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30-715: The High Huts of the White Mountains are eight mountain huts in the White Mountains of New Hampshire , owned and maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club . They are modeled after similar huts in the Alps and positioned at intervals along the Appalachian Trail , allowing " thru-hikers " who hike the entire Appalachian Trail to benefit from their services. They are generally separated by six to eight miles, about
60-567: A refuge hut , although these occur in lowland areas (e.g. lowland forests) too. Mountain huts can provide a range of services, starting with shelter and simple sleeping berths. Some, particularly in remote areas, are not staffed, but others have staff which prepare meals and drinks and can provide other services, including providing lectures and selling clothing and small items. Mountain huts usually allow anybody to access their facilities, although some require reservations. While shelters have long existed in mountains, modern hut systems date back to
90-514: A central dining room and kitchen flanked by two bunkrooms, a design which became the model for Galehead and Zealand Falls huts, both constructed within the next year. It is 4,220 feet (1,290 m) above sea level. This is the only one of the huts not located directly on the Appalachian Trail. From the AT at the summit of Mt. Lafayette, one must travel 1.1 miles down the west shoulder of the mountain on
120-475: A day's hike. Hikers can reserve overnight bunks at the huts, which hold from 36 to 96 people each. They offer full service from June through late-October, serving dinner and breakfast. Three huts stay open the rest of the year as self service, allowing guests to cook their own food in the kitchen. The huts are staffed by a team of four to ten caretakers—often called "the croo"—during full-service season. Each crew member works eleven days on, three days off. During
150-512: A hut system. Mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located at high elevation, in mountainous terrain, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers , climbers and hikers . Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization dedicated to hiking or mountain recreation. They are known by many names, including alpine hut , mountain shelter , mountain refuge , mountain lodge , and mountain hostel . It may also be called
180-471: Is 0.9 miles (1.4 km) from the summit of South Twin Mountain and 0.5 miles (800 m) from the summit of Galehead Mountain . Zealand Falls Hut ( 44°11′46″N 71°29′40″W / 44.1960°N 71.4944°W / 44.1960; -71.4944 ( Zealand Falls Hut ) ) was completed in 1932 along with Galehead and has been open in the winter season since 1973. It, like Lonesome Lake hut,
210-508: Is not able to find any other place before sunset, but conditions may be spartan (e.g. a mattress in a hall or warm basement). In Slovakia there is a dense network of mountain huts ("chata") in most mountain and forest regions, serving a culture of hiking. In the past they were managed by the official tourist union, but now are mostly in private hands. Official mountain huts are similar to guest houses and are run by full-time managers. In winter, some refuges are closed. There are many huts in
240-437: Is notable as a "family" hut due to its low altitude and relatively easy approach climb. It also has the lowest capacity of all the huts, sleeping little more than a third of the largest capacity hut. Mizpah Spring Hut ( 44°13′09″N 71°22′10″W / 44.2193°N 71.3695°W / 44.2193; -71.3695 ( Mizpah Spring Hut ) ) was originally built in 1964, and although there are newer buildings in
270-402: Is the easternmost hut in the system and is open year-round. Between 1996 and 2006, it operated on a self-service basis; since then it has resumed operating as a full-service hut during the summer season, remaining self-service the rest of the year. The site's use as a shelter began in 1904 as a simple log cabin ; the building was rebuilt as a hut in 1914, making Carter Notch the oldest building in
300-474: Is the oldest hut site in the United States. The first overnight guests stayed in the winter of 1889, and in 1906 a fee of 50 cents per night was instituted to utilize the shelter. The original hut was expanded in that same year, as well as 1911, 1922, and 1929. However, in 1940, a fire—caused by the ignition of gasoline for the gasoline-electric power generator—destroyed much of the hut. The following year it
330-637: The United States , for example in the Rocky Mountains , the Appalachian Mountains and other ranges. The High Huts of the White Mountains in New Hampshire are generally "full service" (cooks serve food) through summer and early fall, while some are open the rest of the year as self-service huts, at which hikers bring and prepare their own food. The Alpine Club of Canada operates what it calls
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#1732863286377360-657: The "largest network of backcountry huts in North America." The New Zealand Department of Conservation "manages a network of over 950 huts of all shapes and sizes." The mountains of Asia do not have a well-developed system of public mountain huts, although hiking, trekking and mountain climbing are common. In 2015, a competition was launched to design huts that could be located along trekking trails of Nepal. Many places in Africa have hiking huts but they are usually privately owned and require payment and reservations. At least one hut
390-499: The AMC system in 1929, when the State of New Hampshire bought the land and invited the club to run it as a shelter. Greenleaf Hut ( 44°09′37″N 71°39′37″W / 44.1603°N 71.6604°W / 44.1603; -71.6604 ( Greenleaf Hut ) ) lies on a prominent shoulder of Mount Lafayette , with views of Franconia Ridge . Its construction was the first to leave behind
420-536: The Greenleaf Trail to reach the hut. Galehead Hut ( 44°11′16″N 71°34′08″W / 44.1879°N 71.5688°W / 44.1879; -71.5688 ( Galehead Hut ) ) lies nearly 3,800 feet (1,200 m) above sea level on rugged Garfield Ridge. Construction on the original structure there began in 1931, using wood from the surrounding trees. It was completed in 1932, along with Zealand Falls Hut, its closest northern neighbor. A small space under
450-938: The UK have such huts in Snowdonia or in the Lake District . A well-known example is the Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut (the 'CIC Hut') - a purpose-built hut below the northern crags of Ben Nevis in Scotland . In the past, some shelters in Scotland were built in exposed locations at high elevation, often as part of military training exercises. However, and particularly following the 1971 Cairngorm Plateau Disaster , these were deliberately demolished because they were thought to pose dangers exceeding their benefits. The Norwegian Trekking Association operates about 460 cabins mostly in
480-872: The Valais Alps is the highest alpine refuge at 4,554 m, the Rifugio Mario Premuda in Trieste is the lowest refuge in the Alps at 82 m (both are owned by the Italian Alpine Club ). In the United Kingdom the tradition is of unwardened "climbing huts" providing fairly rudimentary accommodation (but superior to that of a bothy ) close to a climbing ground; the huts are usually conversions (e.g. of former quarrymen's cottages, or of disused mine buildings), and are not open to passers-by except in emergency. Many climbing clubs in
510-574: The eleven working days, they must make four trips back down the mountain to get food and other supplies, carrying heavy loads. At the beginning of each season, fuel and supplies are flown into the huts by helicopter. The huts were built and are maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club's construction crew. The huts have handled thousands of hikers entering the back woods and environmentally sensitive areas above tree line . Four years and an environmental impact statement were required to get
540-538: The front porch was used to store perishable foods. In 1938, Galehead gained a temporary 360 degree view when the Great New England Hurricane blew over all the surrounding trees. It was replaced in June 2000 with a new Americans with Disabilities Act -compliant hut, complete with a wheelchair ramp even though it is 5 miles (8 km) of rough trail from the nearest trailhead. Given its altitude and remoteness,
570-470: The high mountain pastures served for Alpine transhumance . The long history of mountaineering from the 19th century onwards has led to a large number of Alpine club huts as well as private huts along the mountaineering paths. These huts are categorised according to their location and facilities. They may have beds or a mattress room ( Matratzenlager ) for overnight stays. Just as the Margherita Hut in
600-424: The hut chain, supposedly by Milton McGregor, aka "Red Mac". There are two bunkhouses located a short distance from the main hut structure; thus from the cliffs above, the hut is viewed as a small compound. There are two small ponds located nearby, as well as a tremendous boulder field. Carter Notch helped establish the hut as a viable pursuit for the AMC, and after its initial success, the group began to lay plans for
630-500: The huts' permits renewed by the U.S. Forest Service in 1999. The winter huts closed in March 2020 and the other huts did not open for the summer 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic . This was the first time that all huts have been closed at once. The huts re-opened on June 26, 2020 for daytime visits only, and fully re-opened for the 2021 season. The following High Huts are presented in
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#1732863286377660-489: The mid-19th century. The Swiss Alpine Club has built huts since 1863. In the United States, the Appalachian Mountain Club built its first hut at Madison Spring in New Hampshire in 1889. The construction of refuges and shelters in the Alps date back to ancient times, when Roman roads led across the mountain passes. In the High Middle Ages , hospitales were erected along the trade routes; cottages and sheds on
690-628: The mountains and in forested areas, of which about 400 have lodgings. Many cabins are unstaffed and open all year, while the staffed cabins often are just open during summer. In Poland most mountain shelters and huts are run by the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society , with some being privately owned. In the Polish mountains , there are about 100 shelters. Most mountain shelters offer multi-person rooms and refreshments. Polish mountain huts are obliged by their own regulations to allow overnight anyone who
720-430: The order they would be reached when hiking the Appalachian Trail from south to north. Lonesome Lake Hut ( 44°08′19″N 71°42′12″W / 44.1385°N 71.7033°W / 44.1385; -71.7033 ( Lonesome Lake Hut ) ) is the second lowest hut in the system. It started out in 1876 as a fishing camp on Lonesome Lake , with cabins built by author W.C. Prime. The hut officially became part of
750-408: The stone and masonry construction technique utilized by earlier huts, and to use a team of mules to carry materials. It was completed in 1930 and pioneered running water and indoor toilets, reflecting an evolution of AMC huts from simple shelters towards becoming more like mountainside hostels. Much of Greenleaf's construction funding came from Colonel Charles Greenleaf, for whom it is named. It features
780-747: The summit of Mount Washington, which can be reached by car and by the Mount Washington Cog Railway . It is located adjacent to its namesake Lakes of the Clouds , two small alpine tarns , and just below the 5,372 ft (1,637 m) summit of Mount Monroe . The hut provides bunks for 90 hikers. It is sometimes called "Lakes of the Crowds" due to its size and popularity. Madison Spring Hut ( 44°19′40″N 71°17′00″W / 44.3277°N 71.2832°W / 44.3277; -71.2832 ( Madison Spring Hut ) ), originally built in 1888,
810-462: The system, this makes Mizpah the newest hut site in the system. The building is designed to withstand 200 miles per hour (320 km/h) winds and was built with materials brought in by helicopter. Lakes of the Clouds Hut ( 44°15′32″N 71°19′08″W / 44.2588°N 71.3190°W / 44.2588; -71.3190 ( Lakes of the Clouds Hut ) ) is the highest and largest hut in
840-415: The system. It was built as a shelter in 1901 in response to the deaths of two hikers the previous year who were caught in a storm on their way to an AMC meeting atop Mount Washington. It was rebuilt as a hut in 1915, and was renovated in 1922, 1927, 1947, 1969, and 2005. Although it is the highest of the huts, at an elevation of 5,030 feet (1,533 m), it is the most easily accessible due to its proximity to
870-465: The vast majority of the new structure's materials had to be carried in; thus mainly lightweight materials were utilized. New features include composting toilets (already in use at Mizpah Spring Hut, Carter Notch Hut, and Lonesome Lake Hut), both solar panels and a wind vane for producing power, and a foundation fastened to the granite bedrock with grouted rebar , giving the hut the ability to withstand winds up to 125 miles per hour (200 km/h). The hut
900-745: Was rebuilt and re-opened. The hut was extensively rehabilitated in the fall of 2010 and early 2011. At 4,810 feet (1,466 m) above sea level, it is the second highest hut in the chain, and it sleeps the third highest number of guests. The hut is accessed most directly from the Valley Way trail (from the Appalachia parking lot). It is generally considered the most difficult of the full-service huts to access, based on distance and elevation required to reach it. Carter Notch Hut ( 44°15′33″N 71°11′44″W / 44.2591°N 71.1955°W / 44.2591; -71.1955 ( Carter Notch Hut ) )
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