my daughter and I are hiking the Presidentials in 2 weeks - up the Valley Way to the Madison Hut, then to Lakes, then Mispah, then down to Highland Center. 3 questions: how much water & Snacks to bring each day, and what do the Huts sell/provide to take with you. thank you, AB

Oh thank God! Someone new! Someone has posted something! Welcome aboard, and I hope the others chime in! Are you staying at the huts or just stopping in for a snack? Some ideas.... My daughter, Prema, and I use water bottles (many people use camel backs or some other hydration system, they can tell you about those). I carry two 32 oz bottles and I finish them (or pretty much almost do). You can replenish the water at the huts. Below treeline there are some sources of water; if you get water from streams, etc, you need to treat it. I would bring a variety of snacks and bring more than what you think you'll eat.

Huts - 1. They sell a lot of what people would probably need and probably forgot or did not think to take (back in the old days when I was just starting out, I bought a headlamp at the Greenleaf Hut, which was a good thing because I didn't get back to the car til dark ). This includes safety items, socks, etc, as well as food items (energy bars, candy, etc). 2. If you are a guest, they will give you a substantial dinner and a breakfast the next morning. They almost always make more soup and baked goods than they need at meals, so these will be available for a small price for those just stopping by. Lemonade, tea, coffee, etc are there,too (I think it's $1 for a cup).

Have fun and let us know how you make out! Anybody out there with more ideas?

thanks for your response. Nice to be so welcomed . we are staying at the huts (assuming we can make what appear to be totally punishing hikes up there and then from hut to hut). Seems like 2 big nalgene's each should be sufficient (I do have a water purifier also); and we should bring enough power bars/mixed nuts, whatever for all 3 days, and also supplement from the huts. sound right? thank you, we are psyched for this.

The huts can be great way to enjoy the Whites and sounds like a great vacation. The hikes aren't that bad....first day to Mad Hut is the elevation gain but it's a very commonly used trail and the setting for the hut is between Mt Madison and Mt Adams with Madison only being a 1/2 mile hike but over some big boulders (after you drop your gear and pick your bunk). The huts do provide wool blankets and pillows but I always like my own sleeping bag...as Beckie said they also have hearty meals for dinner and breakfast and snacks for sale along with clean water for drinking (there are toilets but no showers). The hike to Lake of the Clouds is awesome on a nice day just watch your trail and trail signs/cairns and you can opt to avoid summits like Adams Jefferson and Washington by going around them. Lake of the Clouds is the largest of the hut system and the best for sunsets since it's just below Mt Monroe (fairly easy climb). The hike to Mizpah is mostly descending and again you can avoid Monroe and Eisenhower instead of going over them (all the summits on this traverse are really worth it though). You'll find all 3 huts to be family style meals and the bunk rooms are just that...3-4 high bunk beds. The Hut Croos are also a great source of information from weather to trails. Keep in mind there are a few things you should carry like a map, headlamp, extra clothes, rain gear etc...I also like to carry some flip-flops just so I can take the boots off at the end of the day and give the toes a break. Good luck and please feel free to ask any questions and also let us know how the trip went.

Sounds like the questions are covered, though I'll mention that a 3rd liter/quart of water isn't a ridiculous thought. On the way up to Madison Hut, there's plenty of natural water if you have a purification system and need more. But not much between Madison Hut and the summit of Mt. Washington or Lakes Hut. There's a couple small springs near Mt. Clay, but everything else is a long way down. Between Lakes and Mizpah is pretty easy overall and not super far, so likely not an issue there.

I tend to drink a bit more than some folks, depending on the day. Partially that is because I use a water bladder, and so it is easy to drink, no dropping the pack or twisting awkwardly to get at a water bottle. If it were me, I'd bring 1.5-2L for the climb to Madison Hut, 3L to get to Lakes, and ~2L to Mizpah.

Snacks for hiking during the day between the huts is all you need. Dinner and breakfast is all you can eat!

thank you all very much! we're nervous but excited. i'm a little worried about the ridge hikes in rain/fog, etc., and keeping on the trail as someone mentioned, but we're pretty careful so it should be cool. thanks again; i will report back. AB

Hey - thanks for all the support and advice. we had a fabulous trip, incredible weather, etc. day 2 from Madison Springs over Mt. W to the Lakes Hut was challenging and amazing. would not want to be out there in wet/bad weather though. happy hiking everyone. AB

Thanks for letting us know! This forum doesn't get as much interaction as it has in the past, so it's nice to see some news! Hope your daughter had a good time!