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Poll: Did you stay at Lake of the Clouds Hut?

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  1. #1
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Default Did you stay at Lake of the Clouds Hut?

    Most of the AMC Huts are real easy to avoid staying at, should you wish to do so. The one exception is Lakes of the Clouds Hut which is located on the longest strech of trail above tree line.

    This poll asks thru hikers and section hikers whether or not you stayed there. If you've backpacked over the Presidentials more than once, answer for your first time through.
    Last edited by rickb; 12-05-2005 at 11:30.

  2. #2

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    I worked for stay and answered accordingly.

    However, a more accurate poll choice would have been: "I worked for stay but wish I hadn't been so "lucky" cuz they worked my butt off and in retrospect I should have paid the $40 or so."

    My wife and I did the Presidentials a couple years later and gladly made reservations and paid the full tariff.

  3. #3
    Donating Member/AT Class of 2003 - The WET year
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    No ...the Croo was boarding it up when I hiked through in 2003. Lakes (and all the rest of the huts above tree line) close on 9/15 and I missed it by a day or two.

    'Slogger
    The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.

  4. #4
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    in retrospect I should have paid the $40 or so
    Its about twice that now.

  5. #5
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    4 4 4 @ Lake o' the Crowds. And always a good experience.

  6. #6
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    Default We Got Lucky, Real Lucky

    The day we reached Lake of the Clouds was an "off" day as far as paying patrons was concerned. There were 12 of us there that night and all of us were given work for stay. Not to mention we we given our own bunkroom!

    We had a great time with the "Croo" and the "work" was minimal. We were out on the trail the next day by 8:00.

    No omplaints here

    Cuppa Joe

  7. #7
    Registered User weary's Avatar
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    I lied in the poll. I said it was windy, because I didn't want to lie and say I was rich.

    Actually, it was well into September by the time I reached the Whites. I figured reserving space in the huts would avoid the hassle and delays of finding camping places. Plus I had never stayed at the huts as a paying customer, and thought I'd try it out.

    As it turned out an early snow storm and gale winds forced me to stay a second night at the Lakes. I envied those who were working their way through. They were in the warm kitchen doing dishes while I shiffered in the unheated dining room.

    Weary

  8. #8
    Registered User Lobo's Avatar
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    I paid to stay there in 1999 when I did a three hut hike with my wife. I "worked to stay" during my 2000 thru hike by giving a talk in the evening about backpacking to about 100 people, and setting the tables for breakfast the next morning.

  9. #9
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    I was stuck there for two nights by by weather. It was a bit odd. While sitting at breakfast in Crawford Notch a gentleman said he had paid in advance for two bunks but was going alone, so offered me a free bunk. So I was set for the first night. The next night a hiking club had booked nearly the entire hut for a huge party and not all of them could make it up in the storm. Not looking forward to having to wait until well past midnight for a table to sleep on after enduring hours of loud partying, I splurged and paid for a second night in a bunk. That got me fed and let me go to bed at a decent hour.

    It DID get me no end of good-natured ribbing from my fellow through-hikers. "How was your BUNK last night?" "She is not one of US anymore." "Traitor!" Still, it was worth it!

  10. #10
    trash, hiker the goat's Avatar
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    in '01 i hiked past it.

    in '03, i cowboy camped out on the ridge above the hut on the rocks. you could see every star in the sky that night.

  11. #11

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    been there a few times, (only allowed one vote though) i've slept in the dungeon twice, worked twice and camped at Edmonds Col once and hiked all the way from Crawford to Pinkham once. Last time i saw the dungeon, it had 5 inches of ice over the door. (kept going)

  12. #12
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    I saw a reference to "reduced rates" for vacant bunks in the letter section of this month's ATN. Is it true that there is such a thing? Or perhaps that was just one croo's individual policy?

    Also, is the Dungeon even open these days? If so, can you just show up and claim your spot like at a shelter?

  13. #13

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    After a hour of hard labor rolling boulders and carrying 5 gallon buckets of mineral soil for the $6 fee at Ethan Pond, I splurged and made reservations for the Dungeon from Ethan Pond.

  14. #14
    Registered User Tim Rich's Avatar
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    We stayed at several huts on our section hike there a few years ago and got the three or four day discount. It was our most expensive section hike on the whole trail, but I knew it was coming and planned for it. It was a great experience.

    Take Care,

    Tim

  15. #15
    ME-GA 2000 NotYet's Avatar
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    The winds were wailing; it was cold and wet, and the dungeon was full. The croo let us find a spot in the main room after the paying customers went to their bunks ($3 for two people seemed very reasonable to me!). Since it wasn't work for stay, we even got to leave early the next morning. It all worked out quite well for us!!!

  16. #16
    Registered User Kembo's Avatar
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    Default Paid full fare

    I paid the full fare. It included a good dinner, breakfast and a box lunch to go. My dog slept in the bunk with me. The whole thing cost me $11.50 in 1972.

  17. #17

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    We hit the hut just right this July because there were a lot of NOBOs and SOBO hiking on the trail. The weather was cool and rainy so we were glad to do the labor. The croo made sure we did our assigned task but we got to clean up on leftovers after our work. The guest were really curious about our hiking on the AT. We slept in the main dining room which wasn't bad at all. I had heard that the hut croos were less than friendly to AT hikers but we found this not the case because most went out of their way to help us out.

  18. #18
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    I think those with the best deal were the ones whose assigned work was to give a talk on thruhiking!

  19. #19

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    i got a work for stay AND i slept in the dungeon. no way was i gonna sleep on top of the tables or whatever it is they make the work-for-stay people do while all those yuppies were in the next room

  20. #20
    Registered User Grampie's Avatar
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    During my thru I did work for stay at Lake of the Clouds Hut. My work for stay was with the help of three other hikers, clean and defrost two refrigerators. We took our time and it took about an hour to do the job. I was the first to arrive, and ask to work, and was given a bunk to sleep in. Had a good dinner and a great breakfast. It was a enjoyable experience.
    Grampie-N->2001

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