Feel spoiled in the white mountains

The views, the old friends of the hikers, the abundant meals, the review of nostalgic places, mostly decent climate.

This time through whites, I feel that I get the best of everything that these incredible mountains offers, everything a trip through the children could ask. Can the rest of the AT be up to this? It doesn’t matter, that thought was not in my mind as I walked through some of my favorite mountains in the world.

Part of what made him so special to be back there was that he had spent several seasons working «Croo» in the Cabañas de Travesía of the Apalaches Mountain Club. («Croo» is a colloquial spelling of the crew, coined by the AMC for the workers of the cabin). The cabins are rustic stops from night to night between the mountains. Only accessible on foot, the cabins are a registered trademark of whites and distinguish them from other mountain chains.

Working croo in AMC cabins

AMC cabins are popular stops for hikers to appear, have a drink and a snack, and spend a day or a weekend. Hundreds of day hikers and section every year also spend the night in the cabins. Hut Croos prepares breakfast and dinners of several dishes for guests during the night. They also participate in various forms of entertainment and education, as well as participate in cleaning and search and bailout tasks on the many mountain paths.

Croo members create and make parodies for guests during the night during breakfast. It is one of the most beloved parts of the guest’s experience. These consist of ridiculous acts based on common stories such as Cinderella or Wizard of Oz, or one of my favorites, the concept of birth, while simultaneously incorporating the rules and guidelines of visiting a cabin, such as folding the blankets provided or remaining on the paths.

Another aspect of croo work is to load perishable foods and low existence to the cabins to use for meals, 30-80 pounds at the same time. Attain products of products in wooden boards with thread rope, walk the package on their backs, then transport the resistant paths between 1.5 and 5 miles twice a week. I worked as a member of Croo and then Hutmaster for five seasons, including two summers and three falls. It is the best job I’ve had.

My favorite cabin

View of the Zealand Falls Hut «Croo» room in 2021

Zealand Falls Hut was the first cabin where he was a member of Croo, in the summer of 2021, so he occupies a special place in my heart. On this walk, while I was going through a torrential downpour (the only one in this section), which kept me underway was something special waiting for only a couple of miles along the way: a meeting with Zealand Falls Hut.

I have wonderful memories of my time working in Zealand. My incredible «Croo» members, the four, and became best friends. We spend our days cooking creative masterpieces for guests, leaving in the magical falls just outside the cabin, walking through the vigorous paths in the area and climbing so many silly pranks. I will never forget Zealand. It was also the first cabin where I stayed during the night, when my mother, my best friend and her mother made a trip there together a long weekend. I clearly remember having spent the 15th birthday seeing the Glissade cataracts through the rocks covered in moss.

This time walking through the whites, when I entered Zealand Falls again, but I enjoyed having a familiar place to heat and dry. Applying my shoes wet by the Zealand door more than ten years after my first time there, I sighed in relief. I immediately received a sweet gift from a friend who works there, I set a little hot chocolate (so nostalgic!), And I put on a couple of dry clothes of the hiker box.

I ended up staying in a different cabin for four nights in a row, feeling very lucky to have friends working there. We remember our times in Croo while we ate the meals of the full course, how he remembered them. That, combined with views that extended by miles, fresh air of the mountain and the glory of the white mountains, made me feel very grateful. And ultra mighthed.

My friend Bex (who also used to be HUT «Croo») and I in Galehead Hut

A polarization in the section

I could feel spoiled in the white mountains, but not everyone does. In fact, white mountains are a controversial issue on hikers.

For now, I have had the opportunity to see several reactions to these mountains from several perspectives. I spoke with many hikers when I worked at the notch Pinkham visitors center in 2020. I heard a variety of hiker opinions while working in the cabins between 2021 and 2023. And, of course, I chatted with many hikers on the whites during my northern walk in 2018 and my current south.

For some, it is its favorite section of the entire path. They love views and appreciate stop in the cabins for snacks and maybe a work by stay. They respect the injured land. But for others, the difficulty of ups and downs in pointed rocks and staggering rocks, strong camp restrictions by AMC and minimum llamas, overcomes positive aspects. The white mountains even seem to be angry at some hikers.

For me, when I pass through the door of an AMC cabin and smell the sweet wood aroma, combined with what is the cook of the day, a feeling of home is washed on me. I love walking through miles completely in the Alpina area, where you can see the path far ahead. I adore the wooded areas shaped of moss -covered fairy between peaks. These mountains have a deep sense of knowledge for me.

One of the forest fairy areas between peaks

Well, no All Perfect

I am spoiled by the white mountains, but I have also had my part of difficulty. On the one hand, I was dealing with the worst friction I have experienced in my life as I passed through those mountains. I was lucky to have only one storm while I was in the trees, especially because the path often climbs with whites in the whites. But the other face was that the temperatures were in the 90s and the humidity was at its highest point. I do not believe that I have sweated more in my life than when Mount Madison has passed in 93 degrees and 95% moisture.

I had to make many different adjustments to my clothes, backpack and other teams in an attempt to minimize irritation. The scraping of my salted, sweaty and unwashing on raw and irritated skin was a more uncomfortable and constant pain that I felt on a walk. And I have had my part.

Farto or not Chafe, I decided to go big or go home on my Madison day, and I advanced to cross the Monteses and Prezis cats, 25.5 miles on some of the toughest land in the AT. Then, while it was moved in the spring cabin of Mizpah, I was glad I had pushed. It was one of my most satisfactory days along the way. And walk with Kristian Morgan for a mile during his attempted FKT (faster known time), and meet my friend Jamie of the CDT, were cherries at the top.

Whether it is the most difficult section or the best section, I went through the white mountains. Making new memories in such a special place for me felt incredible. I am tired, but my legs begin to feel stronger, thanks to the whites. And I am ready to assume a few days of bigger mileage as the land stands in Vermont!

Crossing Vermont