Appalachian lodges from spartan to plush

MOUNT WASHINGTON, N.H. (AP) — The cone-shaped rock pile atop the tallest mountain in the Northeast loomed clear and bright a mile in the distance as we approached Lakes of the Clouds Hut around midday. Then, within minutes, a cold wind ushered in a mass of clouds that obscured the view.

With Mount Washington notorious for fast-changing and unforgiving weather, the 92-year-old hut along the edge of the Ammonoosuc Ravine is a welcome stopping point for cold, hungry day hikers craving a hot bowl of soup or a cup of tea or coffee.

For those planning to spend the night, Lakes of the Clouds offers hearty meals; clean, well-maintained accommodations; and a young, energetic staff eager to share their knowledge of trail conditions, weather and the local flora and fauna.

Lakes, with 96 beds, is the largest, highest and most popular of the Appalachian Mountain Club’s eight huts, perched about a day’s hike apart in the heart of the White Mountains. The AMC’s fabled hut system is only part of a growing network of backcountry accommodations that the 90,000-member club operates.

From spartan shelters beside hiking trails to a handsome roadside lodge set beside the main highway that cuts through Crawford Notch, the AMC can provide sleeping quarters for about 2,200 visitors a night during the peak summer season, when all facilities are open.

In recent years, the Boston-based club has expanded its accommodations to other backcountry locations, most notably Maine’s North Woods. After acquiring 37,000 acres in the 100-Mile Wilderness, the club has taken over sporting camps used by hikers, canoeists, fly fishermen, snowshoers and cross-country skiers.

Most facilities are in New Hampshire and Maine, but the AMC also has lodgings in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Though most are in the rural backcountry, at least two sites can be reached by public transportation from New York or Boston.

The nightly rates vary from as little as $8 for use of a tent platform to $135 per person for a private room with meals at Highland Lodge, although AMC members receive a discount.

The club’s entry into the lodging business dates back to the late 19th century, after the AMC was founded in 1876 to promote recreation and conservation in the White Mountains. The first of the huts, Madison Spring Hut, was built 12 years later. The eight huts, crown jewels of the club’s lodging network, offer a range of views — all of them spectacular — and various levels of accessibility.

Lonesome Lake on the side of Cannon Mountain, and Zealand Falls at the edge of the Pemigewasset Wilderness represent the easiest hikes and are most suitable for families with young children.

Galehead in the Franconia Range, Mizpah Spring on Mount Clinton, and Carter Notch, between Wildcat and Carter Dome, are reachable by a moderate hike. The most challenging are the three highest huts — Greenleaf on Mount Lafayette, Madison Spring and Lakes of the Clouds — all above 4,000 feet.

A handful of hikers have stayed at all eight huts in succession, but the average visitor spends two to three nights in the huts. Such an itinerary enables hikers to spend a long weekend in the Presidential or Franconia range without having to pack a tent, sleeping bag, camp stove, food and other gear in a backpack that can weigh 40 or 50 pounds or more.

“It’s nice not to have to bring all that camping gear and to have good, warm meals provided,” said Abby Chiverton, a medical student from New York who stayed at Mizpah and Lakes during a recent hike with her boyfriend.

An occasional backpacker, Miss Chiverton also welcomed the idea of being indoors in the event of inclement weather. “The weather on Mount Washington is so unpredictable,” she said.

Those who prefer a more primitive experience or are on a tighter budget can stay at the club’s network of backcountry camping areas equipped with three-sided lean-to shelters, tent platforms or both. The campsites, most located along the Appalachian Trail near a spring, stream or pond, concentrate overnight use in designated areas, helping protect the backcountry environment.

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