I understand that the hut system in the Whites requires reservations, as does Baxter State Park. I think it would be hard for me to plan exactly when i’d be arriving in certain areas of the Whites or in Baxter. Is this going to be a problem regarding finding a place to sleep in those sections?
C-Giddy
Other than I filter water/I don’t argument the AMC in the White Mtns is probably the most heated debate on the trail. I sure hope this doesn’t turn into a war ont he AMC…
The White Mtns and Baxter St Park are the only places directly on the trail where you have to pay to stay. This includes Huts, campsites, and shelters. People get pissed at this. Maybe it’s right. maybe it’s wrong. Regardless, you have to pay.
In terms of reservations… The Huts require reservations if you plan on staying at the huts, in their bunks, eat their food, use their bathrooms. They are like hotels. Reservations for campsites and shelters are not necessary in the Whites. A caretaker will be there to take your money. I believe a night ata hut costs $60+ dollars. The huts usually let at least 4 Thrus to work for stay. Work includes dishes, serving food, etc. Don’t rely on getting a work for stay.
In Baxter, there is a campsite and shelter I think used strictly for thrus. Reservations are not necessary.
Hope this helps
Grimace
Hi C-Giddy,
No, on both counts. The A.M.C. huts DO require reservations if you’d like a guaranteed, full-service stay, but you don’t HAVE to stay at them. Generally, most huts offer work-for-stay to the first two thru-hikers who arrive and request that each day. Lakes-of-the-Clouds hut, which is above treeline and just below the summit of Mt. Washington, tries to take in all thru-hikers. They put up more than 20 of us when I was there. Some of us worked, others paid a nominal fee. There’s no guarantee, but some huts took in additional work-for-stays and/or let additional thru-hikers who showed up pay to stay. From what I’ve heard and my experience, Madison Hut at the northern end of the Presidential Range has been the biggest stickler on the work- or pay-for-stay thing. But, again, you CAN camp.
There are certain rules of throw-down camping in the Whites (ie. no camping above treeline, no camping within a quarter-mile of the huts), and, yes, the terrain does limit those options, but everyone I knew when I went through found spots to pitch their tents. There are also shelters and tentsites in thw Whites, and those have caretakers that collect the fees ($6 or $7, I believe) when you show up. Just look ahead at your Thru-Hikers Companion and/or Data Book (I recommend carrying both), and plan your daily miles accordingly. Your average miles per day may very well drop some when you hit the Whites, as the terrain becomes more difficult than most of what you’ll have encountered south of there. And you might sometimes want to stop a bit earlier if you find a good throw-down site and are just about to ascend to a lengthy above-treeline stretch.
As for Baxter, you might want to call ahead from Monson. That’s where the LAST phone is before Baxter State Park. Or, at least it was when I went through. There was no phone at Abol Bridge and the people at White House Landing (off the trail in the 100-mile Wilderness) were no longer allowing hikers to use their cellphone, as they got stuck with some big bills. When I got to Abol Bridge, I hitched a ride about 10 miles, where I was able to use a phone and called the park. But even if you just hike on into the park, I’d think you’d just pay the fee when you get there. At least, I’ve never heard of any thru-hiker having a problem. The park folks are certainly used to thru-hikers and understand that making reservations can be very tricky.
This may be an annoying thing to say, BUT … the Whites and Baxter are a looooong walk away if you’re starting from Springer. I personally wouldn’t be concerned about either of those places until you’re almost there. I “planned” one stretch at a time–three to six days at a shot, generally–and that worked out just fine.
ramkitten
www.debralauman.com
ramkitten
While its true that the Huts can be very busy in the summer and hard to get last minute guest accomodations (almost impossible on weekends and nearly so all the time at highly popular huts like Lakes of The Clouds) If you stay flexible about how you spend your nights in the Whites and are willing to spend $72 a night (full service huts, $22 for self service Carter Notch) you can often get last minute reservations. You can even have a Hut Croo member or a shelter caretaker radio ahead to the Hut you want to crash at and check availability and make your reservation. A radio call can only be done durning the radio call that every AMC backcountry site does first thing in the morning.
And last I knew you didn’t need a reservation or be a guest to use the bathrooms at the huts, they’ve always been open to me whether I was staying or not.
celt
I heard nothing but horror stories about camping in the Whites all the way up the Trail. I worried for nothing. I had no trouble stealth camping. The trail itself kicked my ass, but the AMC (who DO suck) did not.
Blue Jay
We got a list of Stealth sites from Big John and Packman at the Glenclif hostel. It worked great. We go one work for stay and they even got to sleep on a bunk. At Madison we slept on the tables. Every camp ground in the Whites was full. The Shelters were empty. Most of the short hikers in the whites use either the Huts or the tent platforms not the shelters. Ramkitten gave you some good advice. Just wait until you get there. Enjoy your hike each day and don’t rush it. There is so much to see and some great people along the way. Have FUN!!!
Papa Smurf
Hut crews vary from hut to hut and year to year. Work for stay can be very minimal, like setting tables, or they can bust your chops. Best advice is to ask other thru-hikers going the other way what the scoop is. In '01, the crew at Madison rocked. But, if there is one thing that is given, it seems like the closer to Washington you get, the more people you see. So, the hut crews are generally stricter in the Presidential Range, and more laid back elsewhere.
And, if you ask the hut crew nicely, they will usually tell you where there is a nearby stealth camp site if you don’t want to do a work for stay or pay. Just don’t walk into a hut with the attitude that some thru-hikers have.
Peaks
Just be aware that if you work for stay in the huts in the whites your normal hiking schedule will be interupted. You eat last and after clean-up - usually 7:30-8PM at night 8:30-9AM in the morning. You sleep in the common room which the paying guests don’t vacate until 9:30-10PM and the food you get is the left overs. Sometimes alot, sometimes not much. For a complete thru-hiker experience, try The Dungeon at Lake of the Clouds - only $5 a night.
At Baxter, I highly recommend a night stay at Abol Campground outside the park. 1/4 milie down the trail is a sign-up sheet for the thru-hiker shelter in Baxter. By siging up here (if I remember 12 slots are availabe) you should be assured a spot. When I went through the Rangers let 3-4 extra’s pitch tents as well. If the list is overly full, you can always spend another night at Abol Campground. Its relatively cheap and has lots of amenities.
steamboat
Who do they think they are? Building those huts! Profiteering on scenery? Coal training trails of black death?
THA WOOKIE
you can always till the privy or distribute some organic hummus in exchange for staying at a shelter… i didn’t pay a dime to stay anywhere in the whites. just offer to till the privy. you know, you get in there with some dish gloves, a 2x4, and stir it up. you should feel privileged to participate in the process of organic waste management. and finally, don’t be afraid to hike down off the ridge to the RMC side of things…
d-low
My husband and I lucked out in the Whites as we were the first of the sobos last year and were able to work-for-stay in all but one of the huts we stopped at. We really enjoyed all the crews at the huts we stayed at. They were able to accomodate our hiking times too but working more in the evenings and letting us go earlier in the day. We had a lot of fun in the huts and were so happy to be able to stay at them because we had some cold, nasty, rainy weather in the Whites. The only hut where we were given a cold reception and turned out to face the freezing, wet weather was at the hut just south of Mt. Madison.
As to why the AMC can profit from the huts…the hut system was established quite a while before the AT so it isn’t like they were put in place to to make thruhiker’s lives miserable. If you don’t want to stay in the huts, I would second the recommendation of getting the stealth site list from the Glencliff hostel. If you are going southbound I would try calling Big John before you leave on your trek to get the list.
Budder Ball
I could be wrong, but I believe Wookie is talking about the Cog Railway on Mt. Washington. Like the AMC Huts which draw Yuppie Scum to the tops of mountains like Clingmans where they flow down hill creating death dealing Cell Phone Towers and packs that match their coats, the train is a coal training trail of black death. :rolleyes
Blue Jay
I tent (throw-down like RamKitten sed)legally throughout the Whites, just follow the rules about distance from trails stay below treeline (6 ft tall trees), LNT, and you’ll be fine. The tip about getting tips at Glenclif is a good one – the new(ish) owners are both thru-hikers.
Katahdin > good advice here too. GAMEs don’t really need advance reservations, can’t make them by phone anyhoo. Plan to hike right on past Hurd Brook Lean-to, and have some beer and Ben&Jerrys at Linda’s Store (she has a register - sign it!), check out the official kiosk (about 1/2 m. from the store) with the 12 hiker signin sheet, and if you want you can stay back at the Abol Bridge Campground ($8) or down by the river at Abol Pines (small fee, turns into a beer blast at times). Millinocket is 22 miles away, but that store (1st ATM since the Monson PO!) with the payphones RamKitten mentioned is just a easy hitch of 10 miles away. If you get to Baxter on a Sept. weekday, hike right on in - you’ll get a spot somewhere. The Ranger at Katahdin Sstream Campground is a great guy, much thru-hiker-friendlier than the way-too-busy couple that ran the old Daicey Pond lean-tos.
TJ < set the (record) for parentheses in a (post)!
TJ
In my two hikes I never had a problem with the AMC. In fact, after my last hike in 98 I went and worked on the croo at Lakes for the fall season and had a wonderful time. Thus, I can see it from both sides of the fence…thru hiker and hut croo.
All I can say is that it is amazing what can happen if you are simply nice. I can’t tell you the number of hikers we saw come through with an immense attitude of judgement and completely non-friendly. Most croo members are young college kids and most just want to have a good time and appreciate the ability to have someone help out with the mundane tasks. Unless you have worked on croo I can tell you that you probably have no idea how long the hours are and how much work they perform to keep things running. If they are less than friendly it could be because they work from before dawn to way after dark serving, serving, serving everyone they see non-stop.
When I went through on my two hikes I never had a problem getting work for stays at the huts I wanted, and that ended up being all of them. If you take it as part of the experience and can see good then you will enjoy the huts. I can assure you of one thing, the countless people that the hut croos rescue out of dangerous situations are usually happy the huts are there. I’ve seen many a croo member, after working 12-14 hours through out the day and dying to go to sleep, get up at the sound of the radio, pack up in bad weather and hit the trail looking for the lost. My first night on croo we had a lost woman on the trail at night that we discovered had broken her leg and we carried out. Of course one could argue whether the presence of the huts encourages unprepared hikers to venture out, but that is another matter. The people working for the AMC are not out to get rich, in fact they are a 501©3 non-profit corp. and the huts revenues don’t even cover their opporating expenses. So no, they are not making a profit on the huts. I can also tell you that the folks that oversee the huts truly want to serve the people and educate them to preserve wilderness. If you don’t get the general public out into creation they will not know what needs preserving. In the huts, people that normally would never climb a mountain get to enjoy that experience and learn while doing it via the many natural history classes taught at the huts.
My suggestion is to be flexible and enjoy the unique atmosphere of the huts and be nice to the croo and they will be nice to you. Best work for stay job is definitely helping out changing the toliet barrels at Zealand Hut…though you may want to request to not be the one “snapping the lids.” 
AMC does not own the COG either, or the buildings at the summit.
I do find it interesting that everyone gets upset about the huts in the whites but no one says a word about the Len Foote down in GA. It is a “wilderness hut,” complete with heat, electricity, hot water, handicap accessability, and a road almost right up to the door. Say what you want about the huts, but I think if we truly think they are wrong we should not enter their doors…no mid-day snacks, no free use of the toilet, etc. etc. We had many hikers that would come, stay for free and just wash a couple of dishes for an hour or two, eat our food, sit at our table, and then proceed to tell us how much they hate the AMC. Some of the behavior I saw from thru-hikers was truly disappointing. There is never an excuse to be ungrateful to those that have clearly made you warm, fed you, and offered you a bed (or table) to sleep on. Not that the hut croos are angels, far from it as people are people the world around.
Israel
Pretend they aren’t there. If you ain’t figured out how to lay down for the night by N.H. then you’re a sheeple. I’ll be goddamed if I sweep floors and kiss ass for a place to sleep in a National forest. Thru-hikers ain’t special. Pay the full price or move on.
Lone Wolf
Take it from a NH boy who has hiked the whites for thirty years you can avoid all the pay areas with a little planning and the willingness to camp in a marginal site. I don’t use a tent, just a bivy and can always find a place. Jon at the Hikers Welcome in Glencliff is a great resource.
Big B
I often see derogatory comments about the AMC in hiker’s journals and in chat rooms such as this. I don’t understand them and I think they are made out of ignorance. As an AMC member and potential thru-hiker I think they need to be set straight.
The AMC is indeed a non-profit, as Israel says, and as anyone who bothers to go to their website (http://www.outdoors.org/) would discover. No shareholders, no profits, no dividends!
The money the organization makes is spent for many, many outdoor related activities: trail maintenance and protection, rescues, educational programs, open land preservation, outdoors lobbying, recreational opportunities, conservation planning and mapping, air quality research (particularly important in the northeast), alpine ecology research and stewardship and much more.
As a matter of fact, there are plenty of seasonal employment opportunities for people interested in the outdoors, which I think would interest some thru-hikers.
As has been pointed out in other replies, if you don’t wanna deal with them, you don’t gotta. But don’t badmouth 'em for no good reason.
nycman50