Re-Supply White House Landing

[thestin]

you'll find the loudest come from people who have never been there.

Great point and guilty as charged!

I reckon if I had 2000 miles under my belt, I would gladly pay a surcharge to use my card.

I reckon I've done enough arguing for one day...

[Blue Jay]

The problem with your example is that it is still gouging and still illegal.

Great yet another fool complaining about an AT service. As you've been told more than once, if you don't like it PLEASE don't go there. Very few people give a rat's ass about your "problem". Go away.

[DavidNH]

I hope this will be my last post on this thread (no promises though!)...

White house is a nice and rustic facility, the food is great and you can re-supply there..enough to get one to Monson or Abol Bridge. If a hiker is northbound and has hiked over 2000 miles to that point, especially if he is wet, he will want to stop and eat, resupply and dry off.

Prices are all clearly marked. I feel that things were pricey, though that may well be due to the fact that it all has to be hauled in from some distance. The place is quite isolated!

Hikers don't tip? of course hikers don't tip. Most are young and fresh out of college. Northbounders often are lucky to have enough money to buy in first place never mind an extra tip!

My main complaint about WHL is that the owners weren't all that friendly..at least they got easily crossed. Moreover, I really don't think they enjoy their job. That came through strongly. I am glad they take credit cards.. one only carries so much cash in the woods! There are no atms for days in either direction!! To me the extra charge for the use of credit card is a small matter.

Let's not forget, they retrieve hikers from trail and bring them back to the trail by BOAT. and they don't charge for boat's gas. as of summer 2006. I wish now they could make a bridge and a new trail so hikers could walk all the way there. As it is..if there was a charge for the boat trip there would be no more business.

They do make those 1 pond burgers and also pizzas at supper. And pretty good breakfasts. They claim breakfast is all you can eat but its not AYCE for a thru hiker appetite!

David

[Lone Wolf]

Hikers don't tip? of course hikers don't tip. Most are young and fresh out of college. Northbounders often are lucky to have enough money to buy in first place never mind an extra tip!

but they ALWAYS seem to have $$ for beer, pot, cigarettes, etc.

[Frosty]

And concerning the negatives and complaints: you'll find the loudest come from people who have never been there.

I don't know why people do this. Someone complained way back that the Blueberry Patch was allowing people to tent and they now can take only 7 people a night, the number of bunks they have.

Yeah, that was a great service to the hiker community. About as helpful as crusading against The Landing charging for a satellite phone call so they can make calls to credit card companies.

The bottom line is that if you force The Landing to not accept credit cards, all you are doing is requiring them to accept only cash. Cripes, you can pay cash now if you want. I don't think he realizes just where The Landing is.

I don't know. I'm just grumpy today and this whole thing hit me wrong.

[Lone Wolf]

thru-hikers are notorious for bitching and moaning about everything.

[Cookerhiker]

......My main complaint about WHL is that the owners weren't all that friendly..at least they got easily crossed. Moreover, I really don't think they enjoy their job. That came through strongly. ......David

David, I've heard the same sentiment expressed by others both on WB and in person. All I can say is that my experience from staying there in Sept. '05 was not like that - I thought they were friendly and accommodating.

Re. the original question for this thread: it's only 2 more days/1 night to Abol Bridge so forget resupplying at WH Landing. I know lots of you want ultralight packs but you can manage 2 more days of food. And that last part of the 100 mile wilderness isn't too hard. One steep but short climb up Nesuntabunt is the only ascent.

[Cookerhiker]

thru-hikers are notorious for bitching and moaning about everything.

A lot do, but not all of them.

[Appalachian Tater]

Some miscellaneous thoughts on WHL:

They're out in the middle of the woods off the grid. Everything has to be hauled in from some distance, electricity has to be generated. During the muddy season there is no road access in or out. There are no alternative service providers available.

There are two adults and a young man running the whole place--doing the cooking, cleaning, yardwork, repairs, water-taxi-ing, teaching the kid, etc. They work hard all day every day. This means they have to have a schedule. They can't stop everything else to make a pizza anytime somebody blows the horn.

In the past, by far the largest part of their business has been snowmobilers--hundreds a day sometimes. The business was designed around their needs, not hikers'. The warm winters have devastated their snowmobile business.

I don't remember exactly how much the really great one-pound burger was last summer, just under $10, if I remember correctly. There are no comparable hamburgers in New York City for anything near that price. If you compare the price alone to Burger King, without considering the quality and quantity, it is expensive. If you compare the overall value to even a casual restaurant chain such as TGI Friday, etc., it's not expensive. Probably they must buy many of their supplies at retail, not wholesale, because of the location.

We were polite and the owners were very welcoming and friendly to us. If you have every worked retail, or have been a waiter, you can imagine how difficult it is to be nice to customers even under ideal circumstances.

I consider my afternoon at WHL a great experience and memory and certainly the cost was appropriate for what was received. I would recommend going there and if I were, hiking there again and it were convenient, would stay there overnight.

[DavidNH]

but they ALWAYS seem to have $$ for beer, pot, cigarettes, etc.

Lone Wolf.. I have to agree with you on this one..You are truly tellin' it like it is.

Many many thru hikers complained about having to pay a few bucks to a caretaker so they could set up their tent in a designated spot yet spent easily more than that at the next bar!

So perhaps it isnt a matter of their being broke..they simply have misplaced priorities!

David

[ryan207]

Alright, I will set this straight for all of you. I am SOBO this year and I was at white house landing in june. They do take credit, you can re-supply, you do pay more but its worth it, the side trail is not 1.7 miles, its more like 0.7, I thought it was well worth it. Good luck.