is it me or the AMC sometimes acts like it owns the White Mountains?

[ekih]

I know that the AMC does not own the land their huts sit on, but since they maintain the trails that go up to the huts and since they are pretty much in bed together with the US Forest Service and the state of New Hampshire, I was wondering if the attitudes I have perceived reflect reality or are little more than the product of my own imagination, and would like to do some reality testing. I mean, maybe I have personal issues that I probably could work on, but almost every time I enter their huts and look at the pictures of former "crew members" I get the feeling that, you know, I feel a sense of alienation reminiscent of my days as a working class kid attending a private university which, to the chagrin and dismay of many good people, he is able to attend thanks to the evil laws put in place by communist/satanic lawmakers whose primary goal of destroying this nation is best manifested in their desire to set up a system where privileges traditionally afforded only to white, upper-middle class people, are also afforded to less deserving, inferior creatures who sort of resemble human beings. As I said, it's probably all in my head, but that pretty much sums up the kind of feeling I experience when I come within close proximity of anything related to the AMC.

[LIhikers]

Are you looking for some specific info, or are just needing to vent right now?
My wife and I have only had good experiences at the huts. We've bought lunch in the middle of the day and gotten plenty to eat, good food. We've stopped for snacks and lemonade and paid pennies on the dollar of what you'd pay in Starbucks, that is the few times we were asked for money. One day we stopped into Madison spring Hut shortly after the paying guests left and were treated to an all you can eat breakfast with the crew from the left overs. We even stopped into one hut in the middle of dinner and one of the crew stopped what they were doing for the paid guests and showed us on our map where we could camp nearby. Maybe we've been lucky by I've only had positive experiences from AMC. We were so impressed by the attitude we experienced and the work that they do on the trails that we became paid members even though we've never stayed a night in the huts or lodges.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

join the AMC....meet the people....maybe your perspective will change

[Feral Bill]

Based on numerous Whiteblaze threads, your perception is hardly unique. I have not been in the Whites recently enough to offer an opinion myself.

[Dogwood]

I like the AMC. They have always been good to this privledged white middle class male.

SERIOUSLY, ONLY YOU ultimately determines if you will feel inferior! Move beyond you limited beliefs.

[rocketsocks]

I know that the AMC does not own the land their huts sit on, but since they maintain the trails that go up to the huts and since they are pretty much in bed together with the US Forest Service and the state of New Hampshire, I was wondering if the attitudes I have perceived reflect reality or are little more than the product of my own imagination, and would like to do some reality testing. I mean, maybe I have personal issues that I probably could work on, but almost every time I enter their huts and look at the pictures of former "crew members" I get the feeling that, you know, I feel a sense of alienation reminiscent of my days as a working class kid attending a private university which, to the chagrin and dismay of many good people, he is able to attend thanks to the evil laws put in place by communist/satanic lawmakers whose primary goal of destroying this nation is best manifested in their desire to set up a system where privileges traditionally afforded only to white, upper-middle class people, are also afforded to less deserving, inferior creatures who sort of resemble human beings. As I said, it's probably all in my head, but that pretty much sums up the kind of feeling I experience when I come within close proximity of anything related to the AMC.

Probably best to get out of the hiking game altogether, maybe take up some other activity that makes you feel good about yourself...like writing! perhaps write a book about your travels, you obva have a gift for the gab, give it a shot.

[bfayer]

Wow, I guess all I can do is echo what others have said. Only you can change the way you look at the world. I don't hike up north much anymore so I can't say much about AMC.

It sounds like you are bitter that someone outside of your family paid for your education and for some reason you have a problem with the other students that got there because their hard working families paid for them instead of the government. All I can say is get over it, life will be a lot better for you if you stop worrying about what others have or don't have. Other people have more money because they worked hard for it, not because life is unfair to you.

This advice is coming from a guy that spent years sleeping on an old mattress on the floor because his Mother could not afford a bed.

The trail would not even exist if AMC did not take care of it, so next time you see someone from AMC a simple "Thank You" would be appropriate.

[Lone Wolf]

the AMC was around in the Whites long before the AT or national forest service. they're a good thing

[moldy]

The OP makes a good point about the AMC despite the "Catcher in the Rye" analogy. The AMC is a rich and powerful club. They have far more money, power and clout than the ATC. It's board of directors are rich people. They throw their weight around with the Forest Service, National Park Service, New England State Governments and the ATC. You might think that a simple hiking club with a handful of outdoor enthusiasts would not evolve into such a monster. They have an attitude similar to the PATC that they are in charge and can make the rules the want either directly or through influence at the National and State level. Why else could a private club make many millions of dollars on land owned by the people of the United States? The elitist attitude that most thru-hikers feel when enter these clubs turf is obvious to most. They say that they are limiting the shelters and campsites available to hikers because they need to protect the environment. That is why you should spend huge sums of money to stay in the huts. The trail clubs need to all be tossed out of government land and the AT returned to the citizens. The ATC needs to take over management of the trail in reality as opposed to being a front organization.

[hikerboy57]

The OP makes a good point about the AMC despite the "Catcher in the Rye" analogy. The AMC is a rich and powerful club. They have far more money, power and clout than the ATC. It's board of directors are rich people. They throw their weight around with the Forest Service, National Park Service, New England State Governments and the ATC. You might think that a simple hiking club with a handful of outdoor enthusiasts would not evolve into such a monster. They have an attitude similar to the PATC that they are in charge and can make the rules the want either directly or through influence at the National and State level. Why else could a private club make many millions of dollars on land owned by the people of the United States? The elitist attitude that most thru-hikers feel when enter these clubs turf is obvious to most. They say that they are limiting the shelters and campsites available to hikers because they need to protect the environment. That is why you should spend huge sums of money to stay in the huts. The trail clubs need to all be tossed out of government land and the AT returned to the citizens. The ATC needs to take over management of the trail in reality as opposed to being a front organization.

trail clubs are the reason the trail exists. who do you think built the trails?ironic that such elitist organizations can recruit so many volunteers to donate so much of their time to maintain these trails.

[moldy]

It is true that the clubs built the trail. That was the only way they could get it done 90 years ago. So what? How long do we need to show our gratitude? They are out of control. Instead of "occupy Wall street" we need to "occupy the Whites".

[Ezra]

It is true that the clubs built the trail. That was the only way they could get it done 90 years ago. So what? How long do we need to show our gratitude? They are out of control. Instead of "occupy Wall street" we need to "occupy the Whites".

Just curious Moldy...If you do not pay the trail back through donations to a club or volunteer your time doing trail maintenance through a club, how do you pay back the trail? Just curious.

[Grampie]

Ekih, do you think that the White's would be better managed if the government did more and the AMC did less?

[moldy]

Ezra, We still pay and volunteer. We just don't do that with the AMC. We give them the toss. The new trail managers will be part of the Federal Government. Yes they will do a much better than the "for profit AMC club". The NPS does a much better job than the AMC in other National Parks. Even the much overcrowded Grand Canyon NP offers better management. The AMC wants to cater to the rich. That is why they treat thru-hikers so poorly.

[JustaTouron]

The vast majority of people who hike on the AT and in the Whites do not hike the entire AT. The AMC focus is supporting the majority of hikers whose hike run from a day, a weekend or a week, rather than catering to the minority of 5-7 month hikers who feel that everything related the trail ought revolve around them.

[Tom Murphy]

I understand exactly how you feel. The people staying at the huts and the croo working at the hut typically come from the upper socio-economic class.

But there is another group of people in the AMC too. Locals who love the forests and the mountains.

[Tom Murphy]

The AMC does not treat thru-hikers poorly.

[Tuckahoe]

So the only sin I'm seeing here is that the AMC is run by rich people?

And our solution to the problem is to run off a sucessful outdoors/conservation organization that works in partnership with the federal and state governments and turn their mission over to those bloated governments? So we dont want the rich people, we just want their money?

[Nooga]

I have an issue with the AMC. IMO the sections of the AT maintained by the AMC were very poorly marked and infact many of the signs were incorrect. Previous hikers had corrected the signs with sharpies. Overall, I was treated well at the huts, with the exception of the Lake of the Clouds. I arrived about 15 minutes before their arbitrary cutoff and was denied work for stay. The weather was poor and storms were forecasted. I was advised that I could make Madison. Even though I was in thru hiker shape, I knew there was no way I could make it over Washington and to Madison before nightfall. I ended up paying full price to stay the night at Lake. I still deeply resent such callus attitude, given the danger of that section. Another issue I have was having to pay at AMC campsites which were no different that the campsites maintained by the MAC.

[hikerboy57]

I have an issue with the AMC. IMO the sections of the AT maintained by the AMC were very poorly marked and infact many of the signs were incorrect. Previous hikers had corrected the signs with sharpies. Overall, I was treated well at the huts, with the exception of the Lake of the Clouds. I arrived about 15 minutes before their arbitrary cutoff and was denied work for stay. The weather was poor and storms were forecasted. I was advised that I could make Madison. Even though I was in thru hiker shape, I knew there was no way I could make it over Washington and to Madison before nightfall. I ended up paying full price to stay the night at Lake. I still deeply resent such callus attitude, given the danger of that section. Another issue I have was having to pay at AMC campsites which were no different that the campsites maintained by the MAC.

was this a surprise to you or did you not do your homework? The fees are listed in every guidebook and yes getting over the Presidential Range does take a little work and planning.