AMC Huts - What Happens If Weather Is Unsafe For Travel?

[ImYourHuckleberry]

The official policy that I can locate online is no refunds within 14 days of the scheduled date.

I'm considering some trips next summer that include hut bookings, but I'm wondering what happens if the weather prevents safe travel? If you have a string of 3 or 4 huts booked, do you just lose all your money if it's unsafe to travel above treeline and you fall off your itinerary? Does anybody know how they handle this?

 

[KRooney]

My advice is to call Pinkham. My sense of that most of the people on this board do not make multiday trips between huts.

 

[Rhody Seth]

My gut tells me you'd be out of luck but as others said, calling AMC and talking to someone is probably your best bet. I haven't booked a hut stay in a while but in the past I've found their booking staff very helpful when I've communicated with them. If the weather is preventing you from getting from Madison Springs to Lakes of the Clouds, for example, they may be understanding of that situation.

 

[hikeswithdogs]

I think it depends on how severe the weather is. I was once scheduled to go into Zealand in winter on a record setting cold weekend. The AMC called ME and said not to come, and they would give me a credit I could use in the future...

 

[Mac]

In October of 2022, I hiked to Galehead just after 4 inches of rain, resulting in very difficult river crossings. 4 of us made it, the other 24 cancelled. I understood that refunds (or maybe credits) were issued in that instance.

 

[griffin]

Eons ago, I did get a refund for a stay at Lakes due to an heavy rainstorm that made the trails up unsafe. AMC didn't give me a hard time, but I did get the impression that it doesn't happen unless the weather is pretty extreme.

 

[Peppersass]

We got a credit (not a refund) when a tropical storm came through. Next time we had to cancel the second day on a 2 day hut stay we did not get a credit. For me it’s worth the risk.

 

[Mac]

Cancelled Galehead for Wednesday night (October 16) due to high winds, windchill and over a foot of snow. They were happy to relocate me to Shapleigh, and credit my card for the difference.

 

[ImYourHuckleberry]

I've gone ahead and booked nights at Lake of the Crowds and Madison and Carter for next September. Going to do a Presi Traverse directly into a Carter Wildcat Traverse and don't want to worry about fighting for space at the available tentsites. Hopefully the weather is "good enough" to pull it off.