View Full Version : No Hut Option?
Having only sectioned the AT in the middle and southern states, I am wondering if it is possible to thru-hike with no stays in huts or shelters in New England. Anyone?
Appalachian Tater
03-10-2008, 17:47
Of course it is, but there can be some really nasty weather in the Whites. When I stayed in Madison Spring hut, the storm was so bad it was almost impossible to sleep for much of the night. A lot of tents just wouldn't have stood up to that wind and driving rain. Certainly I would have been worried that silnylon wouldn't have stood up to the flying debris.
Feral Bill
03-10-2008, 17:57
Once upon a time you could camp above treeline in the Whites. No more. You might have a long hike down to and back up from a campsite. As Tater says, the weather can get hellish. I once was camped in a driving rain, got plenty wet in a good tent, and had to hike down in a trail turned to knee deep flood. Hut seemed a pretty good idea that trip.
Thanks for the replies. Would definitely use one if conditons dictated, just wanted to know if an attempt to thru hike, sleeping out every night, could even be tried.
It is really very simple to avoid the huts. There is only one stretch of trail over the Presidentials where you would need to plan ahead. By that I mean start your morning at a place that will allow you to comfortably reach a good destination to camp at the end of the day.
The details for that will become crystal clear well in advance.
You can also avoid staying at the AMC designated campsites. That said, a few of these are located in areas where finding a good flat spot to pitch a tent might require more effort than one wants to spend at the end of a long day.
Like many thru hikers, I never stayed at a hut on my thru. I have enjoyed them since, but I didn't much relish the company of others and washing dishes or such to earn my stay at the time. Pretty easy to figure out how a week in advance along the Trail by looking at a map and talking to others along the way.
There are shelters along the AT in the Whites, though in the high peaks, they're a long way down from the ridge. It's slim pickings. Between Rte. 93 and 302 (Crawford Notch) you can probably camp in the gap between Lafayette and Garfield. There are tent sites at Liberty Spring and at Garfield summit, and there's Ethan Pond shelter. Between 302 and 16 (Pinkham Notch) there's The Perch. Once you're north of Pinkham, camping opportunities improve dramatically. The tough spots are Franconia Ridge proper, and the Presidential ridge. The former can be done in a day easily, the latter not so much.
Appalachian Tater
03-10-2008, 18:32
The Whites are also a wonderful place and it would be a shame to rush through a section if it weren't necessary.
Blissful
03-10-2008, 19:56
There are tentsites in the Whites - mostly the pay sites unless one stealths or finds sites below the ridgeline. Doable. Have a great time!
I like the idea of camping down low, rising before dawn for the walk up the next mountain, and getting down most of the other side of the mountain before dark. Somehow I'm not sure the mountain would always work to my schedule. As for the weather, I'm guessing it would tend to side with the mountain.
I like the idea of camping down low, rising before dawn for the walk up the next mountain, and getting down most of the other side of the mountain before dark. Somehow I'm not sure the mountain would always work to my schedule. As for the weather, I'm guessing it would tend to side with the mountain.
Unfortunately, that's beyond the capability of most hikers, if you're talking about the Presidential range. You're talking 26 miles between Crawford Notch and Pinkham Notch, and they're some of the toughest miles you'll get anywhere on the AT.
I suppose if you were willing to drop 1000+ feet or so you could shelter at the Tuckermans Ravine huts instead of Lakes of The Crowds. There are a number of blue-blaze tributaries to the AT along that stretch, but in all cases, you'd have to walk a good distance, and drop a lot of vertical, before you found safe, camp-able ground.
Lone Wolf
03-10-2008, 20:46
Having only sectioned the AT in the middle and southern states, I am wondering if it is possible to thru-hike with no stays in huts or shelters in New England. Anyone?
yes. it's quite easy
yes. it's quite easy
Right, so long as rules and safety are deemed irrelevant. :rolleyes:
Lone Wolf
03-10-2008, 20:51
Right, so long as rules and safety are deemed irrelevant. :rolleyes:
whatever sniffer:rolleyes:
I dare say I've walked the Franconia Ridge more often than you, LW. :D
Darwin again
03-10-2008, 21:00
It's doable, but you've got to plan to allow nastiness of weather alter your plans. I stayed in the 12-person Garfield shelter for two nights and a day watching the remains of Katrina blow through. Wind gusts so strong they shook that big shelter. Coulda been out in that, but I couldn't think of a reason why.
Having only sectioned the AT in the middle and southern states, I am wondering if it is possible to thru-hike with no stays in huts or shelters in New England. Anyone?
With planning one can avoid the huts. The shelters are a bit more difficult. Several of the shelters in Maine have only minimal surrounding camping space.
The US Forest Service prohibits camping above treeline to protect the high elevation plants in the White Mountain National Forest -- often rare plants. But there are quite a few campsites below timberline for camping.
Your post is unclear. Are you just opposed to sleeping in shelters, or are you opposed to paying for the privilege. All the shelters in Maine north of Grafton Notch are free until you reach Katahdin. There are a few campsites in Baxter State Park without shelters, but most are not convenient for reaching Katahdin's summit.
And the park charges the same for camping as it does for using a shelter.
Weary
Lone Wolf
03-10-2008, 23:15
I dare say I've walked the Franconia Ridge more often than you, LW. :D
big friggin whoop!
Hmm. Perhaps I also misunderstood the OP's question or concern. The "huts" exist only in AMC territory, mainly in the heart of the White Mountains. Camping in New England is generally no big deal outside of the White Mountain National Forest. But within the WMNF, the rules are pretty strict -- and they are enforced. Even setting aside the rules (:eek:) camping is a just plain difficult due to the terrain (viz., steep, dense, rocky.) Camping is much easier on the blue-blaze trails down lower.
Basically, all this huts & rules craziness starts at Lonesome Lake Hut (on the nobo descent off Kinsman) and ends at Carter Hut, just north of Wildcat.
Well, first off, I don't see why you should want to avoid the huts..it is part of the AT experience and you can stay free with work for stays.. but that aside.. as to your question..
Yes it is possible but not easy. You will need to hike from zealand Pond camp site (tent platforms or shelter.. either way there is an 8 dollar fee) to Neuman Tent Site near Mizpah hut. There is caretaker here and you will be charged an eight dollar fee-- as oppsed to free at the hut if you did work for stay..but you don't want to stay at huts.
From Neuman tent site you will need to hike the the crawford Path mostly completely exposed and above tree line over or going close to the summit of pierce and Eisenhower, over the summit of Washington then to saddle and contouring around Clay, Jefferson and Adams over very rugged terrain, then over the summit of Madison and down to Pinkham..well actually a few miles short of Pinkham there is a tent site..and probably a caretaker again and this all in one day.
I think you can go to one of the Randolph Mtn club huts a good ways down the side of Madison, but I doubt that would make things any easier.
If you don't like huts, then you probably won't like Pinkham Notch Camp either since that is 60 bucks for bunk and food and shower.
You will have a couple marathon days, be dogged tired, miss out on some of the social atmosphere, not eat as well. But hey you'll have saved a couple hundred bucks on a once in a life time trip.
I will add even if you succedd in avoiding huts, almost every campsite has the 8 dollar caretaker fee. Stealth camping anywhere is illegal and stealth camping above tree line is not only illegal but also thoughtless and just plain stupid.
Keep in mind that 5000 feet elevation exposed in the White Mountains of New Hampshire is not the same thing as 5000 feet elevation in the southern Appalachians. We got serious mountains with serious weather. If you get caught in a storm, or an approaching storm in the Presis.. and you can have sub freezing temps and wind chills under 20 F even in mid summer--you will be damn happy that Lakes and Madison huts are there!!!!
I have said my piece. Take as you will.
DavidNH
I'd say that to go though the White Mountains following the AT, and not stay at a hut, or pay for a campsite/shelter requires planning and knowledge of the area. And many times, it would require going off the AT (and down) to find legal places to tent. I'm sure it could be done, and I'd like to try it sometime. I've done the huts, done the 4k's, so it would be a different challenge for me.
Thanks for the replies. Money not an issue. Prefer sleeping out is all. Part of what I enjoy most about being out there.
I discovered that several tentsites have been installed not too far down the Dry River Trail, which meets the AT near Lakes of the Clouds hut. You could stay there, then hike to the Perch next day (a fair distance off the AT, and down below treeline). Next day you should be able to regain the AT, hike over Madison and down to Pinkham Notch. Extra miles, but no crowds. A fee is charged for using the Perch.
Thanks for the replies. Money not an issue. Prefer sleeping out is all. Part of what I enjoy most about being out there.
Might be a whole bunch easier in a hammock. There just isn't a lot of flat ground, and what flat ground there is -- is above treeline and inherently unsafe (and verboten.) I'm not talking about all of New England here -- just the two famous high ridges in the Whites, Franconia and the Presidentials. You can find a blue-blaze tributary and start walking down it. Once you're below treeline, if you have a hammock, you should be all set. For a proper tent site, even a small one, you'll need to walk downhill a lot farther. Water will still be an issue in any case -- the ridges are mostly dry.
There is water (treated) available at each of the AMC huts, and you don't have to stay there to get it.
You can also get potable water at the summit building on Mt. Washington.
I discovered that several tentsites have been installed not too far down the Dry River Trail, which meets the AT near Lakes of the Clouds hut. You could stay there...
No official tentsites have been installed anywhere on Dry River trail at least since the establishment of the Dry River Wilderness in 1975. The trail enters the Wilderness about 0.3 miles from Lakes Of The Clouds Hut and this area is above treeline where camping is prohibited and near the habitat of an endangered plant, the dwarf cinquefoil, where human entry is probited. The trail remains above treeline until 0.9 miles from the hut and then it descends roughly and steeply at times via Oakes Gulf for another 1.3 miles. The closest and only established overnight site is Dry River Shelter #3, 3.3 miles and -2000 vertical feet from the hut and per Wilderness policies it will be removed (like shelters 1 & 2) when major maintenance is required.
Interesting thread. This is my going in plan for my NH section this year. I plan to stay at Lake of the Clouds Hut and tent the rest of the time.
Miles START - Franconia Notch
2.6 Liberty Springs Tentsite
7.7 Garfield Ridge Campsite
5.5 Guyout Campsite (0.7 mile side trail)
9.0 Ethan Pond Campsite
9.3 Nauman Tentsite
4.8 Lake of the Clouds Hut
10.0 Osgood Tentsite
4.8 Pinkham Notch
Tin Man, just be aware -- some of these sites can be crowded in summer, particularly weekends. Last time I stayed at Guyot -- on a Labor Day weekend -- there were dozens of folks there. It was insane.
Tin Man, just be aware -- some of these sites can be crowded in summer, particularly weekends. Last time I stayed at Guyot -- on a Labor Day weekend -- there were dozens of folks there. It was insane.
Thanks, we are aware of the crowds and plan to do our hike after Labor Day. :)