Madison Carry Out

Hut crews have a number of responsibilities, one of them is to participate in search and rescues for lost and injured hikers in New Hampshire's White Mountains. Last week the Madison crew had to carry a thru-hiker who injured his knees, 3.9 miles down the Valley Way Trail, it was a long day.

It started on Monday with the crew getting a report that a thru-hiker, Doug, was moving very slowly towards the hut and needed assistance to get there before dark. It took two crew members no more than 20 minutes to reach Doug on the Gulfside trail but, after hiking from Georgia to the Northern Presidentials, his knees could no longer carry him and it took 2.5 hours for them to return to the hut. Doug spent three nights at the hut resting his legs, icing and trying to recover so that he could make the trip down and go to the hospital under his own power. On the third day, Doug and the crew realized he wasn't going to be able to walk out and that he would need to be carried.

Jesse, the Huts Field Supervisor, and I started coordinating the carry out from Pinkham and then hiked up a litter to the hut on Wednesday in preparation to start carrying after breakfast the next morning. While we were up there, we had the chance to visit with the crew, eat a delicious ham dinner, watch a spectacular sunset and meet some great guests which included a group of firefighters from New York City who were hiking to Lakes the next day. We got to bed early knowing that it would take all of our energy to carry
Doug's 185 pound frame down the trail.

With just 9 people, we started at 8:30am on Thursday morning. Ideally you have 12-18 people on any litter carry but we knew we had many AMC volunteers and NH Fish and Game officers coming up the trail to meet us and we wanted to get a good head start. The trail was wet, steep and very narrow at the top making it slow going. We switched out carriers every 5 minutes as arms and backs got tired quickly but, we made it down the steepest section, "the thousand yards," in a little over an hour to meet our first relief team.

As the trail widened and more helpers met us, the pace picked up and things were moving like clock work. Spirits were high as the rain had cleared for the first day in over a week, we had plenty of help and Doug was as patient as he could be, despite the bumpy ride. We arrived at the trail head after 4.5 hours of backbreaking work, which is pretty good time for the Valley Way. Unlike the other volunteers who took the rest of the day off, the Madison crew did not have much time to relax as they had to be back to the hut by 5:00pm for dinner. With no surprise to many, they made it back up in about an hour and a half.

Moving In

Below are some photos of the Lakes of the Clouds crew hiking to the hut for their first time. When they arrived at the hut on Sunday afternoon, a volunteer crew had done a great job at starting the opening process but, the crew had three days to prepare the entire hut for the summer season which meant long days of scrubbing all surfaces, counting food and kitchen items, organizing displays and the library, and getting mentally prepared to host and serve a different group of 90 guests every day for the rest of the summer. Happily, I can say that Lakes and the other seven huts are now open for the summer and so far we are off to a great start.

Leaving Mt. Washington Summit in high winds and cold temps.

Crew members getting used to their packboards

Lingering ice on the lake

Front coming in from the west

The crew enjoying a short break from opening on one of the last snow fields

Hut Crew Training

The 2009 full-service season is here and we had another great kick off to the summer. Below are some photos of our first week of training up at Mizpah.

Crew members making their way up the Crawford Path

Preparing a meal using fresh baked bread

Alex DeLucia teaching crews about rock stair construction

The Carter crew making their first food requisition

Sharpening musical skills for morning wake up

Ream Team '09

Every year during the first week of May, an elite group of experienced hut men and women ventures out to Mizpah, Greenleaf and Galehead to scrub, bleach, wash, sweep and "ream," the huts to prepare them for the summer season. This year, the crew of seven consisted of Gates Sanford, Taylor Burt, Amelia Harman, Dominique Dodge, Dave Weston, Jesse Billingham and myself. We have all worked in the huts for years and know what a well functioning, clean hut should look like. This experience and knowledge is important because upon our arrival to these huts, they looked far from how they should. For seven days, we were tasked with turning these cold and empty buildings into the classic AMC huts that we know and love.

A typical two day reaming of a hut starts with us arriving in the early afternoon, hungry and tired after a technical walk through high streams and deep snow, posting holes every other step for the last mile of trail. We walk into the hut to see a mountain of unorganized, labeled boxes covering the dinning room tables from the airlift the week before and feel slightly overwhelmed knowing the amount of work ahead of us. The AMC's Construction Crew is there taking the shutters off the windows, hooking up the water and making sure that all systems are in working condition. After finding a bunk for the next two nights and a snack of peanut M&M's and Ruby Red Grapefruit juice, we tackle the attic and kitchen simultaneously.

Half of the crew starts moving the dishes, pots, pans, cooking essentials, library books, guest logs, cleaning supplies and miscellaneous boxes out of the attic where everything is double bagged in trash bags to stay clean and dry over the winter. The attic is then scrubbed, floor to ceiling so that all of the food currently on the dinning room tables can be organized and stored for the summer. While this is happening, the crew in the empty kitchen is scrubbing and preparing to receive and organize all of the supplies that are sitting in limbo somewhere between the attic and kitchen. What comes next is, scrubbing and organizing of the bunk rooms, dining room, library, bathroom, crew room and basement. Posters and displays are hung, pillows are fluffed and blankets folded, retail items are inventoried and stored behind the desk and then the caretaker is left to finish the remaining work as the Ream Team moves on to the next hut.

As could be expected in early May, the weather did not cooperate this year but, spirits were high as we all knew that the summer season was just around the corner. Stay tuned for new posts on summer training and opening week.

Winter in the huts

A winter hiker crosses Lonesome Lake with Cannon Mtn. in the background

Lonesome caretaker Erica Marcus doing some daily snow removal

Winter wonderland at Hermit Lake Shelter in Tuckerman Ravine

Zealand Valley, Whitewall and Carrigain Notch

Carter caretaker Dan Cawley enjoying his evening by the fire

Residents of bunk room 3 at Lonesome Lake sign their names in frost

A Mountain Classroom

Staying in a fall hut is a different experience than visiting in the summer. The cool, dry weather and brilliant foliage provides some of the best hiking conditions of the year. The huts start to get slower and there are times where it may just be you and a few other people enjoying the whole hut to yourselves. But, the weekends are still busy with full houses and hikers out enjoying the trails one last time before the winter weather hits the peaks. Another special part about the fall is that you may notice many groups of school aged kids, teachers and AMC instructors in the huts who are participating in a program called A Mountain Classroom.

A Mountain Classroom is an AMC program that brings students from Northeast schools into the outdoors to give them a deeper understanding of the natural world. Once the school season starts in the fall, there are many groups in the huts and I was able to spend last night with one group from St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

The hut was filled to capacity and the weather couldn't have been nicer. In groups of 10, the students, AMC instructors and teachers hiked up the Crawford path to Mizpah while learning about forest ecology, geology and Leave No Trace ethics. They arrived just before dinner, feeling happy about hiking the 2.7 miles which for many was the longest hike they've been on. Dinner was hot and plentiful and well received by all. After finishing dessert and clearing tables, the groups listened to stories about the constellations, looked for them through the partly cloudy sky and then wrote and shared their own stories of how the constellations were made. In the morning, they took a tour of the hut and observed our green technology and practices at work, then made the hike back down to Crawford Notch to go "back to school."

Although this was not your average school setting, there were lessons learned in the woods that could not have been replicated in the classroom. To see 50 young people learning about the outdoors and themselves, helping each other, looking up to their instructors and hut crew, and to see them enjoying this unique opportunity is a rewarding feeling. I am happy that the AMC is able to provide this opportunity for over 4,000 students every year and it was great to be part of it last night.

Beginning of the End

This week marked the beginning of the end of the 2008 full service season with the closing of Lakes and Madison and the return of Carter to self service for the winter. The fall season was short for these huts, only 3 weeks, which was just enough time for the crews to move in, get comfortable and then endure the difficult task of closing the huts for the winter.

The process of closing a hut actually starts about three weeks before the last night it's open. Extra food is used up, boxes are collected and saved, and walls are scrubbed. This is all a build up to the last day they are open and then all hands are on deck for three straight days of floor to ceiling cleaning and emptying out the hut. Everything from mattresses, to walls, floors, refrigerators, pots, pans, sinks, and bathrooms are scrubbed by hand to ensure a clean hut is left for the opening crews in the spring. Some years this is done when it is 35 degrees and raining while other years like this one, the weather is warm and sunny with just enough breeze to dry everything out. Once all of the kitchen supplies are dry, they are bagged and stored in the attic and everything else (food, blankets, recycling) is stacked in a pile by the door to be airlifted out.

While the hut crew is busy cleaning, the construction crew takes down weather instruments and wind generators, completes last minute projects, disconnects pipes, and finally boards up all the windows and doors. It's a real team effort for those few days and when it is all over with, the hut is empty and ready for a long cold winter.

Although the high huts are closed until 2009, Mizpah, Zealand, Galehead, Greenleaf and Lonesome will be open for full service until October 18th. There should be plenty of cool weather hiking and foliage viewing before the snow comes so get out there and enjoy the fall.

Past and Present

If you have visited Greenleaf, Galehead, Zealand, Mizpah and now Lakes of the Clouds, you have probably seen photos of hut crews packing Garland ovens, donkey's on the Old Bridle Path, "Ma and the boys" at Galehead and numerous photos of young people with smiles on their faces loving their jobs. Recently I visited Lakes of the Clouds with Doug Hotchkiss, an active member in the OH Association to install picture frames from the most recent OHA photo project.

The OHA is a club that has been in existence for more than 75 years with a membership of old hutmen and women who have worked in the AMC's hut system. The club owns a cabin in the White Mountains, holds annual dinners and gatherings and helps contribute to AMC capital campaigns. One way that the OHA has contributed to the huts is by collecting old crew photos, framing them and donating them to the huts to be hung on the walls for all to see.

Doug and I spent one morning installing 16 picture frames that were generously prepared by another OH, Sally Baldwin. The photos that now hang in the hallway of Lakes date back to the early 1930's and go all the way up to our current crews. Although some are more than 70 years old, the photos of the past and present look remarkably the same. We still have a tradition of taking crew photos every year and though clothing and styles have changed, the hut crews of yesterday and the ones of today both embrace the hard work, hospitality, tradition and spirit of the huts. To be able to see a 20 year old crew member and a 60 year old OH share the same stories of epic raids, back breaking pack days and some of the best experiences of their lives proves the greatness of hut work, the people inside them and the never changing majesty of the huts. With our summer season now over, another generation leaves the huts to be writers, environmentalists, doctors, teachers and to become OH. Just as we remember the Hutch's, Cog's and Ev's of the '30's, we will remember the Big Wrig's, Lavey's and LT's of this generation, whose photos will someday be hung in the halls of our huts and whose hard work, commitment and spirits will be remembered forever.

Summer Views

It's been a while since I have made a post but don't worry, I haven't abandoned the blog. Actually, it has been quite the opposite as I have been getting out to as many huts as possible visiting Hut Crews, meeting hikers, eating some incredible food and enjoying the summer all so that I could report back here with some good material. Although this time, instead of writing about it, I posted these pictures to tell the story of what's been going on in the huts and I'll get back next week with some more.

	A group of hikers at Galehead playing music after dinner.
	Greenleaf Hutmaster, Hillary Gerardi, preparing heart shaped, raspberry jam filled, shortbread cookies.
	Graduation ceremony for Lonesome Lakes' newest Junior Naturalists.
	Galehead crew warming up for their morning wakeup call.
	A family enjoying hut ghost stories at Mizpah.
	A moose who wanted to join me in fishing at Lonesome Lake.

Summer Training

The last few weeks have been busy to say the least as the 2008 full-service season is finally here. This is certainly a milestone as we have been planning and preparing for this since mid-November when we chose our Hutmasters and assigned huts for the summer. After spending the winter planning every detail, the hut crews are out there, the huts are open and the summer season is under way.

We kicked the season off with a week of training for all 49 crew members who are working at the eight huts this summer. Everyone took a Wilderness First Aid course if they weren't certified in it already, we learned about the AMC, White Mountain National Forest, and spent three days at Mizpah covering everything from cooking to guest service, search and rescue, interpretive resources, education, green technology, trail maintenance and of course how to successfully perform a Blanket Folding Demonstration.

For some, this was their first Gala (as we call it) and for others this was their third, fourth or fifth. For the hut crews working this summer and for the many who have worked in the past, life in a hut is more than just a summer job, much like staying in a hut is more than going to a motel on the side of a mountain. The community created in the huts by the people inside them is something which draws both crews and visitors back year after year. The huts are great facilities located in some of the most beautiful areas in the Northeast but, the spark, energy, humor and hospitality of the staff inside them makes the house a home. I saw the spark last week during training and I hope that you get the chance to see it this summer too.

Below are the 2008 Summer Hut Crews (missing Galehead which is coming soon)

Carter
Madison
Lakes
Mizpah
Zealand
Greenleaf
Lonesome

Lonesome Lake Renovation

For the past three weeks the AMC's Construction Crew has been hard at work renovating and updating the bunkhouses and main hut at Lonesome Lake. The bunkhouses were built over 40 years ago and were due for some serious rehab. This project is two-phased: first, bigger windows, new doors and metal roofs were installed this spring and in the fall new pine paneling will be added inside the rooms as well as cedar shingles for the exterior.

These renovations have been more than just repairing a few old hinges and window sills. Each room has been outfitted with new windows and doors installed specifically to increase the amount of light in each room. "More light in bunkrooms" has been a common request from guests but we have had to balance this with the unique energy concerns of the huts. Instead of simply putting in more light bulbs, we've opted to install much larger windows, plus doors with window panes. We've also put in translucent fiberglass sheeting above the porch to further increase light flow into the area around the bunkrooms. Hopefully, guests will appreciate the additional light and the significant energy savings of these efforts.

The people responsible for this work are the AMC's Construction Crew. Based in Pinkham Notch, they do most of their work in New Hampshire and Maine but recently have done jobs as far away as AMC's Mohican Outdoor Center in New Jersey. Their duties run the gamut from fixing leaky faucets to running major construction projects. They are active in the frontcountry and backcountry, often spending long days to keep the club's facilities running well and in good shape.

Their efforts often go unnoticed; quietly adjusting a solar panel or monitoring the Clivus composting toilets are not particularly glamorous affairs but, without their hard work, the Huts simply would not exist as they do today. Last year, for example, the Construction Crew spent many weeks digging near Carter Notch Hut, installing a new septic system. No backhoe or heavy-duty excavating equipment - instead they moved massive boulders and an incredible amount of dirt by hand.

Of course, not all their work is of the backbreaking (and mind-numbing) variety. Many of the senior staff are highly skilled welders, architects, plumbers, carpenters, and electricians who have worked for the AMC for decades. The quality of their craftsmanship is the best testimony to the caliber of their skills and although that craftsmanship is often understated, hopefully you'll remember it when sitting down on Galehead's porch or climbing into your bunk that they built on site, often without the aid of equipment we take for granted in the valley.

Spring Skiing

With all of the snow that we have, the natural thing to do is enjoy it while it's here. For those that like to do this on skis or snowboards, the past two weeks have been perfect. Since my last entry, the weather has been warm and sunny, drawing thousands of spring skiers to Mt. Washington and Tuckerman Ravine to earn their turns and enjoy some of the best terrain in the east.

On one of those warm, blue bird days, a group of us decided to take advantage of the weather and go for a ski. We hiked up the Gulf of Slides Ski Trail to the main gully where Zealand Falls Caretaker, Anthony Brezzo, is pictured contemplating the ski down. The hike up was steep but the ski was fast and rewarding. Looking to get over to Tucks, we hiked up the Boot Spur Gully and then skied down Hillman's Highway where Jesse Billingham is pictured. We got some water and a snack at Hermit Lake and met up with the caretakers Chris Fithian and Luke Ingram (shown hiking into the bowl). We finished the great day off by skiing down Right Gully and the Sherburne Ski trail to Pinkham Notch to show off our sunburns and rest our sore legs.

There have been many people of all abilities enjoying this great spring ski season and making trips like our own. If sliding down steep snow with boards on your feet while avoiding rocks and crevasses is not your idea of fun, there are plenty who simply sit on the rocks, do some people watching and soak in the sun. This past weekend saw over 4,200 visitors at Hermit Lake for the first 70 degree Saturday we've had and for the Tuckerman Inferno which is a run, kayak, bike, hike and ski race. Chris, an accomplished telemark skier finished with a first place time on the ski leg of the Inferno at just over 17 minutes up and down Left Gully while Luke, the USFS Snow Rangers, the Mt. Washington Volunteer Ski Patrol and many other volunteers were busy with crowd control, answering questions and pointing out hazards.

Looking out my office window at the snow covered Tuckerman Ravine Trail, the 4,000 plus crowds are gone but there are still many determined people with skis on their backs to get out and enjoy the snow. Check out tuckerman.org for the latest conditions and warnings and outdoors.org to get info on staying at the Hermit Lake Shelters. Although you may not have seen snow since February and you might now be more interested in playing golf or tennis, we still have plenty of snow and great skiing so come on up and enjoy it while you can.

Return of Spring, and the Blog

Spring is a time of change, new beginnings and the time to get ready for a busy summer in the huts. As the new Huts Manager, I will be continuing what Mike started with the Huts Blog, making posts as regularly as possible to keep all updated, informed and entertained.

On most days, it still feels like winter here in the North Country but, there are small signs of the coming summer. On my most recent visit to Lonesome Lake Hut, I arrived on a warm spring night with temperatures in the mid 40's and alpenglow on Franconia Ridge. When I left in the morning it was in the 20's, snowing, and summer couldn't have felt further away.

For those of you who haven't been to the Whites this winter or haven't heard, we've had quite a bit of snow. So far, this has been the second snowiest winter on record in Concord, NH and more accurately one that parents and grandparents will tell you is at the top of their list too. The huts have seen their share of snow requiring an addition to our Lonesome snow stake (pictured at 74 inches), burying trail signs and making snowbanks higher than the roofs. Our caretakers at Lonesome Lake, Zealand Falls and Carter Notch Huts have all been busy shoveling roofs and walkways, clearing solar panels and building Hulk-like back and arm muscles.

Lonesome Lake Caretaker, Avery Miller, who has 7 seasons in the huts under her belt is shown performing some delicate snow removal from the solar panels which allow us to run our lights, fire system, radio, pumps and refrigerators while being completely off the grid. Jesse Billingham, Huts Field Supervisor, is pictured shoveling off the bunkhouse roof and digging out the windows in preparation for the Lonesome renovations this April which will include new metal roofs, bigger bunkhouse windows and a new fir floor for the kitchen and dining room.

Although I love winter in the Whites, I am ready for warm weather, leaves on the trees and fresh baked hut bread. Jesse and I are busy preparing for the summer season and Greenleaf, Galehead and Mizpah will be open for self-service in less than a month. For more information on the huts and to make reservations go to outdoors.org. Look for more posts to come and we'll see you out there.

Tropical November

The snow conditions have changed a lot in the Whites since I last wrote. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving it was warm enough to hike in a t-shirt. In the afternoon I headed up the snowless Tucks Trail to the Hermit Lake Cabin. The last few holiday hikers were headed for the parking lot and long drives home.

Just before sunset I hiked into the Ravine. I was alone in the giant cirque. In late November the floor of the bowl is generally well on its way to filling with snow. This year it is instead filled with the roar of meltwater and acres of black rock.

A warm snowless November is no proof of global warming. But it does make you wonder what the Whites might look like in a warmer world. The Union of Concerned Scientists has a very interesting graphic showing the equivalent latitude NH may be at by late in the century if world carbon emissions continue to grow. Take a look.

The existence of global warming is no longer debated. That humans are causing it is also no longer debated by any legitimate scientists. Those of us who love the mountains contribute our share of carbon to the atmosphere. From the energy required to manufacture our outdoor gear to the gas fueling the drive to the trailhead there are impacts from our recreation. However, most people who love the outdoors seem to be ready to make an effort to protect it. There are many small actions that we all can take to help reduce greenhouse gases. The UCS site has a good list of modest changes that can make a big difference in your carbon footprint.

As I fell asleep I listened to ice crashing down the cliffs in the Ravine, and the meltwater roaring in the Cutler River. It sounded like spring. In November I would rather hear the sound of snow against a north window.