The "Whites"


For most of the Presidential range you hike above trees and the huts are positioned so that you will not miss them - huts are really a hut with a few bunk rooms where people can sleep on bunks - you get 3 blankets and a pillow - the bathrooms are about like the shelter's privy - no hot water - only cold to wash hands - some of the rooms has 3 - 4 bunks on top of each other - some huts can accommodate 40 - 60 - one hut can accommodate 80. The dining room is part of the open kitchen w/Gas Stove - it has long tables with benches - most of the huts has 3 croo (not crew) members that does cooking and some cleaning. The huts belong to the AMC - cost $84 and up per night (while we were at the huts they will all full). Thru hikers can work for stay - pay $10 with no food - work for stay hikers get left over super and breakfast (which is most of the time nothing more than our trail food). The thru hikers get to sleep on dining room tables or floor (well if I pay $84 for a bunk - I better not see a stinky hiker or boots on my table). Since we were thru "Whites" towards the end of the session the thru hikers does all the hard cleaning jobs and get treated like outcast (no good). Gozer and myself did dishes twice and swept the bunk room - folded blankets once. The reason we do our work at night is due to the fact that we hike so slow over the boulders. The boys got to do the hard work that really spoiled the fun. Patches only had to talk about his hike one night - but the 2 other mornings he and the rest of the boys had to scrub/clean the bunk room walls - mattresses and kitchen stove. The worst was they did not leave the hut until 11 AM to climb Mt Washington. One of the thru hikers dream climbed and view. Needless to say we did not like the huts or the face that we could not camp.


But we had wonderful weather thru the "Whites" and NH - we are probably the largest group in years to go thru the "Whites" with no rain and really nice fall weather. We also managed to camp in our tents at rivers, ponds and creeks without a $250 fine for illegal camping. At a few of our camp spots we just could not resist to camp with a "no camping sign."


Our "Whites" group was:

Black Bird, Gozer, Fancy Pants, Stick man, Patches and Crazy Lady


Black Bird - we met before and hiked some with him - he is 24 and lives in Maine - he use to do 20 plus miles a day but after he met up with us at the 1st NH shelter, he now hikes with us - good company and lots of fun - he of course tells everyone the reason he hikes with us is because Patches and myself (Crazy Lady) are such good entertainment. I think he really just enjoys the trail with less miles a day and more camping time.


Gozer - we met before - early 30's from Austin, TX - she can run a few miles herself, but the "Whites" slowed her down - she does the trail for courage and self esteem - she hiked my speed and it sure was nice to have someone to talk and laugh with on the trail.


Fancy Pants - a special friend for 7 yrs - also from Austin, TX - he does the trail for emotional support - he is the lightest hiker and the trail his backpack only weights about 12 lbs (with food about 16 lbs) - he tried to do trail with only $1000 but realized it was not possible - he stayed at lots of places and worked for stay and departed with free food (trail magic) - nice guy - a very good hiking partner for Patches.


Stick man - also with us on and off

Crazy Lady - from Georgia - an Occupational Therapist for Home Care

Patches - from Georgia - a student and a very special person to Crazy Lady and especially to her daughter.


We call ourselves the A Team - all 6 of us got lost/missed the trail - it was not marked very well. We did manage to get where we were suppose to be.


One day Gozer and Fancy Pants hitched into town and brought us lots of nice food - Italian sauces, hot dogs, chicken - we had a nice fire and a feast. Patches and Black bird was surrounded by a big BLACK BEAR - the bear charged them a few times - circled them and even took Patches tent out of his back pack and ran down the trail with it - all that Patches could here was the tearing noises - lucky it was only the bag - and the tent was OK. Stick man came down the trail and the bear left - I was so glad that it was 2 of them and not just 1.


Black bird and I (Crazy lady) got to fly our kite on Mt Washington - not very good because the wind was not good.


The "Whites" (NH) so far was definitely my best - the climbs was wonderful - the views breath taking - the wind fantastic - pretty cruel, brutal, hard - but all and all AWESOME - like you are in the clouds.