Date: 2003-08-22
From: Mizpah Hut

To: Madison Hut
Miles today: 11.8

Day 120Mt. Washington is another milestone on this trip: having it behind me is a relief and makes me feel much closer to finishing than I felt 12 miles ago. I set out to make it to Pinkham Notch (another 7 miles away) but decided to stop short.The morning weather was good. When I summited Mt. Washington, it was nearly 60 degrees and the wind was about 30 mph. There is a road and a coal-burning rail car leading to the top. On top there is a snack bar and gift shop, which seem oddly tranquil on a mountain known for extreme conditions. I ate and left less than an hour later and the wind speed and temperature converged at around 45.In these conditions it was an easy decision to go for a shorter day, and again duck into a hut. Wind whistled through my pack straps and it was hard to walk steady. From the summit all the way to the hut is part of a 12-mile stretch where the trail is mostly above treeline. Clouds blew in, and in the second half of my day I had a rock-hopping walk through windswept clouds. I hiked with Biscuit for the last 4 miles, and we are again the work-for-stay crew at the hut. I haven't seen another NOBO thru-hiker in 3 days.I missed a turn on the way to Mt. Washington, and ended up walking a side trail that went west of the summit. I figured out what I had done when the trail met up with the AT north of the peak. I had to go back south one mile on the AT to get to the summit. The misadventure cost me an extra 1.4 miles, and I missed 0.4 miles of the AT south of the peak.*******Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) runs the huts in the Whites, and many thru-hikers have animosity for them. They call them "Appalachian Money Club" and some of the AMC signs on the trail have graffiti saying "no ethics" or "AMC pollutes". I don't know enough about it to take sides. I'll just state what my experience has been and say a few things about the huts for anyone interested in staying in them. Work for stay (available only to thru-hikers) has been a great deal for me. The breakfast and dinner are hearty meals served family style. We get leftovers after the paying guests are finished. To minimize environmental impact, the huts: Are lit by 24-volt battery systems charged by solar, wind, or hydro generators. Stoves run off propane. There are no paper towels or napkins (shake-em-dry). There are no showers. The bathrooms have composting toilets (and they don't smell). Food waste is also composted. Guests are expected to pack out their trash. Twice a week the crew packs out cooking trash and packs in supplies.   There is no road access.All huts have excellent views. I won't comment on good/bad crews - they change frequently anyway. Greenleaf - Great view, spacious, tough mile walk down from AT.Galehead - New, spacious.Zealand Falls - small, cramped hut. Nice location near cascade.Mizpah - large and still cozy. Good work-for-stay 'cause we got to sleep in the attic. When sleeping on the dining room floor, we had to wait for guests to go to bed (lights out at 9:30) before we could go to sleep.Lake of the Clouds - Largest hut, I only stepped in to look.Madison - Small, cramped. This had the least outdoor seating area.