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  1. #21
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    I was on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike attempt this year (2015). After reading a favorable description of the property in AWOLs book, I mailed a resupply box there, intending to tent there for the night, resupply, and re-forward my "bounce box". I arrived about sunset on August 8, 2015, requesting my bounce box, and tent space for the night.

    I was incredulous when told that the WHOLE property had been reserved for a wedding that weekend, and that I would have to move on into the night and find a place to wild camp. Of course, I was very experienced in doing that, since I had had hiked 1,304 miles before arriving there.

    But, the issue is this: What indeed is the mission of the Appalachian Mountain Club, who owns the Mohican Outdoor Center? Despite their loftily stated goals, it obviously is merely to make money any way they can, rather than serving the needs of the hiking and outdoor community. I join the sentiments of a previous poster, who stated that AMC actually stands for American Money Collectors.

    Of course there was ample space to tent camp on the property - they own what must be hundreds of acres. They could have offered me a place in their woods to set up my tent, go through and bounce box and mail it out again the next day, but NO! The manager was adamant that the WHOLE property was unavailable.

    So, out into the evening I went, now carrying the heaviest pack of my whole journey because I now had the whole of my 15 pound bounce box strapped to the top of my pack, not being able to ship it forward.

    I must say that in the whole of my hike, this was the ONLY time I was turned away for lodging, and this was from a place purportedly to serve the needs of outdoor enthusiasts!

    In contrast, several small towns (Unionville, NY, Port Clinton, VA, and Glasgow, VA, to name just a few) provided free lodging to hikers at locales that they constructed just for that purpose, and several business establishments offer free tenting to hikers on their property (South Mountain Hotel in South Mountain, PA was a shining example).

    No, I was not looking for "free" lodging at all - I was expecting to pay for my tent site, of course. But, to be turned away by an organization that supposedly serves the outdoor community was an insult, and shows the AMC and the Mohican Outdoor Center in a very poor light.

    I would encourage AT thru-hikers to avoid this place like the plague - they obviously do not care about the AT hiker community. Take your money elsewhere, and let them cater to the needs of the well-heeled who can rent out the whole place to fill their coffers.

  2. #22
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    Vermont- Live free or die. AMC- pay up or die.



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  3. #23
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    I mean New Hampshire. Live Free or Die. We thought It was interesting that a state with that logo had the strictest rules and the most red tape type stuff with the huts.


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  4. #24
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    Wow, that is sad to hear. I stayed there in 2004 but they dinged me for $20. I don't think the AMC owned it back then but not sure. Anyhow, I really couldn't complain because I had an entire bunk room to myself, with full cooking facilities, including a stove and fridge plus access to a bath house with hot showers. There was a cold rain that night, so that lessened the $20 hit in my mind. I was glad to have found the place. It was a long walk back to the bunkhouse which may have explained why I had it to myself. I was doing a 400 mile section that year.

    Why in the world would they rent the entire facility for a wedding is beyond me..... and I would have to question if the wedding party attendees really knew what they were buying for their money. This must have been some AMC dignitary's daughter or son getting married - lol.

    I'd be tempted to write a letter to AMC to get an explanation for this, and what their true intention is for the facility. BTW, you can make advance reservations, but that is not something that thru hikers do very often.

    One thing you can almost always say about the trail...... is it has lots of surprises and unexpected situations; some good and some bad.

  5. #25

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    The AMC facilities predate the AT by many, many years. They have no obligation to service thru hikers, but yet in many cases they offer free accommodations. The problem is there are way too many thru hikers these days to accommodate them all and too many of these thru hikers feel that they are in some way "special" or "entitled" since they are thru hikers.

    It's unfortunate that CheeseGrits had poor timing when he arrived at the Mohican center, but he probably got a free stay and pancakes at Upper Goose pond and maybe even a "work for stay" at one or more of the huts, so it all evens out in the end. Try not to show up at any of these places on the weekend, when there is a good chance you'll be turned away.

    I'm not a big fan of the AMC, but I do understand their history and the problems they have to deal with here in the Whites with crowd management.
    Last edited by Slo-go'en; 11-04-2015 at 13:21.
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  6. #26
    Registered User Monello's Avatar
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    I remember when Mohican was a boy scout camp back in the early 70s. Too bad a few of the buildings are no longer there.

  7. #27
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    that's the chance you take showing up after sunset with no reservations. another reason to not do mail drops. AMC is not the problem

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by BonBon View Post
    I mean New Hampshire. Live Free or Die. We thought It was interesting that a state with that logo had the strictest rules and the most red tape type stuff with the huts.


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    you spend most of your time hiking in NH on federal land. just saying...

  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    The AMC facilities predate the AT by many, many years. They have no obligation to service thru hikers, but yet in many cases they offer free accommodations.
    Simply you have most of this bassawkards.
    - only one location they are contractually obligated to cater to and provide free stays, upper Goose Pond, simply because it is not their's and the only reason they give us free stays is because they agreed to such a deal. By and large all others are paid, or work for stay, which is also a form of paid stays. The only arguable exception for the work for stay is Lakes Hut which is considered to remote to turn thru hikers away from work for stay request, so for liability reasons AMC does allow more work for stay thru hikers then is really needed.

    As for everything else they have build a lucrative business out of getting city people into the wilderness in a Disney park way. Thru hikers threaten their business model because they don't need the AMC business model, and AMC likes to not make them or our trail very evident to their paying clients.

    The problem is there are way too many thru hikers these days to accommodate them all and too many of these thru hikers feel that they are in some way "special" or "entitled" since they are thru hikers.
    They certainly are special and entitled and are recognized as such on the national, state and local level (as well as many businesses and trail angels) - as in thru hiker permit for thru hikers in GSMNP (National), Free stay at the Birches (Baxter State Park - State), Being allowed to stay in the town park (Pawling NY - local). Among many examples. Thru hikers are simply entitled to special privileges.

    It's unfortunate that CheeseGrits had poor timing when he arrived at the Mohican center
    Mohican Center was the worst of the worst, I almost got the post master general to investigated them for intentionally withholding my package. Wish I did, mail fraud is a federal offense. They also seemed to do this with several other thru hikers, but ever ready to sell them sandwiches while they wait for today's mail (which they didn't check yet).

    Sorry to see that they have not improved.
    , but he probably got a free stay and pancakes at Upper Goose pond and maybe even a "work for stay" at one or more of the huts, so it all evens out in the end.
    A work for stay evens it out??? It's a mutually beneficial agreement, nothing is given if you are required to work for your stay.
    Last edited by Starchild; 11-04-2015 at 19:47.

  10. #30
    1,630 miles and counting earlyriser26's Avatar
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    Funny, no one has answered the OP's question. Why has no shelter been built?
    There are so many miles and so many mountains between here and there that it is hardly worth thinking about

  11. #31

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    The Mohican center is not a post office. You send mail there at your own risk. Mail is not delivered there, they have to go get it. Stupid place to send a mail drop, you just left the Water Gap that day.
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  12. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    The Mohican center is not a post office. You send mail there at your own risk. Mail is not delivered there, they have to go get it. Stupid place to send a mail drop, you just left the Water Gap that day.
    There are also legal obligations in accepting mail for another, quite serious ones.

  13. #33
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    When we stopped there this summer on our LASH the girls running it were less than professional. We got there about 4:50 and they were already trying to close up. We barely got them to give us our packages. The real kicker to me was the next day when we went in to pay up because we called ahead and made a reservation we had to pay more than if we had just walked in! I was astounded that calling ahead costs you more. The girl said yeah if you hadn't called I could have given you the hiker discount but since you called I can't - what a bunch of crap.

  14. #34

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    Quote Originally Posted by earlyriser26 View Post
    Funny, no one has answered the OP's question. Why has no shelter been built?
    Well I don't know about shelters not being built there, but there use to be another backpacker site that was available closer to the gap, stayed there a lot over the years. It's my understanding that after a fire got outta hand and burned the woods up they nixed that one...what's left is one tent site further noth and the only one between the gap and mohican center.

  15. #35
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    no need for a shelter in that area. pitch a dang tent. whining is startin' to take over

  16. #36
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    The place that really needs a camping option is Madison Hut.


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  17. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by BonBon View Post
    The place that really needs a camping option is Madison Hut.


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    absolutely not

  18. #38
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    You are wrong.


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  19. #39
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    I think that is the BP site south of Sunfish Pond. It is OK during the week but there are tons of rocks and it is hard to find a tent site completely clear of rocks. Water may be iffy or non-existent, depending on the time of the year. Sunfish Pond would then be the source if the spring isn't flowing. It has been quite a while since I camped there.... and as I recall, camping around the pond is forbidden and that is strictly enforced.

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by BonBon View Post
    You are wrong.


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    no, i'm very right. too exposed. they're not there to cater to through hikers. reserve a room or get below tree line

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