Carter Notch Hut

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askus3

New member
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
678
Reaction score
37
Location
Warwick, NY ( 3 miles by crow from Wildcat Shelter
I am planning a trip using the Carter Notch Hut for 2007. Guess What? AMC would not let me make a reservation there until they decide whether to make this a full service hut or keep it self service. AMC said they are petitioning the forest service to make this a full service hut again. They said they will know by spring. Thought I'd pass the word along. I know this will open a can of worms.
 
I like it the way it is, bring your own food, cook for yourself with their stove and dishes and then clean them yourself. It was a nice experience.

It is the only AMC hut I've stayed at, but by looking at other huts, the kitchen area/building at Carter seems a little small compared to the other full service huts. Would they need to expand you think?
 
Probably don't HAVE to expand - since it was summer full service through 1995 - but may wish to modernize some facilities.
Interesting there is consideration going back to full service since the change to year-round caretaker service was presumably due to public opinion.
Maybe the pendulum has swung.

As far as reservations for 2007 - I didn't think that would begin for any of the facilities until we get closer to the new year.
 
I am truly unhappy to hear this news. I can only ever afford the self-service huts and it was nice to know there was atleast one hut where I could bring newbies year-round at self service prices. Oh well, less hut trips even at self-service prices will be better for my wallet but I am disappointed in the AMC. Anyone have any idea where we can express our displeasure at this idea ?

sli74
 
Insufficient fill rate

I happened to discuss this with the AMC recently. I was told that Carter has seen a drop off in the fill rate under self service.
Ed
 
askus3 said:
Guess What? AMC would not let me make a reservation there until they decide whether to make this a full service hut or keep it self service.
:eek: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Carter Notch Hut is unique. I'm an AMC member. How come we never hear about these things? We only seem get notice on the one or two things that AMC wants to publicize to the world (Wilderness or the Maine Woods Initiative) and everything else seems to get swept under the rug & pushed through quietly. :mad:
 
arghman said:
Carter Notch Hut is unique.

In this respect, WMNF agrees:

"Carter Notch Hut (AMC) has been determined eligible for listing on the National Register (11/4/97). Built in 1914, it stands as perhaps the least altered of any of the AMC huts from that general time period."

(WMNF Inventoried Roadless Areas Evaluation, Appendix C-198. n.d.)
 
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Carter full service

I love the huts and the hut system, and have fond memories of staying at Carter in the early 90's when my son was very young. Here's a vote for restoration of full service.
 
Since I only use Carter in the winter,I'm hoping this won't affect me. I really like the self service aspect,it adds to the social occasion of the huts.
 
I hope it remains self-service. I love the camaraderie of the huts and the history that they represent. Sometimes it's nice to have the "in-between" option -- not full-service, yet with more amenities than a shelter, rustic but not roughing it. Oh well. Progress... :( It would be too bad to lose such a unique option in the AMC system.
 
I hope it stays self serve. Even though I have not stayed there the fact that they provide an all year self serve option is nice.

The last few times I have stayed in a hut has been off-season for self serve with school kids. Getting them to pitch in & do the evening & AM chores is nice.
 
Nice alternative

I just stayed in Carter Notch Hut last Saturday and I thought the self-serve option was kind of interesting. even though we had to carry more food which = more wieght, it was fun to be able to prepare our own meal on a real stove instead of a backpacking stove. It also seemed more relaxed, with every group doing there own thing at there own pace. Plus it's cheap. My vote is to keep Cater Notch self-serve.
 
i have admittedly gotten a bit out of touch with current amc happenings and this has come as an immediate shock. my avatar depicts "my favorite hut" which i also had the pleasure of caretaking at for 5 consecutive months back in 2005. i have had to retreat to other work. i don't want to drag on and on about amc related issues, but i am really disappointed if this is going to be the case at carter. i truly believe an alternative between full blown camping and full hut service will be greatly missed in the whites. having lived there and had direct contact with guests over that period of time i would say that the general opinion would be the same. carter notch is a special place and though i do understand it has been full service in the past i would hate to see it revert from what i came to believe it was meant to be.
thanks.

bryan
 
sapblatt said:
I a with sli74 here - I can only afford self-service...I have spent three nights in the past at CN hut and would like to do it again - if this change occurs I will not be back.


:mad: :mad: :mad: same with me - being with sli/sap- though I never stay at them anyway - I have stayed at mitzpah once as a self service. I don't know why folks keep defending the policy's of this organization. I will say it again - full service huts for a family of 2 with a child for 2 nights = $454 - to camp in the mtns!!! I just came back from vermont for 2 nights and we spent less than this with food, etc.. whatever - they can charge it - but I thinks it wrong and outprices many people - and if this is any indication - the self service is going away now. must not be making enough cash. I have voiced this exact opinion (on huts) when I decided not to renew my membership - and they were - ok - no problem. :mad:

this struck a nerve - sorry. not bashing them - just being critical. I would be interested in gathering opinions to share with amc on this issue and huts in general.
 
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Unfotunatly that's the way it is, the people with unlimited bugets set the price for the average person. There are people out the that would pay $200 for a night at a Hut and think nothing of it. :mad:
 
I haven't checked the availability page in a while, but for the past several years Carter was the the only hut that regularly had open spots during the summer. The use numbers for the hut went down when it went caretaker during the summer. I wish it were otherwise, but it appears that there is less demand for self-serve than for full-serve.

There will still be winters and shoulder seasons for self-service hut stays.

-dave-
 
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