Huts or not?

[DawnTreader]

nope.. not a tourist hiker, nor a "thru hiker"... just a plain old long distance hiker. And although you may think its "like" a job, its not a job... I've been out long enough to know that a good long distance hike is recreation, and I consider my long distance treks Vacations, and good ones at that. 6 months travelling on foot in the backcountry=VACATION

[4eyedbuzzard]

Well you have your right to say what you want, but a thru-hike isn't a vacation. It's more like a job, and a hard one at that.

Hiking is certainly demanding. But "more like a job"? When it gets to that point I'll definitely quit.

"Hon, I'm quitting The Trail for 6 months to get a job..."

[Sly]

Once you get to Ethan Pond you can have the guy radio ahead for reservations. I did this to stay in the Dungeon at Lake of the Clouds. Thinking now I may have also been able to have made a reservation at the Nauman Tentsite (which was full when I got there) at Mizpah Hut instead of doing a work for stay at the Hut.

[Sly]

IMO, a thru-hike can certainly be like a job. The difference being instead of getting up every day and working for pay, you get up and hike which is work.

[Boat Drinks]

There are places in the Whites where you cannot camp, and it could be dangerous to try.

Why dangerous? Please elaborate.

[Lone Wolf]

Why dangerous? Please elaborate.

you'd be totally exposed to incoming weather. a lot of it is above treeline

[rafe]

Why dangerous? Please elaborate.

Camping above treeline is absolutely not recommended. In the popular areas there are ridge-runners to enforce that.

[MarcnNJ]

We camped above treeline once in the whites on last years thru....it was risky, but the place was too nice to leave....we would have kept going for sure if the weather wasnt so nice....at dawn, to see the sun rising over Maine, while the full moon was setting over Mt. Washington made the risk worth it for sure....It was my favorite campsite on the whole trip

[rafe]

Love the avatar, MarcnNJ.

[Gray Blazer]

Hiking is certainly demanding. But "more like a job"? When it gets to that point I'll definitely quit.

"Hon, I'm quitting The Trail for 6 months to get a job..."

I have to agree. when hiking becomes like a job it's time for me to quit. Now, with that in mind, it's getting to be a job for a Floridiot like me to get my cold weather hiking gear together. I want the WB "Oprah" to do a cold weather hiking makeover for me and my gear.

[Marta]

When I was passing through the Whites last summer the mass of the NOBOs were also coming through in the opposite direction. Competition for work-for-stays was intense. In order to get one you pretty much had to knock off hiking at 2 so you could be the first or second person to ask for it. A major subject of kvetching by NOBOs from the Wilderness all the way to Goreham had been problems they'd had in the Whites.

I didn't want to get into the work-for-stay race so I called the AMC from Goreham and made reservations at the huts. I had to adjust my plans a bit, but it was no big deal. Once I started through the Whites I changed my schedule and the AMC reservation people worked with me on that. It happens all the time and they're good about it.

I would NOT recommend making reservations now, before you start your hike. You really have very little idea of when you might reach NH and it would be a shame to have the necessity of getting there on a particular date ruling 80% of your hike.

The huts are full of families, youth groups, and Scouts. Being a thru-hiker guest there is like being an animal in a zoo. They're all changing into clean clothes for dinner (pressed jeans, leather belts with metal buckles...stuff you can not believe they carried up the mountains) and having fun with their families and friends. Being a thru-hiker in that crowd is very isolating and strange. It sucked my will to hike. After a few days I was very anxious to get back to regular shelters.

OTOH, it's almost like slackpacking since you don't have to bring food or a stove or even water treatment (if you carry that). You can even get away without using a sleeping bag since they provide blankets.

At the last hut I stayed in one of the Croo's moms was there and she invited me to contact her when I passed near her house in PA. I did and had a great visit with food, laundry, comfortable bed, homemade wine, and excellent conversation. Pure Trail Magic.

Also at that hut (Lonsesome Lake) I just happened to mention that I was running low on snack food and that the hut had run out of candy for sale. The other guests loaded me down with granola bars, etc. Nice people...

Marta/Five-Leaf

[Butch Cassidy]

Loved the The Huts, did two work for stays. Easy job and spent time with fun people. My job on the forth of July at Galehead was to give a presentation on my Hike. Not bad for two meals and warm stay. I was early in the season, that might have helped. Butch

[neo]

i was treated very well at the 6 huts i stopped at,i stayed at madison springs,lake of clouds,zealand falls and galehead huts,i stopped for
lunch at mizpah and lonesome lake,i spent 16 bucks in the whites
8 at liberty springs and 8 for lunch at mizpah and lonesome lake
i really enjoyed the whites last september hike. neo

it really makes a difference when you pass thru the whites at the end of the season neo

[Lone Wolf]

You'll get fined if they catch you.

who exactly fines you?

[MarcnNJ]

We saw a USFS ranger hiking southbound earlier in the day when we camped above treeline...I asked him about his job, and found out he was continuing southbound to Pinkhman Notch that day.....so i didnt fear being caught by anyone......Im sure he would have fined us if he saw where we were camped

[Peaks]

Camping above treeline is absolutely not recommended. In the popular areas there are ridge-runners to enforce that.

According to the USFS Backcountry Camping Rules, camping above treeline is prohibited unless there is 2 feet of snow cover. The reason is very fragile alpine plants. It's a tough place to grow! So, please stay on the trail, and don't trample the vegetation.

Stop at Hikers Welcome Hostel in Glencliff for details on bootleg campsites. There are ample places to camp along the AT, or just off the AT.

It's the USFS that enforces the regulations. That being said, there aren't too many rangers out there. They are stretched pretty thin.

And of course, there is always the concern about severe weather. Many times, it can be absoutely gorgous. But, it has also claimed the lives of over 130 people, including thru-hikers like Harley in 2002.

[rafe]

It's the USFS that enforces the regulations. That being said, there aren't too many rangers out there. They are stretched pretty thin.

Many many moons ago one of those rangers caught up with us. I forget exactly where we were camped -- it was my girlfriend and I. It was dark and we had already finished dinner. The guy was pretty friendly, but basically offered us this deal: I can write you up -- but it's a federal offense, or you can pack up and head for the hut -- which wasn't too far away. I can't remember which hut it was anymore, but I remember we opted for the hut.

[MarcnNJ]

I hear you regarding the fragile alpine vegetation...we werent trampling on an area that hasnt been used before.....it was at a vista, so people have already trampled down the vegetation....

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