Glampacking, ever heard of it? I'm not sure there is a word for what my friends and I experienced in the White Mountains but glampacking ("glamorous backpacking") may be it. After our adventure in Yosemite where we learned to backpack and camp in the back country we decided to try another nature escape without so much weight on our backs and a real bed to sleep in. REI Adventures did not disappoint; however, the weather did. This trip was a hut to hut backpacking trip. In the White Mountains, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has huts along the Appalachian Trail (AT). All we needed to pack for the trip was clothing, shoes, towel, toiletries, and a sleeping bag. The food, cooking gear, and shelter were all provided for us by the AMC.
My coworker and I flew up to Connecticut to meet her sister at the airport. We then drove over to new Hampshire where we were meeting the REI Adventure group for our glampacking weekend. Our first night was in a large dorm with bunkbeds. They had cooked us dinner and we had a group meeting. Nothing too exciting except the meeting of new people.
The van was loaded the next day with our packs and several happy hikers. The age range was from 25-55. On the way to the trailhead we saw a huge moose grazing on the side of the road. This excited the crowd even more. We unloaded and started on the trail. Well, the trails in the White Mountains are not like other hikes I have been on in the south end of the AT. We were stepping up huge boulder rocks. It was quite hard hiking in my opinion. I was so happy that we didn't have full packs on our backs. The first day of hiking was great, it was cool and the sun was out. The weather changed drastically during the night.
We got to the first AMC hut by mid afternoon and unloaded our bags. The hut had a womens and mens side, each with multiple bunkbeds. There were bathroom facilities which were pit toilets and cold running water. The best part of the hut was the large tables to socialize and play board games. The staff of the hut made dinner and breakfast for all the campers staying in the hut that evening. We also packed bagged lunches for each days hiking. The huts are a great alternative to primitive camping with some luxuries and hot meals.
The first evening and during the night, a bad winter storm rolled in. It laid snow on the ground and things iced up. The wind was blowing like crazy throughout the night. I was so glad we had a hut to protect us from the elements. Plus, having bunkbeds and several bodies in a small room kept it quite warm. I slept on top of my sleeping bag that night. The next day the guides decided to hike back down to the van and drive to the next trailhead instead of hiking through. I was kind of glad but also sad that we didn't get to hike to the other hut. I need to get back to New Hampshire to try the hut to hut hiking again.
Day two we took the van to the next trailhead and hiked up to the second AMC hut. It was chilly and wet once the ice melted. We again unloaded our bags in the hut and did day hikes during the afternoon. New Hampshire is so beautiful. There were no bad storms that evening. We had a another wonderful dinner and breakfast the next day. We hiked back to the van on day three.
Things I learned during this trip:
Sometimes mother nature has different plans. You need to take life day by day, hour by hour
Backpacking is fun and makes you realize how the normal comforts of home should not be taken for granted. Glampacking is not as "rough" as backpacking. You still get to be one with nature but also have a few luxuries of home.
You can do anything when you have a supportive group encouraging you along.
Things that I want to incorporate into Glamp GVL:
Luxuries like a nice bed to sleep in, toilet, running water, coffee/tea in the morning. Eventually I would love to have a full kitchen to cook meals. Pit toilets may be a little to "rough" for some, so I'm going to try for regular toilet on septic.
A bunkhouse would be fun to have in the future. This would allow more accommodations for those that want to come to wellness retreats on site. At first, I would like to include platforms with a relaxation deck and cot rentals so that individuals would have an affordable way to get into nature with a few luxuries like social area, daily yoga, and bathroom facilities.
A social and game area is key to get individuals to interact and form a community. The community (even still to this day) that was formed that weekend was amazing.
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