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North Presidential Traverse 8/20-22/06 (AMC Rant)

salida

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Dec 18, 2003
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ecampus.bentley.edu
Date Hiked: 8/20-22

Trails(s) Hiked: Tuckerman Ravine, Trinity Heights, Gulfside, Clay, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Gulfside, Adams Summit, Osgood, Great Gulf

Total Distance: 14-17 miles (not quite sure), estimated 7000 vertical foot gain

Difficulty: Greuling!

Conditions: Tucks was dry, Rocks wet on Northern Presi Ridge, Osgood Trail had tons of down trees that are being removed, Great Gulf Trail had a behmouth of a tree on it that we tried to move but it was just to much, its a giant

Special Required Equipment: Lots of ambition


Left pinkham around 4 on Sunday, spent a nice night a hermit lake in the rain (it rained a lot harder than we expected). Got off to a liesurely start Monday morning (9:30 AM) because we thought it was going to rain all day, eventually at the top of tucks it cleared out and it was smooth sailing to the top of Washington, made it in about an hour with heavy packs. Spent lunch hour with the obs staff and then zoomed over to clay where it clouded in for the rest of our journey. Hopped along the ridge and tag jeff and adams and down to madison hut by around 4. We were hurting a little by this point. Winds on Adams were around 50 mph, pretty strong for august. We grabbed some water at madison hut, and were leaving when someone asked, Where are you going? We exlaimed this is to expensive for us, and we hoofed it over Madison and down the osgood to the osgood tent site. Made it ther earound 6:30. It was a long day.

Which brings me to the point, why will the AMC not put up lean-toos or tent platforms. Why is it there huts or nothing. They are really very expensive but there is no other above treeline option besides what the RMC provides. I find this absurd. They build the giantly ineffective and equally expensive highland center, charge mondo bucks for the huts, but they cant put up a tent pad? Ridiculous in my mind. Anyways, it was a great Adventure. Also the Great gulf trail had a huge blow down on it, its going to take some work to remove that one....
 

Mike P.

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Because the Hut controls how people stay & when people stay, How would you keep platforms closed? Now smartt well equipped campers don't need platforms closed (I'm not volunteering to collect fees at a Star Lake Platform either in January) but I can see people who were ill-informed about when a hut was closed being ill-prepared for an overnight at the Star Lake Platform especially in the shoulder season months of April or October

They used to have an emergency shelter at Edmands Col but too many people were using it for a destination & when bad weather hits it can last two or three days, more than the ill-prepared (or those not prepared for an overnight lasting 3 nights) can endure.

IMO platforms would generate more rescues in bad weather.

The Highland Center was built in a commercial area, it has not been wilderness since the Crawfords. Up high, the AMC has rebuilt Galehead at 3800 feet & Mizpah back in the 60's (maybe early 70's) at 3800 feet. LOC & Mad were built in the prior to 1940, the orginal Mad Hut in the late 1800's! My guess is if there was nothing there today, they would never get approval to build a new facility up there.

My biggest knock on the HC, is that there is no pack room! I prefer staying in more economical places & support the locals when possible. I travel for work in $$ places.
 

salida

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ecampus.bentley.edu
Because the Hut controls how people stay & when people stay, How would you keep platforms closed? Now smartt well equipped campers don't need platforms closed (I'm not volunteering to collect fees at a Star Lake Platform either in January) but I can see people who were ill-informed about when a hut was closed being ill-prepared for an overnight at the Star Lake Platform especially in the shoulder season months of April or October

They used to have an emergency shelter at Edmands Col but too many people were using it for a destination & when bad weather hits it can last two or three days, more than the ill-prepared (or those not prepared for an overnight lasting 3 nights) can endure.

IMO platforms would generate more rescues in bad weather.

Mike, I agree there probably would be more people going up there, and possibly ill prepared for bad weather too. There might even be a need for more rescues, but having participated in some carry outs, I'm well aware that people will make stupid decisions whether there is a tent platform up there or not. However, that does not mean there cannot be a low cost option above or near treeline... RMC does it with the pertch. Why can't the AMC do the same thing. A low cost option above treeline, whether it be a designated area for tents to use, a tent pad, or a lean too... Or heaven forbid let people stay at the huts for a reasonable cost!

My biggest knock on the HC, is that there is no pack room! I prefer staying in more economical places & support the locals when possible. I travel for work in $$ places.

My point about the highland center, was that they spent tons of money on it, when they could have put it towards reducing the cost of the huts, or paying the kroo more, or any number of more useful things.

Interesting points about the huts being built some time ago... Is that how the AMC got jurisdiction of the area, sheerly longevity?
 

David Metsky

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The Forest Service, not the AMC, issues permits for backcountry campsites. The AMC operates under their permit, as does the RMC. Except for the huts, which were created long before there were controls and permitting, there are no above treeline camping options in the Whites. Nor would there be any allowed, camping above treeline would create too much impact. The AMC couldn't have one up there if they tried.

There are 4 RMC facilities (cabins, shelters, and tent platforms) plus the Valley Way tentsite, Osgood tentsite, and the Wilderness Area designated campsites. There used to be an emergency shelter in Edmands Col that was removed due to overuse and destuction of the environment.

The AMC also runs about a dozen backcountry campsites for the Forest Service, but none above treeline.

-dave-
 
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