View Full Version : How much did you tip the AMC croo at your Hut stay?
This poll asks who much you tipped the AMC croo after a stay at a White Mountiain hut.
Water Rat
08-13-2012, 07:06
I was wondering the same thing. I am headed out for a few hut stays (only way I could get a few friends out on the trail) next month. Does anyone know if the Croo divides the tips? That answer will play into what I choose to leave as a tip. The huts are pretty expensive, so my tip starts out as being based on what I am paying to stay per night. I will factor in whether or not they split tips (if they split, I will leave a little more), and what the service was like.
I realize I am not the normal hiker. I don't make a ton of money, but I do believe in tipping for good service. These (mostly) kids bust their butts and most likely do not make a lot of money (base pay). There are also a lot of tourists who choose not to tip. That is their choice. I still look at it as a cheap vacation. Sounds like the Croo puts on a pretty good show, too.
bear bag hanger
08-13-2012, 07:12
If I recall right, most of the huts have a jar for tips, so it must be divided among all the crew.
Water Rat
08-13-2012, 07:23
If I recall right, most of the huts have a jar for tips, so it must be divided among all the crew.
Thanks for the info! That will help me prepare for my trip. I kinda figured (and was planning for) the tips to be divided.
Lone Wolf
08-13-2012, 07:50
nothing. i was never a paying customer. i was doing their work
Nothing, It is soooo overpriced that I figure they are making big bucks.
Lone Wolf
08-13-2012, 08:47
Nothing, It is soooo overpriced that I figure they are making big bucks.
plus the majority of those kids go to ivy league schools and have hefty trust funds :)
WingedMonkey
08-13-2012, 11:35
Nothing, I never stayed in a hut. I might have left some change for the leftover muffins put out on the table.
nothing. i was never a paying customer. i was doing their work
I am guessing that if a person doing a "work for stay" valued their light manual labor at $25 per hour, they come out way ahead in the deal. Why not tip the crew on the net value received? Think of it as a donation that will help keep the door open for future thru hikers.
Or at least send a thank you note to the AMC. It is shocking to think that some appear to think that they are doing the club a favor when they do a work for stay. Even of you have a stealth site near Lakes you should tip the crew some small amount if you use their flush toilets that they keep clean for you. Why the sense of entitlement?
Lone Wolf
08-13-2012, 12:16
I am guessing that if a person doing a "work for stay" valued their light manual labor at $25 per hour, they come out way ahead in the deal. Why not tip the crew on the net value received? Think of it as a donation that will help keep the door open for future thru hikers.
Or at least send a thank you note to the AMC. It is shocking to think that some appear to think that they are doing the club a favor when they do a work for stay. Even of you have a stealth site near Lakes you should tip the crew some small amount if you use their flush toilets that they keep clean for you. Why the sense of entitlement?i worked pretty damn hard cleaning pots and pans and slept on the floor. why is the crew entitled to a tip?
I gave 10 dollars, They supplied some pretty good home brew during a fall stay at the Greenleaf hut ..
Uh, it never occurred to me to leave a tip. I spent plenty just to stay, though.
the goat
08-13-2012, 12:35
I am guessing that if a person doing a "work for stay" valued their light manual labor at $25 per hour, they come out way ahead in the deal. Why not tip the crew on the net value received? Think of it as a donation that will help keep the door open for future thru hikers.
Or at least send a thank you note to the AMC. It is shocking to think that some appear to think that they are doing the club a favor when they do a work for stay. Even of you have a stealth site near Lakes you should tip the crew some small amount if you use their flush toilets that they keep clean for you. Why the sense of entitlement?
i worked pretty damn hard cleaning pots and pans and slept on the floor. why is the crew entitled to a tip?
yeah, that's kinda how i see it too, LW. i don't think they expect tips from thru hikers @ the huts anyways.
my first time thru the whites, i did everything from hauling & stacking several cords of firewood, to cleaning a stove & oven that hadn't been cleaned in over a year--this was in addition to washing pots & pans after meals.
my next time thru the whites i didn't bother with the huts. stealthing out on the rocks was much nicer and i only had to clean up after myself.
i worked pretty damn hard cleaning pots and pans and slept on the floor. why is the crew entitled to a tip?
A bunk and dinner at Lakes goes for about $110 bucks.
How long did you wash dishes for?
If you didn't think they deserved a tip, I hope you appreciate the accommodation the club extended to you. I lot don't but they should.
Lone Wolf
08-13-2012, 12:41
where does it freakin' end? should we tip the shelter and campsite caretakers too? how about the front desk clerks at motels? i bet they don't make much more than the housekeeping gals
the goat
08-13-2012, 12:47
don't forget to leave a few bucks at ranger stations too, they ain't makin a killing either.
Given the outrageous prices the AMC now charges to stay at the huts.. there is Absolutely no way in hell I would ever add to the cost by leaving a tip!!
Frankly, the AMC has priced me right out of staying at huts. 100 bucks (member rate!) to stay at a hut on a Saturday night?? Seriously. Talk of fleecing!!
Lone Wolf
08-13-2012, 12:52
Given the outrageous prices the AMC now charges to stay at the huts.. there is Absolutely no way in hell I would ever add to the cost by leaving a tip!!
Frankly, the AMC has priced me right out of staying at huts. 100 bucks (member rate!) to stay at a hut on a Saturday night?? Seriously. Talk of fleecing!!
i'm pretty sure they can afford a few extra dollars per hour per hut employee
atmilkman
08-13-2012, 13:09
Don't forget to tip the cashier at the grocery store, the one at the gas station, the girl at the bank, the school crossing guards, the life guards at the beach, and above all don't forget to tip the greeter at walmart.
max patch
08-13-2012, 13:47
The croo worked my azz off...THEY shoulda tipped ME!
Wise Old Owl
08-13-2012, 14:43
I am a little uncomfortable with the whining about how much the huts cost when AMC appears* to loose 2% or $513,000 annually on the huts or centers. With all the good things the AMC does for conservation, education, and trail improvement, really?
"We continually look for ways to improve the guest experience at our lodges and huts. In 2011, we made significant capital investments at these facilities, completing the rebuilding of Madison Hut, which opened in June, and opening the new lodge and new private cabins at Gorman Chairback in Maine. In addition to these two large projects, which were accomplished thanks to generous contributions from donors, we also completed renovations on the lodge at Little Lyford in Maine in time for the 2012 winter season."
* "quick" look at the financials - expenses exceed income a little in the huts.
source >>>>> http://www.outdoors.org/pdf/upload/AnnualReport_2011_FORWEB.pdf
Monkeywrench
08-13-2012, 15:07
I am a little uncomfortable with the whining about how much the huts cost when AMC appears* to loose 2% or $513,000 annually on the huts or centers. With all the good things the AMC does for conservation, education, and trail improvement, really?
Maybe they should get out of the hotel business.
I never tipped the croo but I only stayed at Lake of the Clouds.
I do always offer a few bucks ($5 or $10) for gas to anyone who picks me up while hitching. Most refused.
I do always leave more than the suggested donation at a hostel. They deserve it!
I do always tip waiters and waitresses at restaurants I ate at along the way.
SCRUB HIKER
08-13-2012, 15:29
In some huts, if a Croo kid hooks up with a paying guest and can convince the guest to incorporate apple butter into the festivities (and can prove it later somehow), that Croo member gets the entire tip jar to his/herself for the week.
So rickb, when you tipped the hut kids for the honor of scrubbing their stove burners and sleeping on their mess hall floor, that's probably where your money went.
hikerboy57
08-13-2012, 15:57
I am a little uncomfortable with the whining about how much the huts cost when AMC appears* to loose 2% or $513,000 annually on the huts or centers. With all the good things the AMC does for conservation, education, and trail improvement, really?
"We continually look for ways to improve the guest experience at our lodges and huts. In 2011, we made significant capital investments at these facilities, completing the rebuilding of Madison Hut, which opened in June, and opening the new lodge and new private cabins at Gorman Chairback in Maine. In addition to these two large projects, which were accomplished thanks to generous contributions from donors, we also completed renovations on the lodge at Little Lyford in Maine in time for the 2012 winter season."
* "quick" look at the financials - expenses exceed income a little in the huts.
source >>>>> http://www.outdoors.org/pdf/upload/AnnualReport_2011_FORWEB.pdf
the new gorman lodge is beautiful. i met the family who donated it to the AMC, as i had to come off trail off chairback mtn with a sore ankle , hiked down a lumber road to the lodge, they explained that it was closed, then later told me they(the donating family) have kind of a "time share" on the place for the last two weeks of August as part of the terms of the donation. it solved a maintenance problem for the family who didnt live there full time,they get exclusive use for 2 weeks, and the AMC gets a great launching point to introduce more people to the Gulf Hagas and Hermitage areas.
by the way the AMC guy there gave me free coffee, sticky buns, and a lift into greenville.
no charge.
SCRUB HIKER
08-13-2012, 17:23
I am guessing that if a person doing a "work for stay" valued their light manual labor at $25 per hour, they come out way ahead in the deal. Why not tip the crew on the net value received? Think of it as a donation that will help keep the door open for future thru hikers.
... It is shocking to think that some appear to think that they are doing the club a favor when they do a work for stay.
Another thought (less snarky than my previous one): It costs the Hut Croos _absolutely nothing_ to host thru-hikers. They cook the exact same amount of food, set the exact same number of tables, do the exact same speeches/skits/programs, pack in the exact same amount of food regardless of thru-hikers' presence or absence. Where thru-hikers HELP them is in lessening their cleaning load, and lessening their pack weight when they have to pack out leftovers. The only possible drawbacks I can see, from a Hut Croo individual's standpoint, is that sometimes they might field complaints from paying guests about scroungy hikers not paying $100 to stay, or that thru-hikers over the course of a season might add a few collective pounds of human waste to the toilets.
If thru-hikers and Hut Croos were in a symbiotic relationship, it would be a mutualistic one: both sides benefit from each other's presence (as it stands now). The Croo kids don't pay me cash out of pocket when I scrub the pots and pans that they're paid to clean, or eat a pound of pasta that they were going to have to throw on their packboards later. I realize that they give me food I might otherwise have to buy, and shelter I might otherwise have to pay for (but only in AMC land), so let's say it comes out equal--the goods and services that thru-hikers and Hut Croos provide each other. But there is no reason at all to tip them if you are a thru-hiker.
where does it freakin' end? should we tip the shelter and campsite caretakers too? how about the front desk clerks at motels? i bet they don't make much more than the housekeeping gals
I agree with Lone Wolf. If you work for stay than your pay, 0, will balance out for your work. Would you pay an employer for letting you work for him? If you pay the going rate for a bunk and two meals than you are paying for the service offered. You would not stay at a hotel and leave a tip unless you tip the housekeeping folks. 95% of the money made at the huts comes from folks who pay to use the hut, get a bed, blanket, supper and breakfast. They make very, very little from thru-hikers who work for stay.
House of Payne
08-13-2012, 17:44
I have stopped in at all of the AMC huts in one trip or another. I have eaten some of their food and chatted with many croo members over the years. I just can't get myself to pay the fees they are asking for a nites stay. I understand the food and waste all has to be carried in and out but $100+ for a single person is just outrageous to me.
In alot of cases where most travelers are just looking for a place to lay their head for the nite (like the Randolph huts offer), I can't see why the AMC huts won't make this option available for people who have their own food.
I have stopped in at all of the AMC huts in one trip or another. I have eaten some of their food and chatted with many croo members over the years. I just can't get myself to pay the fees they are asking for a nites stay. I understand the food and waste all has to be carried in and out but $100+ for a single person is just outrageous to me.
In alot of cases where most travelers are just looking for a place to lay their head for the nite (like the Randolph huts offer), I can't see why the AMC huts won't make this option available for people who have their own food.
During my 2001 thru my wife came up and met me in North Conway, NH. We had to pay $135 for a motel room. When you are in a tourist area, White Mountains. you have to pay tourist rates.
House of Payne
08-13-2012, 17:55
During my 2001 thru my wife came up and met me in North Conway, NH. We had to pay $135 for a motel room. When you are in a tourist area, White Mountains. you have to pay tourist rates.
Only difference is I'm a regular in the whites, travelling from Mass to enjoy it. Unless you are looking for that kind of treatment and willing to pay for it, then ok. Other than that where else on the AT is there full service huts like these? Speaking from a point of view that most AT thru hikers are on some kind of a budget and when they finally make their way to NH this could set them back financially.
Given the outrageous prices the AMC now charges to stay at the huts.. there is Absolutely no way in hell I would ever add to the cost by leaving a tip!!
Frankly, the AMC has priced me right out of staying at huts. 100 bucks (member rate!) to stay at a hut on a Saturday night?? Seriously. Talk of fleecing!!
Not sure how I feel about tipping the croo- I probably would if paying and wouldn't if work for stay, however, i can;t let this comment pass.
By not stretch of the imagination is $100 and outrageous price- in fact I'm willing to be that if you called all the motels within a 50 mile radius that they would cost more- and they don't have to hike of fly everything in. In fact, given the AMC's monopoly on accomodations at altitude, they can charge whatever they want, and certainly could raise prices significantly without losing customers.
Only difference is I'm a regular in the whites, travelling from Mass to enjoy it. Unless you are looking for that kind of treatment and willing to pay for it, then ok. Other than that where else on the AT is there full service huts like these? Speaking from a point of view that most AT thru hikers are on some kind of a budget and when they finally make their way to NH this could set them back financially.
Simple solution: If you can't afford the going rate, don't stay. That is why they offer work for stay.
max patch
08-13-2012, 18:07
Not sure how I feel about tipping the croo- I probably would if paying and wouldn't if work for stay, however, i can;t let this comment pass.
By not stretch of the imagination is $100 and outrageous price- in fact I'm willing to be that if you called all the motels within a 50 mile radius that they would cost more- and they don't have to hike of fly everything in. In fact, given the AMC's monopoly on accomodations at altitude, they can charge whatever they want, and certainly could raise prices significantly without losing customers.
$100 isn't bad for a single hiker and I'll pay it next year when I hike thru. And that price is competitive with hotels.
The problem, as I see it, is when mom and dad and their 3 kids want to stay at a hut. $500 for a nites lodging and meal is out of reach for many people.
Montana AT05
08-13-2012, 19:48
Not sure how I feel about tipping the croo- I probably would if paying and wouldn't if work for stay, however, i can;t let this comment pass.
By not stretch of the imagination is $100 and outrageous price- in fact I'm willing to be that if you called all the motels within a 50 mile radius that they would cost more- and they don't have to hike of fly everything in. In fact, given the AMC's monopoly on accomodations at altitude, they can charge whatever they want, and certainly could raise prices significantly without losing customers.
Wow, I never stayed at a hut in the whites that offered a room for $100 that had crisp white sheets on two queen sized beds, a flat screen TV with cable, a small couch, a full bathroom (just for me) with hot water and a flush toilet and toiletries on the sink plus front desk service with complimentary razors and shaving cream plus internet access and a breakfast thrown in (all you can eat generic fruit loops!). Oh, and house cleaning!
I guess I missed that hut!
I suppose my tip would be: Harvard costs too much for what you get. Hey, sort of like this hut!
Personally I didn't mind the hut system in the whites, I referred to them as snicker bar dispensers...and I had a very enjoyable stay at Carter Notch where I washed dishes for a huge party of people and slept on a table.
where does it freakin' end? should we tip the shelter and campsite caretakers too? how about the front desk clerks at motels? i bet they don't make much more than the housekeeping gals
Ignore him. City boy trying to troll.
the new gorman lodge is beautiful. i met the family who donated it to the AMC, as i had to come off trail off chairback mtn with a sore ankle , hiked down a lumber road to the lodge, they explained that it was closed, then later told me they(the donating family) have kind of a "time share" on the place for the last two weeks of August as part of the terms of the donation. it solved a maintenance problem for the family who didnt live there full time,they get exclusive use for 2 weeks, and the AMC gets a great launching point to introduce more people to the Gulf Hagas and Hermitage areas.
by the way the AMC guy there gave me free coffee, sticky buns, and a lift into greenville.
no charge.
Another way to look at it is someone gets a sweet vacation home in the backwoods that might not have been permitted otherwise. Not to mention the tax advantages.
Place was a pit before being remodeled.
Some huts are open during the off season for a discounted price - you bring your own food and use their kitchen, I think it's about 25 bucks.
Wise Old Owl
08-13-2012, 21:43
Thank U all that posted so far ... I really appreciate that you all put an extra effort into your posts....
My thinking is that the AMC as well as Donors will see this and I would not want to see thing reflect badly on WB or the AMC- IMO there is a lot that might be misread and we as a group need to support mutual respect.
WingedMonkey
08-14-2012, 08:53
AMC as well as Donors will see this
Now that there is funny.
:banana
Lion King
08-14-2012, 09:08
Now that there is funny.
:banana
I stayed at huts for WFS in 98 and 03 a couple times, but now Stealthing is my life.
I have tipped for coffee and soup or muffins in the afternoon for breaks, but when I did WFS heres what I got compared to what I had to do:
slept on a floor in a room for of snorers under a table
for dinner, got leftover cornbread, a few beans and the last of some sort of cake
breakfast was leftover oatmeal and a danish
for that I had to wash dishes, sweep floors, stir the food compost in the morning which was full of maggots and smelled worse than a football stadium bathroom after free beer and taco night, started 3 hours late, and was hungry before I left so I had to cook again anyway.
I did enjoy partying with the crue at night though, that was a good time, but WFS? Never again./ If people are dumb enough to pay 125$ a night for huts, they can tip %18 with no prob.
Digger'02
08-14-2012, 10:07
I gave 10 dollars, They supplied some pretty good home brew during a fall stay at the Greenleaf hut ..
Ex-Hutmen (M) here and I never expected any thru-hiker to tip. That's pretty absurd in my mind although I was a unique among the crewmen in that 1) I was from the south 2) I had already thru-hiked (and camped all through the whites only 'stealthing' (illegal camping) once). We took in just about every thru-hiker who was looking for a spot. It was our job (the Croo) to make sure each guest felt like we went above and beyond so they wanted to tip and we did- if you went through Greenleaf hut particularly in 2002 you had a good time I bet. Let all the Bostonians tip, one of them can tip better than 20 thru-hikers anyway, so don't worry about it. Do a work for stay, hang with the croo and be happy right? If you get a bum crew well thems the brakes.
I'll tell all you that need to be told-the crew didn't make anything above minimum wage when I was there, but it didn't matter, we had 0 expenses and lived in the best house on the planet.
Say what you will about the AMC but I think the Huts are pretty cool. Its expensive, but its also expensive to helo stuff in, maintain greywater, manage the crapper, etc.
Finally, as a user I LOVE the huts for this reason: all those goofers up there and if you can find one of the good campsites up there there is no one there!!! Everyone is at the Hut. Concentrate goofers, educate them and keep them out of my campsite? thanks huts you rule. (some call it 'stealthing', but you can legally camp all over the place up there, so I call it 'camping' when your not breaking the rules)
Digger'02
08-14-2012, 10:08
2005 not 2002. 2002 was the thru-hike.
One of the problems with this post is that this web page is a place for hikers. The AMC Huts are a place where rich weekenders to vacation. Most hikers who either Thru or section can't afford to pay resort prices for a rough hostel with food. Why should hikers who so mistreated by this hut system be asked about tipping the paid workers? Why don't you ask the rich people who you cater to? If the AMC really cared about the hikers that hang out on this webpage they would build a bunch of large shelters in the Whites like they do on most of the rest of the trail that are free and get rid of the unfriendly rules about camping within a mile of there huts. Perhaps if we tipped better they could make it better?
A bunk and dinner at Lakes goes for about $110 bucks.
How long did you wash dishes for?
If you didn't think they deserved a tip, I hope you appreciate the accommodation the club extended to you. I lot don't but they should.
Yeah but he didn't get any service, a dinner and bunk. He got to work, the floor and leftovers.
The croo worked my azz off...THEY shoulda tipped ME!
I made the mistake of doing a work for stay at Ethan Pond to stay in an $6 or $8 shelter. I worked for a solid hour hauling boulders and mineral soil in 5 gallon buckets, when I told him my time was up.
On another occasion at Mitzpah Hut I only had to sweep for about an hour and that was it, the only problem having to wait until after breakfast
Maybe they should get out of the hotel business.
They'd probably lose a great deal of their membership if they did.
What's ironic when someone says they can't afford the huts, but have taken 6 months off work to hike the trail. For the most part, if they worked one more week before hiking they could have stayed at all the Huts needed during the course of a thru-hike.
hikerboy57
08-14-2012, 12:32
One of the problems with this post is that this web page is a place for hikers. The AMC Huts are a place where rich weekenders to vacation. Most hikers who either Thru or section can't afford to pay resort prices for a rough hostel with food. Why should hikers who so mistreated by this hut system be asked about tipping the paid workers? Why don't you ask the rich people who you cater to? If the AMC really cared about the hikers that hang out on this webpage they would build a bunch of large shelters in the Whites like they do on most of the rest of the trail that are free and get rid of the unfriendly rules about camping within a mile of there huts. Perhaps if we tipped better they could make it better?
ive used the huts several times as a base to hike many of the trails off the AT north of madison and adams. its about the same price as staying in a motel, but im already out there in the woods.i dont think tipping is called for unless they provided some extroardinary service. croo memebers dont take the job because theyre in it for the money, but personally i try to do my best to support the clubs and maintainers that make the AT hikable. now most of you who have hiked the whites im sure have wondered about how amazing trail construction and maintenance has been. before i started my Maine section hike, i sent a donation to MATC.last week i met some of the MATC maintainers in the 100 mile wilderness, breaking their a**es moving boulders into place and marvelled at the hard work they do, primarily on a volunteer basis.im also an ATC member, and an AMC member to boot. the AMC is a double edged sword, but it certainly is not there simply to "cater to the rich". yes the huts are expensive, but they do a lot of good in educating families and kids to LNT, to flora and fauna, and to conservation. the logistics are a bit difficult getting through the whites without using the huts, but far from impossible.
so you have choices, and like heading into Kent for a zero. you know a stay is going to cost you. so you stay and pay, or you keep on hiking.
Tharwood
08-18-2012, 16:51
Lol...this is Funny
I stayed in The Dungeon for two nights to wait out a storm.
No need for a tip -- it was included in the $6.00 per night cost. Half of that money goes to paying for weekly repairs to the plate steel door. The other half goes to pay for on-site shrink needed the next morning. The final half goes for tips.
Such a deal.
It was so loud I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I was working in the Blast Furnace again.
Datto
DaSchwartz
08-19-2012, 01:49
Good thread. Never forget the "work for stay" is a gift and a privledge, and they could take that away at anytime. Now in saying that, I'm sure the rich folks who pay the $100 fee will tip them $15 or so. In fact, if you are helping them service their paying customers, perhaps the paying customers should also tip you for your work. Maybe they could build some basic lean-tos for the thru-hikers with no services except for a privy and water source.
I stayed in The Dungeon for two nights to wait out a storm.
No need for a tip -- it was included in the $6.00 per night cost. Half of that money goes to paying for weekly repairs to the plate steel door. The other half goes to pay for on-site shrink needed the next morning. The final half goes for tips.
Such a deal.
It was so loud I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I was working in the Blast Furnace again.
Datto
LOL. One looksie down there and I did a work for stay. It's where they put the thru-hiker dogs, wheel barrows, hand tools, and those like you Datto. LOL. Did a WFS 1 hr talk for a packed house in front of all the paying Lake of the Clouds hut guests on what it's like to thru-hike the AT. Got a standing ovation too. Guests were giving me cash tips! No shart. Afterwards, I was served a real hot turkey dinner, with a second and third helping too, real mashed potatoes, as much as I could eat, fresh tossed salad w/cukes and tomatoes, all I could eat, and cornbread with real butter. B-fast was buffet style for me too. Glorious! When you are a dirt bag hiker and enjoy going with the flow and doing what you must to complete a thru-hike of the AT it's all what you make of it!
Got nothing but GOOD things to say about the AMC and the hut croos. From what I've personally seen and heard the AMC hut croos work hard with very moderate pay. It's a job you have to love for its location, memories, and community not for the pay! The AMC and the hut croos have provided value for me and I have provided value for them. The AMC, both at the huts and at the hotels, and the hut croos, even though they OWED ME NOTHING, I WAS NOT ENTITLED TO ANYTHING FREE OF CHARGE, have always tried to accommodate me even though they were not required! I can mention two similar experiences during two other WFS AMC hut stays along the AT and an additional two experiences at AMC run hotels too. PERHAPS, my attitude had something to do with it! Catch more bees with honey than vinegar! Put some of my speaking tips in the hut croos tip jar that night at Lake of the Clouds. The croo said I didn't have to and tried to give the money back to me. No way! I knew what I was doing. I was planting seed. I was engaged in the law of sowing and reaping. No different than staying in the high altitude pricey paying camps in Yosemite, Glacier, along the Colorado Trail, at Bright Angel at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, etc. AND leaving croo tips for over and above service. Some wise hikers told me many yrs ago that what I do affects those who come after me! I always try to remember that. I know I've benefitted from those who left positive impressions that hiked before me. That's what I want to be part of! And, it's not just about money. You can give a smile, a kind word of appreciation, a helping hand, some of your time, whatever resources you have, etc. It's a funny thing. When youi give from the heart, you bless others, it comes back. Folks want to give back bless you back. It's a great place to be.
They make stealth camping so much more gratifying.
If you are really good, stealth camp INSIDE the hut.
IMO the AMC is the biggest rip off on the trail. Way over priced. They should be able to pay an adequate wage to the workers. I bet their executives don't depend on tips to supplement their earnings.
hikerboy57
01-15-2013, 10:57
IMO the AMC is the biggest rip off on the trail. Way over priced. They should be able to pay an adequate wage to the workers. I bet their executives don't depend on tips to supplement their earnings.
umm,no there is a waiting list for croo work.nobodys forcing them to work there.so i guess the wages are adequate
Lone Wolf
01-15-2013, 10:58
IMO the AMC is the biggest rip off on the trail. Way over priced. They should be able to pay an adequate wage to the workers. I bet their executives don't depend on tips to supplement their earnings.
the "workers" choose to work there and real hikers have no need to use the huts
If the AMC really cared about the hikers that hang out on this webpage they would build a bunch of large shelters in the Whites like they do on most of the rest of the trail that are free and get rid of the unfriendly rules about camping within a mile of there huts. Perhaps if we tipped better they could make it better?
Yikes. Where did you hear there is a rule of no camping within 1 mile of a hut?
The Forest Service restrictions are about camping within 1/4 mile of a hut or shelter or road and such, and prohibit camping above treelike if not on snowpack. Not 1 mile.
Given the outrageous prices the AMC now charges to stay at the huts.. there is Absolutely no way in hell I would ever add to the cost by leaving a tip!!
Frankly, the AMC has priced me right out of staying at huts. 100 bucks (member rate!) to stay at a hut on a Saturday night?? Seriously. Talk of fleecing!!
Stay in a motel in North Conway or other town in the whites and see what that will cost you.
During my thru in 01 my wife came to meet me in North conway. a motel cost me $110. That's with no meals or entertainment that you get in a hut.
Hot Sauce 2011
01-15-2013, 19:19
The huts are awesome and I had no complaints- I got WFS in at least 4 of them. The people I hiked with and I were polite and appreciative and we worked hard- we went out of our way to find ways to help out and we were rewarded in kind. I can't tell you how many of my fellow thru-hikers just sitting on their hands until a Croo member came and gave them something to do, which I sort of get. When you've had nothing but people giving you stuff, driving you around, feeding you and telling you how awesome you are FOR WALKING ,you can develop a sense of entitlement. Two of the guys in our group did such good work that the Croo staff gave them a letter to carry to the next hut, endorsing them (and by proxy the rest of our group) for further WFS. And the pricing on the food if you just stop in for soup and bread is perfectly reasonable, which leads me to the point that I probably only tipped when there was a cash transaction... Most of these kids were great kids, smart, often Ivy Leaguers and all of them were AMC members and I never got the sense that any of them was hurting for money.
Chaco Taco
01-16-2013, 11:36
$28 bucks each for one night at Carter Notch Hut on Friday. Cant wait.
Chaco Taco
01-16-2013, 11:41
If I go to a tentsite, Ill bring in a couple of beers or share some whiskey with caretakers. I appreciete what the AMC does up here and love the work they have done to many of the trails each year. Great place for hiking, even in winter.
$28 bucks each for one night at Carter Notch Hut on Friday. Cant wait.
Stayed there a couple of time during the winter myself. Cool place.
I didn't see a problem with leaving a tip. The croo did a good job of serving us meals and entertaining us. Don't forget that, in some cases, they have to haul the food up to those huts.
Prime Time
01-29-2013, 13:29
Amazing. How many of you rough, tough cheapskates ever worked in the hospitality industry. These kids make nothing and on the many occasions that I've stayed in the huts, especially in the Presidentials, I've watched those kids spend significant time with thru hikers making a special effort to accommodate them if they possibly could, answered a million questions about the trail or towns coming up, fed them whatever was left for free, and working behind the scenes to keep the paying guests from killing some thru hiker acting like a complete jackass making fun of the "rich, sweet smelling, dandy clientele". Work for stay. Give me a break. What did you work, two hours total, if that? For a $105 stay value? Do what your conscious tells you is right. I'll go on tipping well to in my own little way try and help make up for the thru hiker who stiffs the croo and then justifies it in his or her mind.
Chaco Taco
01-29-2013, 15:12
I dont know about the Croo, only dealt with them once and it was a pleasant experience. Now, the campsite caretakers and winter caretakers of the 3 huts open in winter deserve a better wage and gratuities. Many times, they are first responders in the remote areas such as Guyot and the Pemi. They sift through your crap and clear the trail as best they can and as quick as they can. The folks in the backcountry sites deal with some Grade A a**holes on occasion. Im sure the Croo get a good share of them as well, but its part of it. I stayed at Lake of The Clouds and did a work for stay, cleaning matresses, and it was not a pleasant piece of work. But I did it and I was a jerk about it. That got me nowhere, but it did change my perspective of the AMC. When we were at Carter Hut a couple of weeks ago, we left a "gratuity" but really because the guy was so friggin cool and worked the stove and traded some great stories. Do I feel obligated, no, I do it because the guy was working his ass off, to make sure we were warm. Some of these folks that do the caretaking, do so because they love it. Yes, we have some kids working the huts that do this as a summer job and some are spoiled, but that doesnt represent all of them. I dont think they need more tips, the AMC should just pay them more. The prices are a little ridiculous, which is why we like winter.
SunnyWalker
03-03-2013, 15:52
Haw, haw, this is the only thread I have read where I laughed quite of the way through it. $100 is alot?!?? Comon, there are many motels that price and more! Anythign on the level of the Huts would be QUITE a bit more. AND resort prices are usually much more expensive. Me, when I thru hike the AT I plan on arranging to stay in this world class, world view, world service, unbelievable food, clean sheets and bed, ect., etc., as a break from the trail. Wow, from what I have read the huts seem to be a terrific way to promote the AT and hiking and hiking the AT. AS far as tips? Well, they are a non-profit, unlike motels and restaurants, etc., so of course I will try to leave a generous tip. Work for stay?-well, you guys that are complaining seem to be the ones who have a sense of entitlement! Man, there is nothing for free! You think the AT trail that you are hiking on does not cost anyone money? It costs a lot and anywhere within reason I'll try to do my part, small as it may be. I wish my spouse could get to the hut I stay at when I go as it would be such a neat treat for her. It just sounds out-a-sight to me! And I have been on a few trails and mountains. Some of the stories I have heard about hikers "working" were a joke, for example they swept the floor, took them all of 5 minutes. Me, I think it'd be a blast to work the morning, day, etc., and sleep on the floor and walk away the next day. OK, I had my rant! Thanks Wise Old Owl for the connection, I read through that report and all. Looks like they have got their business together. I'd like to become a member but will probl wait until I come your way. I'm working on doing the CDT and will start it off this April 2013. You workers/employees of the "Huts", don't listen to all these gripers and complainers and whiners. You are doing a great job! I wish we had some of these "Huts" on the CDT in the Rockies! Wow, there's a thought.
One time I tiped the Croo 20$. That was when I paid full price to stay at Madison beacause I just wanted to. Otherwise, I don't tip... they make hundreds per hut everyday. BTW, in the last 6 years Madison has always had avery hiker friendly Croo... :)
Jack Tarlin
03-03-2013, 20:57
What an extraordinary thread, don't know where to begin. First off, what work-for-stay thruhikers get is kind of a long stretch from a "$105.00 value." In 95% of my hut work-for-stays, I provided a couple hours of manual labor in return for sleeping on the dining room floor and perhaps getting some leftovers half an hour after the "real people" were done eating. Don't get me wrong....on a rainy night with a bum knee, one is glad to be warm and under a roof, but to call this a "$105.00 value" is more than a little bit ridiculous. As to the alleged lousy pay these kids make, don't forget the season's work for hut croo includes meals and lodging taken care of; most croo people end up saving a great deal of their income and leave the Whites with quite a sum in the bank......not having to pay rent, getting free food, and spending six days a week in places where it's impossible to spend money means that your typical hut croo member is actually earning and making considerably more than their hourly wage would suggest. I could also mention that the head of the AMC earns as much as Mr. Obama.......if one is truly concerned about the poor oppressed horribly paid croo members, you might wanna write a letter to them about their executive pay and perks......So, no, I don't fell the need to tip these people. One tips motel chambermaids; one tips waitresses and bartenders; one tips barbers, dogwalkers, and car valets. If you stay in a hut, be friendly, be useful, make an honest effort to help out and don't weasel out of your "work" assignment. But giving these people money because you get food remainders and can crash on the floor? Um, sorry, I don't think so.
Monkeywrench
03-04-2013, 08:51
... clean sheets and bed...
Clean sheets and bed! Now that's funny!
What an extraordinary thread, don't know where to begin. First off, what work-for-stay thruhikers get is kind of a long stretch from a "$105.00 value." In 95% of my hut work-for-stays, I provided a couple hours of manual labor in return for sleeping on the dining room floor and perhaps getting some leftovers half an hour after the "real people" were done eating. Don't get me wrong....on a rainy night with a bum knee, one is glad to be warm and under a roof, but to call this a "$105.00 value" is more than a little bit ridiculous. As to the alleged lousy pay these kids make, don't forget the season's work for hut croo includes meals and lodging taken care of; most croo people end up saving a great deal of their income and leave the Whites with quite a sum in the bank......not having to pay rent, getting free food, and spending six days a week in places where it's impossible to spend money means that your typical hut croo member is actually earning and making considerably more than their hourly wage would suggest. I could also mention that the head of the AMC earns as much as Mr. Obama.......if one is truly concerned about the poor oppressed horribly paid croo members, you might wanna write a letter to them about their executive pay and perks......So, no, I don't fell the need to tip these people. One tips motel chambermaids; one tips waitresses and bartenders; one tips barbers, dogwalkers, and car valets. If you stay in a hut, be friendly, be useful, make an honest effort to help out and don't weasel out of your "work" assignment. But giving these people money because you get food remainders and can crash on the floor? Um, sorry, I don't think so.
Once again Jack is right on. You have to respect this mans years of AT hiking experience.
Once again Jack is right on. You have to respect this mans years of AT hiking experience.Not to mention his great way with words! Too bad he has better things to do than write a book-- whether AT related or not. I am still holding out some hope, but it that is waning.
Old Hillwalker
03-04-2013, 19:02
What an extraordinary thread, don't know where to begin. First off, what work-for-stay thruhikers get is kind of a long stretch from a "$105.00 value." In 95% of my hut work-for-stays, I provided a couple hours of manual labor in return for sleeping on the dining room floor and perhaps getting some leftovers half an hour after the "real people" were done eating. Don't get me wrong....on a rainy night with a bum knee, one is glad to be warm and under a roof, but to call this a "$105.00 value" is more than a little bit ridiculous. As to the alleged lousy pay these kids make, don't forget the season's work for hut croo includes meals and lodging taken care of;:eek: most croo people end up saving a great deal of their income and leave the Whites with quite a sum in the bank......not having to pay rent, getting free food, and spending six days a week in places where it's impossible to spend money means that your typical hut croo member is actually earning and making considerably more than their hourly wage would suggest. I could also mention that the head of the AMC earns as much as Mr. Obama.......if one is truly concerned about the poor oppressed horribly paid croo members, you might wanna write a letter to them about their executive pay and perks......So, no, I don't fell the need to tip these people. One tips motel chambermaids; one tips waitresses and bartenders; one tips barbers, dogwalkers, and car valets. If you stay in a hut, be friendly, be useful, make an honest effort to help out and don't weasel out of your "work" assignment. But giving these people money because you get food remainders and can crash on the floor? Um, sorry, I don't think so.
Hey Jack, how ya doin? Wanted to give you the correct info on Croo pay: http://www.outdoors.org/about/employment/seasonal/seasonal-process.cfm
"Wages
Wages vary according to position and individual qualifications. Average weekly pay is $250 to $340 after deductions for room and board (provided for many positions) but before taxes."
Tarlin's response was pretty good then he went all political... like takin a train ride till it plunges off a bridge... the Croo at the Huts do welll, and they don't make their money (tips) from thru-hikers... they make it from the weekend/day-hiker families during the summer... usually to the tune of a few hundred dollars per day per hut... they're doing fine... :)
Lone Wolf
03-04-2013, 19:28
...plus they have trust funds. they're all trustafarians. don't let the dreads fool ya :cool:
"I could also mention that the head of the AMC earns as much as Mr. Obama......."
"Tarlin's response was pretty good then he went all political..."
Jack reminds me of my wife......always brings FACTS into an argument.... Don't confuse the issue with FACTS!!
takethisbread
03-04-2013, 20:10
I think this is so in many cases. They are academically accomplished young men and women for sure. I despise many things about the AMC politically, but I do not let that affect my attitude towards the croo. The Huts are a great experience at full price, and I stay as often as I can. There is no better place in the eastern United States than the Whites, for hikers, and to stay up there on a beautiful summer day, cannot be beat . You meet lots of great people. It's a great gateway to the backpacking life for some.
...plus they have trust funds. they're all trustafarians. don't let the dreads fool ya :cool:
SunnyWalker
03-04-2013, 21:25
Itsmy impression Monkywrnch, when you are a paying customer you receive among other amenities, a clean bed and sheets, etc. Now if you are a entitltement demanding thru hiker (as some are) then you get the floor, whether deserved or not.
Itsmy impression Monkywrnch, when you are a paying customer you receive among other amenities, a clean bed and sheets, etc. Now if you are a entitltement demanding thru hiker (as some are) then you get the floor, whether deserved or not.
No sheets for anyone. Just a mattress and a sketchy blanket. Most everyone brings a sleeping bag.
You might find this video from New Hampshire public TV worth a look.
http://m.video.nhptv.org/video/2327933908/
Jack Tarlin
03-04-2013, 22:50
Wow, where to begin. I had no intention of "getting political." I merely had the temerity to mention that the executive pay of AMC's top people is pretty swell, and that it compares favorably to some top Federal employees, including a VERY senior employee. This is publicly documented. If I am mistaken here, people are welcome to correct me. I also thank the guy who corrected me about how AMC croo people are paid; I did not know they were charged room/board, etc., so thanx for the heads up on this. That being said, these kids still seem to do OK, they can save a great deal of their pay, and like many young people in the service industry, a good deal of their weekly pay is cash money, i.e. no taxes, off the books, etc.
As I said earlier: If you seek or get a work-for-stay at one of the huts, by all means be friendly, cheerful, and helpful. Do whatever you're asked to do. Do a bit more. But tip these people? Um, no. Save that for waitresses in town, or the girl who cleans your motel room, or maybe even the guy who goes the extra mile with a favor, trail shuttle, etc. These people tend to do a lot more for hikers than the college kids who provide you with leftovers and floor space in return for doing chores they have no interest in, and who, at the end of the day, make a pretty decent hourly wage.
Old Hillwalker
03-05-2013, 07:42
Here is a tour of one of Maine Huts and Trails huts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iLU6NwWWTQ http://www.mainehuts.org/?gclid=CPGxyby_5bUCFUVN4Aod7XQACA
Alligator
03-05-2013, 08:24
Hikers getting work for stay are in the minority of folks staying at the huts.
Monkeywrench
03-05-2013, 08:56
Itsmy impression Monkywrnch, when you are a paying customer you receive among other amenities, a clean bed and sheets, etc. Now if you are a entitltement demanding thru hiker (as some are) then you get the floor, whether deserved or not.
Your impression is wrong. There are no sheets. You get a blanket, which was clean at the beginning of the season.
Prime Time
03-05-2013, 10:32
Tipping is, as always, a personal decision. These kids sweep the floors, clean the bathrooms, cook the meals, serve the meals, clean up after meals, pick up after all guests, including thru hikers, carry up supplies, carry down trash, maintain the facility and it's systems, give advise, occasionally participate in mountain rescues real or imagined, and many other sundry duties as required, and all with a smile. That's worth a few buck to me whether I'm a paying guest or a thru hiker sleeping in the building for free. Also, thru hikers are quick to talk negatively about a "little space on the floor" as though this is somehow different from the shelter or ground they've been sleeping on for the last 4 months? If you don't like the arrangement, then do what every other hiker in the Whites does if they don't want to stay in the huts. Hike down to the various tent sites and other shelters available to you for $8. For cryin' out loud (so to speak), you've walked close to 2,000 miles by this point and spent over $3000. Think you can handle this?
SunnyWalker
03-05-2013, 12:30
Thanks for the info RickB and Old Hillwalker.
Digger'02
03-05-2013, 15:11
I like this poll and as an ex-thru hiker and ex Croo member I thought I would offer what my croo's perspective was:
If you are a thru-hiker tip if you really want, but its no big deal if you don't and its unexpected of you. You're doing a work for stay, 'nuff said. Good Croos make BANK from the Bostonian high-rollers so getting or not getting a $5 tip from a thru-hiker is no big whup.
From a thru-hiker's perspective I don't know why anyone would do a work for stay, go thru during lunch, help them eat leftover pancakes and then camp. you can legally camp all over the place and there are some great spots if you can find them.
Its no big deal right?
Given the outrageous prices of AMC huts.. I wouldn't tip them a dime. Not a dime. And as for work for stays.. hikers do chores for those. The work for stay is a courtesy. Leave the tipping to those Bostonians with the six figure salary!!
miloandotis
03-05-2013, 15:21
I find this thread interesting....so many comments about the price of the huts and not giving the croos a tip cause of it....as if they have anything to do with the prices!
Jack Tarlin
03-05-2013, 23:40
No, they indeed have nothing to do with setting prices, but they do indeed voluntarily decide to work at institutions that cater to the well-to-do, and they do indeed know that a great deal of their income derives from placating, catering to, and schmoozing up the Huts' wealthy clientele. Merely because these kids elect to spend their summers swaddling rich people's behinds does not mean that everyone they meet is somehow in their debt. As I've said before: If you get a work for stay at an AMC facility, be friendly, co-operative, and helpful. Do what you're asked to do, and do a bit more. This is a nice thing they're doing for you.....you're not entitled to it. But you are indeed a second-class guest there: The primary purpose of the Hut croo is to take care of their dues-paying member guests and select additional people. These folks get special treats, gifts, care, and favors. The croo provides this service willingly and intentionally. The purpose is to keep these people happy, to get them to keep their memberships current, and to get these folks to tip well when they leave. This isn't exactly a secret......the croos pamper and coddle these people, kiss their butts, and put up with all sorts of rudeness, attitude, and outrageousness......because taking care of these folks is their bread and butter. It is why the Huts exist in the first place. They exist to provide a faux wilderness/mountain experience for rich people. But the people that sleep on the common room floor and eat leftovers are well advised to distribute tips and largesse elsewhere.
miloandotis
03-06-2013, 00:46
Jack Tarlin you sound angry at my comment. I did not say anything about work for stay. Take a chill pill. I merely commented on the multiple comments about how much the huts cost in relation to tipping. Sheesh! If you pay to stay in a hut and enjoy the "services" it is interesting to me that as a thru hiker many feel exempt from tipping because they are not "rich folk".
Jack Tarlin you sound angry at my comment. I did not say anything about work for stay. Take a chill pill. I merely commented on the multiple comments about how much the huts cost in relation to tipping. Sheesh! If you pay to stay in a hut and enjoy the "services" it is interesting to me that as a thru hiker many feel exempt from tipping because they are not "rich folk".
To my way of thinking, thru hikers would be well advised not to arrive at a hut with the sort of "us vs. them" mentality that seems to have crept into some of folks hearts. If you get there on your own, so be it. We are all entitled to our own perspective.
In my experinece, hut croo members have always been welcoming-- whether I was a 23 year old kid without 2 nickles to rub togther or a middle-adged homeowner. I have also enjoyed the company of the so-called rich people I have met at the huts, as well as those rich in ways that can not be measure on a balance sheet.
If a thru hike is about new experience and meeting different people along the way, you can have fun at the huts have a great experience. What's more, you can enjoy all that without staying at them on a thru hike.
One regret, I will share. While I didn't stay at any huts during my thru, I stopped at most of them along the way. In the 30 years since, I have been back to them many times, and even paid to stay at them a half dozen times or so. Over that span of time, I have come to appreciate them more for all sort of reasons. But here is my regret: I never wrote anything in registers that are still maintianed on site decades later.
How fun it would have been to pull out those logs and read a message to myself-- or at least a detailed entry. Oh well.
Have fun, and remember that the college croo members are on thier own journey. If you dont think they deserve your money, that's OK. But they do deserve your respect and thanks, by and large. My opinion.
Digger'02
03-06-2013, 11:01
No, they indeed have nothing to do with setting prices, but they do indeed voluntarily decide to work at institutions that cater to the well-to-do, and they do indeed know that a great deal of their income derives from placating, catering to, and schmoozing up the Huts' wealthy clientele. Merely because these kids elect to spend their summers swaddling rich people's behinds does not mean that everyone they meet is somehow in their debt. As I've said before: If you get a work for stay at an AMC facility, be friendly, co-operative, and helpful. Do what you're asked to do, and do a bit more. This is a nice thing they're doing for you.....you're not entitled to it. But you are indeed a second-class guest there: The primary purpose of the Hut croo is to take care of their dues-paying member guests and select additional people. These folks get special treats, gifts, care, and favors. The croo provides this service willingly and intentionally. The purpose is to keep these people happy, to get them to keep their memberships current, and to get these folks to tip well when they leave. This isn't exactly a secret......the croos pamper and coddle these people, kiss their butts, and put up with all sorts of rudeness, attitude, and outrageousness......because taking care of these folks is their bread and butter. It is why the Huts exist in the first place. They exist to provide a faux wilderness/mountain experience for rich people. But the people that sleep on the common room floor and eat leftovers are well advised to distribute tips and largesse elsewhere.
Absolutely correct. Croo get enough tips from elsewhere, tip them in tales of adventure.
and most importantly: CAMP CAMP CAMP CAMP CAMP
SunnyWalker
04-03-2013, 00:29
Rickb: wow, that was a great post. Thanks.
Sclark9082
04-03-2013, 21:25
.....tip the readers of WB? next.......
Jack Tarlin
04-04-2013, 14:43
Milo: With all due respect, I'm not sure I'm the one that needs the chill pill. Instead of arguing, why don't we both defer to Digger, above, who actually has Croo experience. But in case you missed it: Yeah, if someone gives up a couple of hours of manual labor, including unpleasant labor, like cleaning public bathrooms, in return for sleeping on the floor of a dining room and eating leftovers an hour after the "real" guests have dined....well, first of all, other than a toilet and a roof that doesn't leak, I'm not sure how this constitutes using "services", and no, I don't think it requires a tip, and it's nice to see actual Hut employees agree with this. Again, I defer to THEIR perspective, perhaps others should do likewise.
While staying at a hut is a choice (despite any protestations to the contrary) bypassing one of the AMC's Clivus Multrum commodes (or even one of Mr. Crapper's designs) is simply impossible.
in the modern age, no contemporary thru hiker has ever been able to resist their siren song.
I would suggest that when you find yourself so moved, you remember Mr. Tarlin's wise observation about the unpleasant task of cleaning that public stool.
Especially if it is beneath you.
Not with the idea that you should feel compelled to leave a tip, but rather that you leave with just a small bit of gratitude for the crew that made it possible. And all the others who did similar service on your behalf along the way.
Jack Tarlin
04-04-2013, 22:19
This is becoming a foolish argument. Despuite a comment made above, the crew at the Huts did not make much possible for long distance hikers. They are college students who know exactly what is expected of them. They know that a significant portion of their potential income comes from buttering up (nice way of saying "sucking up") to the clientele. This is why they do their cute "tip hustling" theater skit every night, reminding their tony guests to toss a double sawbuck in the big jar. Sorry, Rick, but even longtime croo members will happily acknowledge this. The croos of Huts, by and large, enjoy the efforts of the hiker work-for-stay people because it saves the croo from doing things (i.e. nasty daily chores) they'd rather ignore. And that's pretty much it. If people wanna tip these kids, well have at it, but in truth, and I suspect I have more experience/knowledge here than some folks.....this is neither required or expected. The croos are generally much too be busy ingratiating themselves with the "real" people, i.e. the moneyed AMC members, etc., who are happily enjoying their faux wilderness experience and are delighted to compensate those who spend the summers caring for them. But to pretend that these kids performed some sort of "service" on the behalf of the long-distance hiker is a long stretch. You do a couple of hours of work. You get a bunk that was empty anyways, or you sleep on the common-room floor, with an admonition to get up well before the "real" people see you there. You maybe get fed scraps or leftovers, maybe not. This is a "Service" that these people perform? I think I'm missing something here. The notion that one is performed a "service" on their behalf by the AMC or their croos is kind of a long stretch. Hut stays for thrus: Here's the deal---- Hikers get out of the weather for a night. Hut croos get a day off from sweeping bunkrooms and cleaning latrines for a day. That's pretty much it. Let's not overly romanticize this because real hikers......as well as real croo members (many of whom ARE former thru-hikers) know the facts here.
know the facts here.
I am not sure the suggestion that croos treat thru hikers in the manner the Thenardiers treated Cosette qualifies as a fact.
Oh well.
I've never tipped any Croo, but haven't had an opportunity to do so yet.
Is it like tipping cows?
It sort of like going to church. If you like the service and you have a couple of bucks, contribute. If you don't, then don't.
We've opened up a new drive-thru communion here in town. One of those partnership arrangements with Tim Horton's. Seems to be going well.
Old Hillwalker
04-09-2013, 06:50
I always give the croo a tip when I leave: "Buy low, sell high" and "Don't eat the yellow snow".
SunnyWalker
04-13-2013, 09:42
Hey, Jak, howyadoin'? Haven't "seen" ya lately. I start my thru hike of CDT this April 27. Wanna come?
This is becoming a foolish argument. Despuite a comment made above, the crew at the Huts did not make much possible for long distance hikers. They are college students who know exactly what is expected of them. They know that a significant portion of their potential income comes from buttering up (nice way of saying "sucking up") to the clientele. This is why they do their cute "tip hustling" theater skit every night, reminding their tony guests to toss a double sawbuck in the big jar. Sorry, Rick, but even longtime croo members will happily acknowledge this. The croos of Huts, by and large, enjoy the efforts of the hiker work-for-stay people because it saves the croo from doing things (i.e. nasty daily chores) they'd rather ignore. And that's pretty much it. If people wanna tip these kids, well have at it, but in truth, and I suspect I have more experience/knowledge here than some folks.....this is neither required or expected. The croos are generally much too be busy ingratiating themselves with the "real" people, i.e. the moneyed AMC members, etc., who are happily enjoying their faux wilderness experience and are delighted to compensate those who spend the summers caring for them. But to pretend that these kids performed some sort of "service" on the behalf of the long-distance hiker is a long stretch. You do a couple of hours of work. You get a bunk that was empty anyways, or you sleep on the common-room floor, with an admonition to get up well before the "real" people see you there. You maybe get fed scraps or leftovers, maybe not. This is a "Service" that these people perform? I think I'm missing something here. The notion that one is performed a "service" on their behalf by the AMC or their croos is kind of a long stretch. Hut stays for thrus: Here's the deal---- Hikers get out of the weather for a night. Hut croos get a day off from sweeping bunkrooms and cleaning latrines for a day. That's pretty much it. Let's not overly romanticize this because real hikers......as well as real croo members (many of whom ARE former thru-hikers) know the facts here.
Like most of your posts I totaly agree with you.
Now for my 2 cents. The mentality of many thru-hikers that I have met is: don't spend any money you don't have to. I will justify this comment with the following explination. Since I thru-hiked in 01 I have, each year, been a vollinteer caretaker at Upper Goose Pond cabin on the AT in Mass. When I first started being a caretaker we would request a fee of $3 to stay in the cabin or $2 to tent on a platform. Folks staying were asked to put their fee in a collection jar. Each day after the hikers left I would tally up what was left. The money collected and the folks who stayed evened out most of the time. About 5 years ago the AMC folks who manage the cabin decided not to post a fee but suggest that anyone who cared to leave a donation could do so. If I was asked what should be left I would reply "what ever you care to leave." Many hikers stayed enjoyed the cabin had a free breakfast and left without leaving anything at all. Others, mostly section hikers, would hand me a $10 or $20 and thank me for providing what I did .
Jack Tarlin
04-14-2013, 09:51
My comments were aimed solely at the White Mountain Huts. Obviously, at other facilities where there is a known or implied suggested "donation" for enjoyment or use of the facility, hikers should absolutely do their part and give what is expected, as these are the funds that keep the place going. If they're in a position to do so, they should give a few bucks extra.
magic_game03
04-15-2013, 15:07
I've never tipped the Croo. Never paid for a bunk. Always did work-for-stay. Probably stayed about twenty nights total in the huts, I think about 4-5 times I actually had to do work. In 2005 I stayed at Mizpah for a whole week. The first day they made me sweep the floor, that's it. The next day I just took up sweeping the floor and nobody said anything. I got a lot of great stories about the Whites and the awesome hut Croo's.
[Photos from Mizpah 2005. 1)Sitting around drinking with Croo. 2) The 10 hour keg-a-thon to get the 150lb keg up the trail to the hut for the halloween party. 3) fore mentioned halloween party. ]
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