I am doing the AT starting 3/05. I am confused about how the AMC huts work in the White Mountains. It says in the NH-Ver Trail Guide to “make reservations as far ahead as possible”. Do you need reservations to stay at these huts: if so, how does one gage when you will be there and still make reservations as far ahead as possible. Do I sound confused…Thanx for your help
Tex Doc
If you are thru-hiking you can “work for stay” at the huts, meaning that they allow 2 hikers at each night nightly to work off their stay for dinner and possibly a bunk and breakfast. It’s a great deal considering it costs 75 bucks to stay a night. Of course if you want to make reservations you can always do so and be a paying guest, but most thru-hikers don’t seem to have this cash or after living out of a backpack for 4 months don’t see it fit to live it up, so to speak.
Anyway, you can read the AMC rules about this the closer you come to the Whites, where policies are posted. Really nothing you should be concerned about now. Just get thru Georgia first and take it one step ata time:)
A-Train
A-Train, Is this a new rule for the huts? When I hiked across the Whites I worked for stay at each hut, and there was always more than two of us working for stay. At Lake of the Clouds, there were six of us working.
Pancho
Its really up to the Hut/Crew leader in each Hut. Based on whats going on at the Hut they may allow more hikers to work-for-stay. I had one Hut that weren’t letting any because there was am AMC meeting being held that night. It all depends on the situation that day. They may also let Thru-Hikers stay without doing Work-For-Stay. No meals. At Lakes of the clouds there must have been a dozen of us there and only a few did work-for-stay. Don’t sweat the Whites, it will all work out.
Sub 03
Subman
What ever you do be good to the croo. They do NOT represent the AMC. Many of them are former thrus and they can really help you out, if you go out of your way to be friendly to them. If you get a work for stay, actually do the work. Don’t make it hard for the next thru.
Blue Jay
If you are looking to stay as a guest on a weekend or holiday the huts will be full. The best bet for having a space available is to go through mid-week and even then its not assured there will be an opening. You can call from the Hikers Welcome in Glenclife NH to see if there is an opening at Lonesome Lake or the huts in the Franconia Range (Greenleaf or Galehead). You should be able to determine how long it will take to get there by then. Remember that you are going to start through some rugged terrain and your milage will decrease. I believe that the huts can radio each other to arrainge for stays if available. You can make it through the Whites without staying at the huts if you plan correctly, know the stealth sites, and are willing to push hard on some days. I believe that the folks at the Hikers Welcome have the Beta on stealth sites.
Big B
Hey Tex Doc,
You’re right to be confused about how the AMC hut system works. The official policies sound draconian to the point of unworkable.
However, when night descends on the mountains, the hut crews are pretty autonomous. If you’re on good behavior, then they’ll accomodate you.
Here’s an example. I did a long day up into the Presidentials. There was drizzle and a thick mist. It was a bit cold. There were no camping options; the area was pretty much a boulderfield.
I arrived at Lake of the Clouds hut cold and wet. They already had a full load of work-for-stays, so a few of us were just trying to huddle out of the way. But the hut crew was working hard to serve 40 or 50 people, so I just pitched in-- collecting dishes, wiping down tables, sweeping, etc.
For a small fee, they let us sleep on the dining room tables that night in a big room surrounded by windows on three sides. I woke up well before dawn to an amazing sight: there was a complete blanket of clouds BELOW the hut and a full moon ABOVE, so we had this panoramic, moonlit view with a cloud layer as a “ground” and only the highest mountaintops bursting up through. Pretty amazing.
I helped with breakfast and the crew refunded my fee. So in principle, I should have been screwed-- I arrived too late to get a work-for-stay-- but in practice, I had one of the coolest nights on the whole trail.
Eric