| August 7 AMC Hut Trippers Hello. Paul called today with astounding news. He is now a member of an elite hiking group. In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the shelters are called huts, and consist of more than just a place to sleep for backpackers. They are more like hostels than shelters, and come complete with kitchens and staffs. The only catch is that they cost a lot of money, with the exception of early arriving thru-hikers who wish to trade labor for room and board. Last Thursday when Paul arrived to his first AMC hut at Lomesome Lake, which is located halfway down the backside of Cannon Mountain, he was lucky enough to be one of the first thru-hikers and arranged to work. It is now 5 days later, and he is still there. He has not exactly been loafing around however. For the first few days he did some chores and went on numerous day hikes around the National forest. Then he was asked to go on a tour of all of the AMC huts with a hut resident named Ellie. Ellie wanted to attempt a route that follows along much of the AT in the Whites, along with other trails which takes hikers by 8 of the AMC huts stretching 52 miles over many peaks including Mt. Washington. Sounds pretty nice, until I found out that it is done all in one continuous hike. This is called Hut Tripping, and Paul joined Ellie and they finished the route in about 25 hours. That doubled Tip's one day mileage record, and as far as anyone that Paul has talked to knows, he is the first AT thru-hiker to accomplish it during a thru-hike. Only a few hikers finish a hut tripping attempt each year. Paul and Ellie chose a great day for this hike. They left in the evening when the sun was setting, and continued through the night with moon lit skies over the presidential range and over Mt Washington. When the sun came up, the weather was perfect. They had a support system, as the AMC workers would radio ahead to the next hut as the hut trippers would make thier way from hut to hut. There would be food and water waiting for them as they arrived to each hut. Paul was in very high spirits when he called, and after falling behind some of the friends he made along the trail, his experience in the Whites seem to have lifted his spirits. He sounds happier than ever. I will be meeting Paul in Maine on the 17th, and will be hiking with him for 4 days. Can't wait. (Hope you had a happy birthday Cal) Todd |
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