by Cathy Chesley
Established in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest and one of the largest mountain clubs in the country. Dedicated to conservation, outdoor education, and back country management, the AMC in New England is most notably known for the operation of its unique hut system. The hut system, comprising a series of rustic lodges along the Appalachian Trail, follows some of the most scenic ridges within the White Mountains, including the famous Presidential Range.
In 1888, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) built its first White Mountains shelter for hikers, a stone structure just below the summit of Mt. Madison, in the northern Presidentials. By the early 1900s, AMC hired a caretaker to oversee the use of the shelter. This caretaker, as the story goes, would venture off for many days to hike and explore the surrounding area. Often he would leave simmering on the wood stove his supper, a large pot of soup. There also would be a note encouraging in- coming shelter users to make them- selves cozy and to indulge in a cup of soup. The caretaker must have been an accomplished soupmaker, since it wasn't long before returning hikers anticipated that cup of soup at the end of a long day and were willing to pay for it.
In 1915, the AMC erected a second stone shelter, this one at the foot of Mt. Monroe. A caretaker was hired. He, too, could rustle up a tasty pot of soup. And so a healthy competition sprung up between the two soup-making caretakers. Therein began the story of the AMC White Mountain hut system, and the North Country tradition known as the AMC "Croo".
Today the hut system consists of nine huts at locations such as Lonesome Lake, Galehead, and Lakes-of-the-Clouds, each as isolated and sublime as its name suggest. With the exception of helicopter "fly ins" of propane gas tanks, cumbersome construction materials and an occasional piano, the huts are accessible only on foot.
During the summer months, hikers and climbers (approximately 25,000 last summer alone) from all over the world seek cozy refuge within the huts. There they take advantage of dry bunks, hearty meals, and a pleasant social atmosphere provided by the "Croo", that spirited group of AMC employees who supply the bulk of the brawn necessary to keep the huts running smoothly. From innkeeper to trail worker, from desk clerk to dishwasher, the duties of the Croo members are as varied as are their reasons for coming to the mountains. Many are college students on summer leave from their studies, responding to the general attraction living and working within a mountain environment. huts. T
From innkeeper to trail worker, from desk clerk to dishwasher, the duties of the Croo members are as
varied as are their reasons for coming to the mountains. Many are college students on summer leave from their studies, responding to the general attraction of living and working within a mountain environment. Others come for more specific reasons; for the physical challenge, to be with old friends, or to allow themselves some time for inner reflection and self-growth.
One Croo member, whose face is familiar to many, is still in place after six years of caretaking at the
Hermit Lake Shelter Area. Joe Gill came to the AMC in 1974 after his senior year in high school. Except for intermittent breaks, the AMC hut life has been a primary focus in Gill's life. In his present role, Gill divides his time between tending to the needs of up to 86 people housed within the eight shelters surrounding Hermit Lake and answering the numerous questions asked by thou- sands of hikers who make their way across his porch each summer. He also spends time studying snow stability, making and reporting weather observations, overseeing revegetation and sewage composting projects, and, during the fall and winter seasons, on hiking and skiing expeditions.
As a volunteer naturalist for the AMC last summer, I had the very special opportunity to experience first hand the Croo at Madison Hut. Under the hut-mastership of Steven Colt, this five member Croo translated to their guests a warm feeling of welcome. Collectively they possessed an impressive range of knowledge and skills. They were accomplished cooks, photographers, musicians, skiers, knitters, golfers, storytellers, and comedians. One of the Croo even had a penchant for ornithology; in specific, the study of migratory patterns of tropical birds. The AMC can't boast high paying salaries. In some cases compensation is room and board in exchange for muscle power. "Why then," I asked Colt during the course of his stay as winter caretaker at Zealand Falls Hut, "do you continue to return?" His response was slow in coming, as if searching for the words to help me understand. "There's a certain esprit de corps that exists among the Croo, a real working compatibility. And while the salary won't support a high standard of living, the quality of life is unsurpassable. This working compatibility is obvious wherever you might happen to glimpse this Croo in action, whether it be preparing the evening meal for a full house of guests, during an after dinner music-making session, or in one of their traditionally whacky blanket folding demonstrations. Also obvious is their sharing of mutual interests; love of the rugged outdoors, healthy exercise, clean air, and spectacular views.
The Croo, who are expected to feed, educate, entertain, and, if necessary, rescue mountain users, have sometimes been criticized for their cool, even aloof attitudes towards hut users. These criticisms come most often from one-time visitors to the huts, and they frequently refer to experiences with Croo staff members during the waning days of late summer. By late August, the stress of the hard physical days and the tedium of a pack/cook, pack/cook schedule can sometimes bring Croo temperaments up short. It's also about that time, however, when the Croo recognize that it soon will be time to move on.For with the advance of autumn, all but two of the huts close their doors on lingering guests and threatening winter weather.
Croo members come, and while some stay, most move on in time, back to college campuses or to established activities within the workaday world. When they leave, often reluctantly, they take with them memories of late evening sunsets, of mid-August snowstorms, of much too early sunrises, of bodies boulder-beaten and sweat covered, and of rainstorms and friendships encountered along the way. They also leave behind a bit of that contagious and continuing enthusiasm for the outdoor environment, all part of a New Hampshire tradition which began nearly100 years ago. "There are a lot of old huts-men, running around with bad backs and knees and muscles between their ears," says JoeGill. "We loved it though, and kept coming back for more. And that same spirit is just as strong now as it ever was."
Published in New Hampshire Profiles, June 1983