To hut or not to hut? That is the question

I want to take the kids on a summer trip to NH and check out the Presidentials.....always read about you folks going to the huts so I figure I'd check it out.....SherpaK gave me some good ideas on where to go....but I failed to read the AMC website correctly.....it is very expensive.....app $420 for the 3 of us for 2 nights. (app $80 adult and $50 child per night)...I do know that by paying more we don't have to carry the big gear and food but that's a lot of moola for a short trip.....

I read about RMC and that's the exact opposite but I don't think I or my kids want to carry all their gear on this trip....and it's first come first served for a shelter and it looks like on the map we have to hike back down a bit....

I guess I'm hoping some of you have other ideas but it looks like if we want to spend a few days up there comfortably I'm going to have to spend the $...
Any advise would be appreciated.....thx

The RMC is the best option I can see for an actual overnighter. Crag is my favorite but if you didn't want to hike so far up, the Log Cabin is a good idea as well.

You can also find a more remote camground and dayhike from a basecamp. Then you don't have to carry gear up and still have the sleep and cook outdoors experience.

Good Luck and have fun.

sli74

Why don't you offer bagels for packing gear? like say 1 bagel for every pound of gear for 5 miles or something like that?

I've camped in the Pemis a couple times 200ft off trail, off water source before, some very marginal spots, some obvious campsites, so that can be done. Even camping at some of the designated campsites can be pricey and my Shire's Cloudburst didn't fit in some of the smaller campsites!

The RMC huts do seem to be much more inexpensively priced but I've only stated at Grey knob and has visited Crag Camp before. I've visited the huts in the presis before but not stayed there.

Jay

Hopefully Cruddy Toes will see this thread. He works or used to work or volunteer or something for the RMC in some capacity. He's a great guy, you'd be in great hands if he still does.

coldfeet said:

I want to take the kids on a summer trip to NH and check out the Presidentials.....always read about you folks going to the huts so I figure I'd check it out.....SherpaK gave me some good ideas on where to go....but I failed to read the AMC website correctly.....it is very expensive.....app $420 for the 3 of us for 2 nights. (app $80 adult and $50 child per night)...I do know that by paying more we don't have to carry the big gear and food but that's a lot of moola for a short trip.....

I read about RMC and that's the exact opposite but I don't think I or my kids want to carry all their gear on this trip....and it's first come first served for a shelter and it looks like on the map we have to hike back down a bit....

I guess I'm hoping some of you have other ideas but it looks like if we want to spend a few days up there comfortably I'm going to have to spend the $...
Any advise would be appreciated.....thx

Click to expand...

Okay,

Granted this is just one persons opinion but here goes.

What are you looking for? The wilderness experience or the hut experience? Stay away from the huts and the Presidentials. They are crowded, noisy, and expensive. Instead have your kids and you carry a tent or two and instead of doing the peaks head into the other less traveled areas, flatter areas. They will get the wilderness experience. They won't be beaten up trying to get to the high peaks with heavy loads and you won't spend an arm and a leg. Camp low during the night at a campsite away from others. Little campfire, you get the idea. Talking with the kids, teaching how to start a fire, etc. During the day stash the heavy stuff and day pack up some of the peaks with much lighter loads.

Not bashing the hut people. I like most of the hut people I have meet but the hut experience isn't my cup of tea. YMMV, this is just my opinion, etc.

Just my $.02 on an alternate idea.

I have done these types of trips with my boys since they were very little and they, and I, have had really great times.
Keith

Being in similar situations several times, I have a few thoughts:

I'm guessing your kids are not of the age yet where they can backpack comfortably, or you are not comfortable with them backpacking yet. If that is a wrong assumption, then I'd second Keith's idea. My kids are not quite there yet.

So, there is the idea of car camping. There are a few decent state campgrounds and a few decent commercial ones. Not bad, it gives you instant access to way more gear than you probably need just in case, and the kids will love the "wilderness" experience if you pick your sites right. My kids loved when skunks raided our campsite at 4 AM last year in a Maine SP and still talk about it. (boy, was I a total idiot to not throw out the garbage, but that's another story).

Going up the civilization scale, there are plenty of reasonably cheap motels near the Presi's where you can spend $80/night tops for the whole family, have a decent room, and get your own breakfast somewhere. An AMC version of this is Joe Dodge Lodge in Pinkham Notch, and you get the opportunity for the great breakfast if you want. Shapleigh Bunkhouse at the Highland Ritz is great too, if you don't mind a shared bunkroom. With that, you get breakfast in the Ritz dining room and access to the HC gear basement if desired. Not bad for relatively cheap.

So, while a night at a hut is loads of fun, and we may do it again sometime if we ever win the lottery, there are plenty of other options. Have fun!
Weatherman

I wonder if the question is less "what are you looking for" than "what are your kids ready/up for"

I've done huts and I've done back country - I love both, depending on what I'm looking for at the time. But I've met some kids on the trail for whom the Huts were a stretch. They can be overwhelming if you want peace and quiet, but they can also be a good start for a lot of people.

If they're up for wilderness, I'd save the $400+ for a hearty meal and ice cream on the way out. You know your kids.

I agree with weatherman. If they're young, and still new to the hiking / camping thing, then I would definitely start out with car camping instead of packpacking. Heck, I would suggest that adults should start that way too. By starting out car camping, they can learn alot about the tent, cooking, sleeping bag, keeping a clean camp kind of stuff, while still being in the "wilderness", but yet close to the "safety" of the car. I've never seen a 7-year-old in a NH campground yearning for less amenities.

I wouldn't spend that kind of coin on the huts without being sure the kids are up for it.

If you do car camp, and you catch a nice clear day, maybe drive up Mt Washington, and then hike over to Clay and Jefferson, or down to Lakes of the Clouds Hut.

Take alot of pictures. The kids will thank you in 20 years.

Also, put a positive spin on things. If it pours, just say, "This is great. A perfect day to visit the falls." If they're young enough, you can trick 'em.

A bit in line with Keith's suggestion:

I helped a friend take her young son on his first overnighter. We hiked into the first shelter along Rocky Branch Tr from the S (Jericho Rd), stayed the night (tent on a platform near the shelter), hiked up to Stairs Mtn (day hike gear only), and out the next day. Saw no one else the entire time.

An easy hike with the heavy gear, a nice quiet (and cheap) place to camp right near a river, and a summit with a view.

This certainly isn't the only itinerary with these characteristics. Kids on their first hikes probably couldn't care less about 4Ks. Probably better to make sure they have a good time so they come back. (Set the hook before you try to reel them in...)

Fifth Iron Tentsite is another good spot (at the junction of Sawyer River Rd and Rte 302). Walk-in (~.5mi) tent sites along the Saco. Makes a good basecamp with nice hikes nearby (eg Mt Crawford). ~$10/night.

If the weather is nice, you can drive up Mt Washington and walk around. Get the views and the sense of space without wearing them out. Only ~$20 for everyone.

I suggest that you keep it relatively easy with nice views--plan the hike for the kids, not you. Kids also frequently like running water. Something that is relatively protected can also be handy in case the weather is less than perfect. (Hut reservations can also be inflexible--do you really want to drag your kids up to a hut in the Prezzies in a storm? Or hut-to-hut in a storm?)

Doug

Another option since you will have the car. (if Carter Notch is going full season, that nixes this idea)

Stay at Carter Notch overnight, it's self service & cheaper. Day hike the Eisenhower or Pierce, the easier Presidentials.

or switch to fall when a few of the huts are in Caretaker mode, you bring food & a sleeping bag but use their equipment.

ADK LOJ & JBL cheaper, LOJ maybe better for younger kids & wife.

Carter Notch back to full service

I just checked at the amc site and my memory was correct (as was your thought). It looks like Carter Notch has switched back to full ($$$) service mode in the summer.

http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/huts/carter-full-service-qa.cfm

Mike P. said:

Another option since you will have the car. (if Carter Notch is going full season, that nixes this idea)

Stay at Carter Notch overnight, it's self service & cheaper. Day hike the Eisenhower or Pierce, the easier Presidentials.
or switch to fall when a few of the huts are in Caretaker mode, you bring food & a sleeping bag but use their equipment.

ADK LOJ & JBL cheaper, LOJ maybe better for younger kids & wife.

Click to expand...

the shelter option is always good for carrying somewhat less weight.

Carter Notch IS now full season for peak summer time. Turns out that the full service huts are more popluar.

Its been awhile, but I enjoyed the full and self service experiences. Not exactly wilderness experience, but a fun time in their own right. As long as you treat it as such - you should have fun.

Meeting people from all over who have varying degrees of experience is a cool aspect of the huts. I especially liked waking up above treeline when I stayed at Lakes of the Clouds.

I think the log cabin is to rustic for kids and they might get bored, not to mention your very primitive there and with kids you would be working hard at camp chores. I like the hotel idea, the huts are for some, but they are very costly and to be honest, you must like alot of people to stay at them. Hoteling lets you climb anywhere and with light loads and if the weather turns bad, your not humping loads down in the rain. Oh and Im getting to the point where the luxuries of town are to much to resist.

Thank you for your responses....some very good questions that I must think about....

Why am I picking Mt. Washington?

Here's the short scoop....last year I took my son (14) and daughter (10) to Baxter.....we camped at Chimney Pond for 2 nights and climbed Katahdin....Kids were ahead of me most of the time...then we stayed at Katahdin stream for 2 nights (car camped) they had a ball later at a water slide area...forgot the name.....

I'm trying to get them to continue going hiking/camping and see the great outdoors...we're NYC folks....I figure that if I tell them that we're going to hike the highest peak in NH, VT and NY then maybe that would light a fire under them...know what I mean? My son already climbed Marcy a few years ago and my daughter wants to outdo him...sorry for rambling...they do have camping experience....

Having bad knees I do not want to go up and down a few thousand feet....once I'm up there I want to do a ridge walk...As far as crowds go, that doesn't bother me because I'm immune to it after living in the city limits for 46 years..

I think the prices aren't to bad for the adults, I just wish my 15yo wasn't considered an adult and I wish they had some type of reduced prices for mid week campers....sorry for all the wishes....last wish....hope everyone has a safe year!....thx..CF

Heh. Just say "NO" to the huts. GOUGE!

My daughter is now 9. I took her on her first overnighter when she was 5. started car-camping when she was barely 2. When we do backpacks, we always make a primative camp off the trail, low elevation - maybe 2-4 miles in. then, hit a summit the next day, and out. not strenuous for me, enjoyable for the kids. I have a 4 yr old, she's next to get in the woods. it is amazing how long kids can amuse themselves on a river... espec. in the summer.

Coldfeet, based on your more descriptive second post, may I suggest Hermit Lake? You'll have to carry more gear, but only part way. Since your kids already have a few big mountains under their belt they should be more than ready for the ravines. Having spent a few summers volunteering at Monadnock, in my experience about 95% of all kids love the scrambles up rock faces. The RMC cabins are another great choice, especially if you are going mid week, but it leaves you with a long walk to Washington in a place known for variable weather.

Considering their age and your hopes to light a "hiking fire" under them, I'd stay away from lowland secluded places. They'll get there easily, early, and have tons of time to sit around and stare at each other. Most kids seem to be people watchers, and staying in a place with a other people around will make the time pass quickly. And if you wear them out getting there they can kill the rest of the afternoon with a refreshing hour long nap. Plus I'm not sure how long the 14 y/o will be mesmerized by a babbling brook.

But as someone mentioned before: You know your kids best.

agree with fface - just say no to amc huts, you can get a 3 star hotel in times square for that kind of $$ I am amazed that these things sell out like they do - but I think the AMC targets a certain clientle for these huts ($$ money to burn, likes accomodations in the hills, donations, etc.. - and thats cool) if I were running a business, I would do the same thing. I love the huts though - great place to get water, sit down, etc.. they are just too $$$ for me to bring the family to...

I was thinking hermit lake and then I saw smitty's post.

hermit lake - same thing, 10 bucks a person or something - they have bathrooms, water, etc.. - its an easy 2.4ish miles up tucks trail from pinkham. 3 sided shelters, etc..

its about 2 miles to wash summit from there. I find with kids (mine is only 2 but... ) -there more people, the more fun for them. Wash via tucks will have a decent amount of people. I don't know your kids, but if you take them on a secluded trail and camp - they might get bored and then that ruins your trip too.

It is an easy bail to your car at pinkham if need be - you have "help" there is needed. I don't care what people say about being one with the woods, self sufficient, etc.. - with kids - all that goes out the window if a problem arises- bottom line, on the tucks trail, and hermit lake, you got help if you need it due to injury, cold, rain, etc... or any other problems with kids.

If you only get to the base of the ravine, your kids still get nice fun sights.


have fun!

I'm looking at the map now...Hermit lake shelters look real good....I know that this might be a hard question and maybe I don't know my own children's abilities but if we get an early start do you think we can go to Washington and then later catch the sunset on Monroe?....What do you think of the hike back to Hermit Lake late at night?

Seems like the more I look at the map I have a different question...sorry...but..why rush to do Monroe, just saw MT Clay....it looks like a ridge walk from Washington...is it nice?...maybe that's just the right amount of exposure I and my kids would enjoy....I've never really done a ridge walk before, unless I did something on Katahdin without really knowing it (was foggy at times)....and my kids did love the rock scramble going up the Cathedral at Baxter....huge rocks....Going to google Hermit lakes and see who runs it....thx for info...I was starting to get concerned about my plans but this is looking much better...will keep u posted...thx again CF....

coldfeet: sorry I missed this, but you have my PM. I wouldn't hike down to Hermit Lake after sunset on Monroe with children. You would need to go down the Tuckerman headwall (other routes are no easier). My .02:
Day 1: a) early start, up Lowe's (or Amphibrach at Appalachia) to King Ravine trail to Spur. Nice water fall (Chandler) on the way up. Stay at Crag Camp for the night. Explore Grey Knob and catch sunset from either camp (The Quay is awesome, but would require an easy 1/2 mile hike back to Crag in the dark).
b) Start at Pinkham side. Drop car at Pinkham's and get a ride to Great Gulf Trailhead. Climb to Madison Hut via Great Gulf/Osgood and then down to Crag (a much longer day than option "a", but your car wil be where you end up, safe, and no parking pass needed)

Day 2: hike up to Mt Adams and then down to Madison Spring Hut. Either take in Mt. Madison (relatively easy) or not, and return to Crag Camp for night.

Day 3: a) Deadset on the Hut experience: easy hike to Lakes. Drop pack, climb Washington (if you feel up to it). Take in sunset on Monroe.
b) If you did 1a, hike back to your car and stay at Hiker's Paradise in the Hotel rooms (not the hostel - you'll like the room and the privacy), or stay at Dolly Copp Campground (take Pinkham B road if you do the latter).

Day 4: a) After Lakes stay, hike down to Hermit Lake or Pinkham's. Stop at Crystal Cascades to see the falls.
b) After Hiker's or Dolly Copp stay, hike up to Hermit Lake, stay the night.

Day 5: Climb Washington from Hermit Lake.
After you are done, definitely take the kids to Glen Ellis Falls. About a mile south of Pinkham's. 5 Minute walk, great falls.

All of the parking spots that I mention do not require parking passes, so you will save a few dollars that way also. Pinkham's and Lowe's are the safest (but Lowe's charges $1 a day).

A stay at Lakes buys you a day. I'm not a hut fan, but if you are going to experience it, Lakes is the one I'd recommend. It will be loud. Your kids will remember it, and the sunset from Monroe can only be topped by West Bond (IMHO)

Well, maybe that was .03

I'd also like to point out that while ridgewalks are, in general, easier, ridgewalks around Mt Washington are not. You'll be doing a lot of rock hopping on all of those trails, so your knees will still get a big workout.

-dave-