AMC Action Plan for 2025-30

[sierra]

I meant "flowers" as toilet paper flowers. A common way of describing it. Maybe you have lived too sheltered an existence to have been exposed to the phrase in that manner

The internet is a wonderful place, you can sit in the comfort of your home and run your mouth with little or no consequence. See you on the trails *******.

 

[DayTrip]

I meant "flowers" as toilet paper flowers. A common way of describing it. Maybe you have lived too sheltered an existence to have been exposed to the phrase in that manner

I've never heard of that expression either for what it's worth. Not sure how that make's someone's existence "sheltered". Seems like an odd, self serving comment.

 

[Lone Stranger]

I wasn't going to respond to you, but I changed my mind. I may not be everybody's cup of tea, but disingenuous I am not. I might have misread his intention, and I admitted that in my response to him. I have been a member here for 20 years and have spent more than my share of time in the backcountry. I have my opinions, and they may be strong, but they are mine and frankly whether people agree or not is up to them. All that being said, I don't even recognize your name, so I don't know you and you don't know me, so save the accusations for someone you know.

I asked because I didn't know the answer. You have now misinterpreted my words as an accusation. Some people can't read very well while others are just jerks. I was genuinely attempting to find out what the case was there by asking a simple question. I think you've cleared that up now, thanks!

 

[Lone Stranger]

I meant "flowers" as toilet paper flowers. A common way of describing it. Maybe you have lived too sheltered an existence to have been exposed to the phrase in that manner

Poop Blossoms is the term I prefer, but fully grokked you

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Good article on the AMC huts by Miles Howard, former hut croo, in Boston Globe Magazine this past Sunday. Unfortunately behind paywall, but those of you with subscriptions should be able to find it.

 

[Ear Drum]

Good article on the AMC huts by Miles Howard, former hut croo, in Boston Globe Magazine this past Sunday. Unfortunately behind paywall, but those of you with subscriptions should be able to find it.

Here's the link to that:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/13/magazine/white-mountains-amc-huts/
I tried to open it and got the paywall; refreshed my browser a couple of times, and then I could see the article.

 

[NHChris]

I read this article and think it (and the AMC staff interviewed) totally miss the point.

IMHO the huts exist for one simple reason: to enable hiking in the Whites, especially above tree line.

They should not be compared to any other traditional lodging facilities, including glamping, private cabins, motels, etc. Excluding Pinkham and Highland they are not front-country amenity providing facilities.

Rather than glamming them up the club should look at ways to make them more affordable for the average middle class family.

 

[KRooney]

I found, based on info on a website (Give Freely), the AMC has 15 (+/-) staff with salaries of $100K or more.

 

[skiguy]

I read this article and think it (and the AMC staff interviewed) totally miss the point.

IMHO the huts exist for one simple reason: to enable hiking in the Whites, especially above tree line.

They should not be compared to any other traditional lodging facilities, including glamping, private cabins, motels, etc. Excluding Pinkham and Highland they are not front-country amenity providing facilities.

Rather than glamming them up the club should look at ways to make them more affordable for the average middle class family.

Very well put and I agree. This article does a great job identifying the differences between the glamping crowd and the Hut folks. But does very little to identify any solutions to address the self perceived issues The AMC has and has going forward. Again as I have already mentioned numerous times The AMC is doing very little to adapt to current times. Their current model and the model they have been relying on for decades is failing. Much of the AMC is so drunk on their own ridged Koolaid they have lost site of the long term. Again IMO they need to start by downscaling as they have already stated themselves their revenue has been in decline. It’s a non-profit. Stop trying to line your pockets and create a balanced budget. As the article mentions The Pandemic effect has taken it’s toll and recovering from that is highly unlikely. Also The Boomer and or aging out effect is relevant also. They need to wake up and realize The Huts are not the Crown Jewel any longer.

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

I found, based on info on a website (Give Freely), the AMC has 15 (+/-) staff with salaries of $100K or more.

If it's only around 15 in total over $100k, that is surprisingly low to me. Especially with their headquarters in Boston.

 

[skiguy]

If it's only around 15 in total over $100k, that is surprisingly low to me. Especially with their headquarters in Boston.

In other terms $1.5 million of over the $6.5 million in total salaries.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

In other terms $1.5 million of over the $6.5 million in total salaries.

AMC website financials state about $36 mil in operating expenses for 2023, with 53% for staffing, so closer to $19 mil for salaries?

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

Employees are expensive. Especially in Boston!

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Employees are expensive. Especially in Boston!

Employees in da huts (da crooks) were not expensive in 1968 when my wages were $30.80/week (so, about $280/week in today’s dollars), which was essentially a six-day work week with about 12-16 hours work per day. So, if 14 hours work per day on average, that was equivalent to about 37 cents per hour. We supposedly worked 11 days on, three days off (aka, daze, as in, “where are going going for daze?”), but because we could not leave our hut until after cleaning was done following breakfast on our first daze and had to be back to help serve supper on our third daze, it was really only two days off. Nevertheless, not only the best job that I ever had, but also the hardest.

As one my O.H. buddies noted after reading the B Globe article this week, we essentially were volunteer employees. I only could afford working in the huts because I lived at home in Durham while going to UNH so that my mother could collect veteran’s benefits for my recently deceased father who served in WWII, which more than covered my in-state tuition, fees, and lodging in my mother’s house.