rafe, you have a point. Anyway, I don't want to highjack the OP's thread anymore.

Suffice to say the Whites are an awesome place to hike regardless of where you stay.

[Coffee]

Two full meals, a bunk, a bathroom, running water and shelter for the night in the Mountains for ~$100 is a pretty good deal. That is about what it costs for a chain hotel on the highway.

That sounds a lot like a hostel that would cost $20-35 in most places. How is that a good deal? I'm actually curious.. Have never been to the Whites.

[magneto]

The Huts are ok. The food and people are good. They are not located on roads - they are in wilderness locations and supplied by helicopter and by packing things in. All trash is packed out in 60 lb packs.

The huts are not at all like hiker hostels.

There are usually lots of mice, noisy kids and other distractions, but they provide a useful service in an otherwise unforgiving environment.

Also they are open all day for anyone to rest, get water, use the bathrooms - they even sell some snacks and left over food.

They are a good deal - but not without some problems.


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[Coffee]

So they sound more like the High Sierra camps in Yosemite or a Phantom Ranch in Grand Canyon.... Pricing makes more sense in that context.

[rafe]

Rafe, you have a point. Anyway, I don't want to highjack the OP's thread anymore.

Suffice to say the Whites are an awesome place to hike regardless of where you stay.

No worries, I don't see it as hijacking the OP's thread. There's useful info in all this banter.

[magneto]

Yes - and they serve as a contact point for emergency services. They are all linked by radio. There are people that can render rudimentary first aid and coordinate a medevac or other rescue, if needed.

They also provide emergency shelter from the elements, which can turn on you in an instant.

The huts were created because of a famous accident where two AMC members froze to death in a late-June ice storm en route to a meeting on Mt Washington in 1900 (William Curtis and Allan Ormsbee).

Curtis and Ormsbee died near where Lakes of the Clouds is currently located.


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[rafe]

Coffee -- Google Images has plenty of pictures of "AMC Huts." Magneto gives a fine summary. Day hikers can stroll in, hang out, take shelter, buy a little to eat or drink, maybe even leftovers from supper or breakfast. They're fairly spartan inside, but comfortable. They all have kitchens and a staff of young, smart, very fit and usually friendly folks tending the place.

Zealand Hut has shelves of books, including hiker registers going back... decades. (Living indoors, they're safe and will last a long time.) The place has a most amazing view, as do many of the huts.

Guyot and the Perch are both off the AT and downhill several hundred feet. Not ideal from a thru-hiker's point of view but that's just the nature of the territory. Not like that never happens anywhere else on the AT.

[Slo-go'en]

The AT in NH is the only segment of the trail which I have not thru-hiked, mostly due to the need to work around the huts. The rest of the AT I've done multiple times. Of course, I've been to all the major summits along the way and have done some chunks of the AT through NH, but I've never connected all the dots.

One of these years (while I can still walk), I'll have to break down and do the hut to hut thing with the rest of the tourists. Sure it's a pile of money, but still cheaper then many 10 day vacations one could go on. Doing the hardest parts of NH effectively as a supported slack pack is worth the money. Is not having to carry a full pack and getting dinner and breakfast served to you every day worth about 100 bucks a night? Could be. Plus you get to spend the night above tree line in several places, places you'd not normally be allowed to camp.

[magneto]

They are beautiful, especially Lakes of the Clouds.


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[joshuasdad]

Going back to the OP, a straightforward itinerary would be from Franconia Notch to Pinkham Notch, basically the Franconia and Presidential Traverses. I have parked at AMC Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham for a couple weeks, and was instructed to park away (south) of the lodge. AMC shuttle to Franconia Notch, then take an easy/short day to Liberty Springs Tentsite. Then, the pay campsites are about 8-10 miles apart, Garfield Ridge, Guyot (free I think), Ethan Pond, Nauman Tentsite, Perch, then last day is 10 miles, mainly downhill, to car at Joe Dodge. Eat lunch at the huts (soup + snacks + lemonade) and Mt. Washington Summit House to stretch out your food supplies. You can save a few $ by stealthing away from the pay campsites on good weather days if you want.

[Downhill Trucker]

Thanks for all of the great info. I'll be piecing my itenerary together this week. Please keep any info coming in and I'll probably have some more questions this week.

Many thanks,
Downhill Trucker

[Gray Bear]

The AMC tent platforms are all $10 a night, Liberty Springs, Garfield, Guyot etc, the RMC sites on te Northern end of the Presidentials are $8. Huts are big $$$ for sure. I've never stayed in one but its a cool place for a quick break and top off water bottles. Food snakes area bit pricey.

[Gray Bear]

...the RMC huts are only $20 but they dont feed you. 15 miles in Shenandoah and 15 miles on the Presidential are a bit different. Its still very doable but the terrain is pretty rocky and some sections are pretty steep. 1000 of elevation a mile is not uncommon. Well worth the effort though. be careful they're addictive

[Wil]

The huts were created because of a famous accident where two AMC members froze to death in a late-June ice storm en route to a meeting on Mt Washington in 1900 (William Curtis and Allan Ormsbee).

The first AMC hut blighted the Whites in 1888.

[HighLiner]

I stayed at Lake On Clouds last July with 10 thru hikers. For 20 bucks I got to eat leftovers and sleep on dining room floor. Best money I have ever spent as it rained buckets that night. I will never forget the experience.

[gumball]

We just returned. I would do a trip report but I fell and broke a rib. Good thing we like NH, to return another day. Good luck, be safe. Gum

[Kingbee]

+1 on not overplanning. The weather can be tough even in July. Late last July I had ice on my rain jacket in the morning on top of Lafayette. Low that night at Galehead was 39.
But even though it can be exhausting, the rewards are worth it.
You go from downhill 1000 ft in 1/2 mile on Garfield in the rain...NH 018.jpg to South Twin in the sun next morning. NH 025.jpg

Have a blast!

[Downhill Trucker]

Alright folks... Starting to finalize trip plans with some bail out options as well. A few more questions...

Lunch at the huts (snacks and leftovers). Affordably priced and reliable? Cutting out a few lunches would really lighten our load.

Reliability of the AMC shuttles? We will be relying on them for transportation.