Hi all,
I'm planning on taking the kids to the hut this weekend. I've never been there before, and I can't quite figure out if there is drinking water at/near the hut this time of year? Any other hut insider info would be great.
Thanks
Tim

Well, their website says there is one.

http://m.randolphmountainclub.org/site/mobile/grayknob.html?imz_s=lrolu3ueendv68aqcflbbsufu4

I don't see many springs running when it's 10 below zero like it was this morning. Probably not much help to you unfortunately. It also says there's a stove going to keep temps around freezing. Maybe you can melt some snow/ice on that in a pot in a worst case scenario. I'd lug up all I needed myself just to be safe. Maybe warm it next to the stove overnight if they'll let you so it'll take longer to freeze the next day.

The last time I was at the spring in winter, it was running. You had to drop down into a fairly deep snow hole to get to it, but the caretaker had left an ice axe for climbing back up and out. At the time, the snow stake nearby was at 108 inches. It doesn't look like that now.

It is not always dug out in winter depending on the recent weather and I have been by when it was not.

There is a wood stove. They burn bio bricks only now I believe.

How old are your kids? Do they like winter hiking? Be sure to read the part on RMC's website about the temp inside (some places note that they heat to prevent dampness, not necessarily for the comfort of those staying there). Keep us posted; I'm not really a winter person, but would like to try something like this some day.

Welcome to the forum!

I'm going with a buddy and our two 12 year old girls. I expect the hut to be about 30-35 degrees so we will bring our gear for sure. I'll let you know how it goes...

We did the trip this weekend. Two Dads and two 12 year old daughters. Started at Lowes Store and had a very nice hike up Lowes trail to the hut. The trail was gentle for the first 1.6 miles then somewhat steep the rest of the way. We didn't rush and took just over 3 hours to get there. The hut was super comfy. There was a time late afternoon when it was quite chilly inside, but once the stove was stoked it was warmed to about 45 degrees and we were hot in our sleeping bags overnight. We did go above tree line to check it out. Wonderful world up there, but winds about 50-60 with gusts to 80. We didn't go for the summit, but well worth exploring for a half hour. There were 13 people at the hut that night, fun crowd. The hike down was 2 hours. Anyone looking for a "safe" winter backcountry trip can't go wrong here.
Enjoy!

That's a nice trail and a nice place to stay. We did it, but we did it in August! Thanks for the report on what winter is like. Glad the girls had a good time. They are lucky to have dads that will do this!