Blog Feature: Mauro Morandi, Remote Island Caretaker living like Thoreau.

I recently read a National Geographic article about a man who has lived alone on Budelli Island between Corsica and Sardenia for 28 years, speaks Italian, and who very recently got WIFI on the island. I looked him up on Twitter to ask if he had any wisdom  or advice for people from his perspective of living mostly in solitude and we had the following conversation. (Translated with Google Translate.) Let me know if you would like me to ask him any questions! I'd be happy to tweet him!

In Italian:	In English:
	Aimee: Tweeting from his isolated island! (With tag.) Mauro Morandi: Hello!
	Aimee: Good morning from Tampa, Florida, USA! I'm following your story: you're inspiring! Do you have any messages or wisdom for my young students on how best to live life? We'd like to hear from you, Mr. Morandi. Thank you for your time. -Aimee
	Mauro Morandi: "It's not easy to give advice. I can only recommend reading of Antigone of Sofocle [by Sophocles]: To disobey human laws contrary to divine laws. Divine laws that are in us are superior to human laws."
	Aimee: Thank you so much!

  So it's time to get reading! It's been eighteen years since I've read Antigone. I'll let you know what wisdom I garner from the title when I've finished! 

--> -->

"48 States in 48 Days: One Man's Journey of Activism."

When I think back on my childhood role models of activism and environmentalism, the foremost couple in my mind are the wonderful Barbara Clark and Charlie Adler of Attleboro, Massachusetts, the parents of my lifelong best friend Carlen. From the time we were little, Barbara and Charlie graciously and selflessly opened their home to international exchange students, and offered them a quintessentially American learning and life experience, paving the way for my future goal and experience hosting my very own students in my house.

Photo: From Charlie's @48states48days Facebook page

Charlie has always been very active in local land conservation and city politics, often running for positions to help steward the green spaces and interests of Massachusetts. I remember the fabric wall hanging in their house of political buttons reaching back decades and the stories of Barbara and Charlie's involvements in supporting candidates in every election. I have always admired their work and efforts.

This past election cycle has created a cloud of apathy against the major party candidates, pitted patriotic Americans against each other as we argue about the way to move forward, and broadcasted an ugly and contentious political race both internationally and to our children at home, as a race unlike that of which I have ever seen in my three decades of life.  Yesterday, I learned that Charlie is undertaking a quest of personal activism to travel to the State Houses or Capitol Buildings of all 48 of the contiguous States of America to share the following important message:

Photo: From Charlie's @48states48days Facebook page

As a fellow environmentalist and traveller, I will be tracking Charlie's journey and countdown to election day. If you would like to learn more or follow his journey, please like and follow @48states48days on Facebook. Wishing you a safe and positive journey, Charlie. Godspeed!

A Dream of Iceland!

Footage from our January 2015 trip to Iceland!

Escape to Ireland in my quick "natural highlights" video!

"America's Dirty Habits: Bad for the Environment, Bad for U.S."

Of course there are many things that we have adopted into our culture that are bad for the environment but today's post outlines some big offenders. I am spreading awareness to try to break this mold of "standards" that have originated from other ecosystems (Lawns), to get people to consider alternatives to dry-cleaning and hot air drying, investing in reusable universal BPA-free plastic bottles, and even trying to raise awareness about communities that aren't recycling. Check 'em out!

-> Comment Forum: Let me know about any other Bad Habits for the environment that you might be educated about below.

1. GREEN LAWNS. Lawns are a big offender. First, there's the water waste in watering the millions of lawns across America, many of which are in ecosystems where green grass is not natural. There are also the billions of gallons of fossil fuels used to mow and maintain these lawns. Then there are the pesticides, herbicides and chemicals used by landscaping companies with big development or business contracts that are polluting the ground, and areas nearby and underneath these lawns. Read more about the hazards to the environment as a result of lawns here on Smithsonian's Blog.  I truly resent that the "classic green lawn" is the standard for subdivisions and businesses everywhere. They are not conducive to a green planet, even though they may look like it.

Where did lawns originate? In England, where rains are a daily occurrence. It's ridiculous to me that this fashionable landscape can be found in the deserts of America in subdivisions and of course at golf courses throughout many climates where irrigation, reclaimed water and vast amounts of chemicals are needed to maintain the greens.

What are alternatives to a green lawn? (1) Replacing your lawn with clover, which requires little water, no herbicides and gives you good luck! (2) Planting a wildflower garden or meadow. (3) Replacing your concrete or asphalt driveway with gravel. (4) Creating a vegetable garden paradise instead of a lawn. (5) Creating a pebble or rock "zen" garden. (6) Creating a "southern desert" rock garden.

2. ELECTRIC DRYERS. I live in the humidity of Tampa, Florida and I understand why hanging laundry outside is a bad idea: mold, bugs, pollen, spores, etc...However, there has to be an alternative to these electric dryers. Even the newer ones use a large amount of energy. However there are ways to be mindful of the energy being used. Read my friend Nicole's blog post about "Ten Eco Friendly Laundry Tips" here. For example:

• Use a tennis ball, or a natural dryer ball (read Nicole's review of organic ones here.)
• Use less of the heat, more of the air dry.
• Consider hanging clothes inside instead on a clothes rack or a line.

3. DRYCLEANING. Don't dryclean your clothes. EVER. The chemicals are extremely harsh (and carcinogenic), and are put on your skin when you wear the clothes. You can read all about it on the EPA's website here.  Educate yourself! Besides, contrary to the name, dry cleaning is not a dry process, and also requires heat drying, which wastes power. Hand wash instead! Or consider trying to find an "Organic Drycleaner" which are becoming more and more popular. 

4. PLASTIC BOTTLES. I can't believe how many plastic bottles Americans go through each year. This isn't going away, folks. They are just increasing in number in vast quantities and so many of them aren't being recycled! It's sickening. Please buy reusable BPA-free bottles. TIP: While I know they can pile up and be expensive, if you buy many that are the same type it is easier to find lids for them. 

5. COMMUNITIES that AREN'T RECYCLING: That's on you, Florida! (And many other places.) While the counties around me recycle, none of the apartment/condo/townhouse subdivisions do. That's hundreds of pounds of trash that needn't be in the landfills. It makes me ill to think about it, and no one is advocating for change in this regard. I've been known to drive bags of plastic and paper to recycle centers, but these are few and far between, and it still uses gas to get there. Any ideas on how we can clean this dirty habit up? Comment below. 

So perhaps I missed the Bad Habit that you wanted to read about: Flying, home energy consumption, junk mail, newspapers, eating meat, plastic bags, driving and parking. I too considered these habits, and wanted to learn more about them. I found a great article by the Chicago Tribune which included these habits, which is highly worth reading if you want to educate yourself about even more bad habits. 

Really, to change a habit requires commitment for about thirty days. So challenge yourself this year, and if you forget for your New Year's Resolution to axe some or all of these habits from your list and you can join me in the quest to leave less of a carbon footprint on mother Earth. Thank you for considering making some of these changes: together we can change the world.

I'd be honored if you would share or like this post. For more reading like this, FOLLOW me on Facebook at FootstepsintheDirt.

Lean and Green Frugal Living: A great blog you should check out!

Check out my friend and colleague Nicole's Blog about Lean and Green Frugal Living! She has great tips, coupons and reviews about living green in a challenging consumer economy! 

http://leanandgreenfrugalliving.blogspot.com

Review of "Vine.com:" Natural Products for Green Living

A few weeks ago on Facebook, I saw an advertisement obviously geared for someone like me: www.vine.com, which is a "Free Shipping" enterprise which stocks "natural products for green living." Since I hate shopping, I figured this was right up my alley, and downloaded the iPhone App for the store after being prompted about its ease of use on the Mobile Website.

The Test: I put the internal site Search Engine to the ultimate test: did the website have my absolute favorite body scrub? The Giovanni Detox Scrub made of volcanic ash and heated charcoal with Acai and Goji Berries. Which used to be sold at Publix, but has been "sold out" since August.

The Results: Not only did they have the body scrub, but they had the whole Giovanni detox system: volcanic ash body bar as well.

Why this company? Giovanni cosmetics not only donates 5% of all sales to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, but this company uses mild, plant based "eco chic" ingredients and doesn't test on animals. These features are why vine.com selected these products to be on their storefront.

The Quest: I began to search through the other categories of items on the site of companies who meet the Vine's "Green Philosophy;" products that are made from sustainable materials, energy efficient, natural, organic, designed to remove toxins, powered by renewable energy, reusable, water efficient, and more. 

I found an amazing solar powered/hand cranked AM/FM radio in "GEAR & GADGETS" that has a USB plug so you could also charge your cell phone or any other USB port device! Best part? It's only $31! Never mind the "Vine" online coupons that you can find/use for a first time purchase on Retailmenot.com! Perfect for any act of weather/Mother Nature/Emergency scenario!

There are also a variety of solar powered cell phone chargers on the site worth checking out!

Back to Beauty: Because I hate shopping for beauty products in stores, where I'm often overwhelmed by selection, I returned to the Beauty and Healthy and Wellness categories of green products and ended up trying this new skin toner made of natural ingredients such as garden tomatoes by Burt's Bees, and my go-to favorite nighttime Blemish Stick also by Burt's Bees.

What else? I also brought some organic tea by NUMI (one of the most ethical companies in the world) and some essential oils. (Being allergic to most everything else.)

Worth the visit? So between the free two day shipping and first time coupon saved me over $20 on my cart of green products. I will be using this site again soon, especially now that I know they have a great range of Gluten-free products and other organic foods!

Upcycling is the new Recycling, Part 2!

1. OLD FILE CABINETS: Before I left the school for Summer Vacation someone suggested to me that I should get rid of my old dodgy grey stained and chipped file cabinet. I considered it for a bit, but then realized that 1) it's huge and heavy, and 2) it's still useable, just ugly. So my focus narrowed to solution based path. How can I make this old ugly thing pretty enough to be displayed in my middle school classroom? And then I turned to Pinterest- because if someone's done it before, it will be on there. Quickly, I found the solution and the ugly "problem" became a creative project! View how-to steps here. 

(Then, while at home in Boston for the Komen 60-mile walk, my uncle showed me his newly "upcycled" file cabinet and walked me through the revamp-process. He had used a citrus-based paint stripper and taken the paint off of his file cabinet first, and then sprayed it with a metal-specific spray paint.)

2. TANK TOPS: These can really pile up over the years! What better than to create a few more "totes" out of the material of things we might have donated anyway? There's a whole tutorial on how to do this, with step-by-step directions here.


3. CREATING ORGANIZED SPACES: I feel like every time I pin these awesome projects to my pinboard on Pinterest, I'm committing some future Saturday off to junk hunting or yard sale scoping, a trip to Home Depot to buy paint and sandpaper and often wonder if I'll ever get any of these projects done successfully. However, with this project in particular, I feel like these "rails" are everywhere to be found! Baby cribs, ladders, rungs from bannisters, crates...so this is my next project. I can use one for my things, and Tom could probably use one of these for his garage gear and tools! The tutorial to turn any "railing" into an overhead storage unit can be found here. 

4. MAKE YOUR OWN CRAYONS! I have a couple of readers who have kids and probably have tons of broken crayons at home. Here's a solution! Using greased muffin tins (oven) or paper cups (outside in sun for a few hours) you can make new crayons out of the old broken crayons by remelting them! Directions here! 

5. PET TOYS: Every time I go to the Pet Store to buy Science Diet cat food (because I'm a sucker for those cats) I also usually pick up the ten-count tailed fake mice. Lord knows where they all end up because a month later I can't find any of them, and I buy ten more. So this could be a whole project for a day for me, creating "cat nip" filled cloth balls. This project is pretty self-explanatory, using recycled "extra" materials from old clothes filling them with a squeaky toy or shaker, or cat nip, but if you need directions, head over here...


So there are a few of my favorite projects, but there are 100's of other ideas online if you google: upcycle project, or upcycle ideas. I just found this link today: 100 Amazing Upcycling Ideas Anyone Can Do, which has some more ideas.

If you missed my first "Upcycling" bog post check it out: Upcycling is the new Recycling! 

"Upcycling is the new Recycling."

 "Upcycling is the new Recycling!"

Welcome back to my blog! Today's topic is Upcycling: "...the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value."

Entertainment Seating: layered pallets.

I would love to be an entirely "original" creative person; but in reality, I'm a teacher; and like millions of other educators worldwide my motto is "borrow from the best" of educators and lesson plans to create the best curriculum and lessons for my students. As a result, I've borrowed some of these creative upcycling ideas from Pinterest and Google Images to share with you today. Here are some of the interesting project ideas that I have found for "upcycling" that you can do at home. 

Old dresser planter.

There is a larger project database of ideas that I've collected at this link: which takes you to my "Upcycling" pinboard on Pinterest. (You do not have to be a Pinterest member to view it.) 

So now, my challenge is to wander the halls of my house looking for waste, junk, or useless materials to create some of my own "upcycling" projects of my own. I plan to share them with you here on this blog all summer. 

From clothing hanger to Chip Clip! 

I hope these ideas inspire you to begin some projects of your own! 

If you have pictures, or links to projects that inspire you to "Upcycle" please share them in the comments section below!

My 100th Post: "American Clothing Consumption."

I originally started this blog last year to bring awareness to environmental, social and worldly issues. Today for my 100th post, I return to that mission to discuss American clothing consumption.

"American Clothing Consumption."

Today I learned a frightening statistic: that the average American buys 64 items of clothing per year. In 2009, that averaged almost $1900 per person. Considering overall income: clothing and apparel services was only about 4% of an American's total income: see graph below for the visual economics of expenditures.

(Click on Photo to enlarge.)

However, this number (64 items on average per person) was shocking. Then I thought about how many of these clothing items are NOT recycled, reused, or redistributed and I decided that it's time for a Sustainability Reinvigoration! Please donate your used clothing and items to one of the following charities: (click on linked name for locations) the Salvation Army, Goodwill, the American Red Cross, Vietnam Veterans "Pick Up Donation" service, and more instead of throwing them out. (If your favorite donation charity is not listed, please add the link to it under the "Comments" section of this post!)

Another fashion issue to consider for increased sustainability is the quality of clothes purchased. The cheaper or more badly made the clothing item, the less "wear and tear" it has and the more likely it is to be thrown out. The "trendier" the item, the more likely it will be thrown out within a few seasons! There was an interesting interview with Elizabeth L.Cline (the author of the new book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion) on the other issues with "cheap fashion" on MarketplaceReporting.org, about the environmental and human costs as well. Her wisdom? Buy clothing guaranteed to last, that is "classic," and comfortable. 


How do you determine the value of a brand in regards to Sustainability? For this information, I turn to my trusted Better World Shopping Guide. (As a young teacher, my means are limited, but there can be power in every dollar I spend if I spend it the right way.) Check out your favorite brands from the Better World Shopping Guide's Clothing Brand Analysis. To find out how they created these rankings (based on Human Rights, the Environment, Animal Protection, Community Involvement, and Social Justice) please visit their website here.  


"In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation... even if it requires having skin as thick as the bark of a pine." - “The Constitution of the Iroquois Nations: The Great Binding Law.


By educating yourself about the sustainability of the brands you buy, by buying better and buying less, and by recycling all of the clothes that we need to get rid of, we can change the world.

Thank you for reading my blog. If you like it: Please Follow Me! 

Interesting BBC Article: Painting mountains to restore glaciers!

Check it out! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10333304

Aimee's Earth Day 2011 Adventures!

Aimee's EARTH DAY 2011 Adventures! 

Here were my goals:
1. To Plant a Tree! I was able to plant a tree on the skirt of the forest edge of the preserve behind our house.


2. To raise awareness about Earth Day! I was able to buy the white shoe polish with the built in circle sponge (thank you Marching Band!) to write a Happy Earth Day message on my car windows and to salute the people of Tampa as I drove around today! I also wrote a blogpost about how to get involved locally or on your own. I also texted fifty of my friends and family a Happy Earth Day message (sorry!) and updated facebook with pics of my adventures to try to get people thinking about Earth Day and how they can get involved!


3. To Donate Clothes to Charity! I wanted to go through my closets and to pack, donate and recycle all of the clothes I no longer wear. 


4. To bring my recyclables to the Recycling Center!  It's a bit of a pain drive back to our old apartment complex to recycle stuff (Florida apt/condo complexes generally don't recycle) but I've made it a goal to keep up with it this year!

 5. To buy local produce and support local farmers from a fruit stand! I drove up to Rt. 56 today (with the signs on my car) to advertise Earth Day and to get some locally grown produce. Check out my purchases! (See Photo Left).

 6. To do an Earth-Friendly project: I made some "sweater rack dryers" out of tulle netting, 8 nails, a staple gun and some wood the guys at Lowe's cut down for free for me. The two racks cost about $6.00 total to make and will dry my sweaters without hot dryer air/electricity forever! 

All in all: a great start to the day! HAPPY EARTH DAY! 

                                                      

Earth Day 2011 Challenge: Get involved!

DO:  Pledge an Act of Green! "A Billion Acts of Green," Sponsored by Earthday.org. Quickly Register with the Facebook App to show your friends what we can do together!

READ: Check out the Huffington Post's "9 of the Best Books You Should Read to Celebrate Earth Day!"

ATTEND: A Local Earth Day event near you! For listings, click here...

CONNECT: See what your friends are doing on Facebook! Challenge them to pick something to give back to the earth today!

CHANGE: Commit to these "five ways you can embrace Earth Day everyday!"
1. Turn off the lights!
2. Use less water.
3. Don't print. (From the printer)
4. Offset your carbon footprint: plant a tree!
5. Talk about "Earth Year" instead!

CELEBRATE! Check out what you can do to help celebrate Earth Day! For 15 great ways to celebrate Earth day: click here!

LEARN: The Top Ten things you can do to make a difference on Earth Day!

My challenge to you: pick one and report back on it here at the end of the day!

"Destinations: New Hampshire's White Mountains," by Aimee.

In the heart of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, lies a chain of huts at varying altitudes from the roadside all the way up to 5,000 feet on the shoulder of Mt. Washington. These seasonal high huts, and year-round low huts offer spectacular scenic outlooks of the mountain range and valleys and are run by the extremely eco-friendly and conservation-steward, Appalachian Mountain Club. (Even though I live in Tampa, Fl, I have been a AMC member at the low rate of ($25 (under age 30)-50.00/p.p, $75.00 for a family,) each year for membership, and every year made my savings back in discounts on lodging and gear.)

My Mom and I have been making yearly trips to hike in the Whites since 1994 (for 17 years!) and every year we have stayed at one or more of these fabulously run huts or lodges. (See photo below for huts & altitudes). There are 48 mountains in New Hampshire at an altitude over 4,000 feet and it has been our goal since that first hike up Mt. Washington in 1994 (when I was nine) to hike all of them. Currently: we have TEN left! The AMC huts provide access to most of these mountain summits. (Advance Lodging Reservations usually required, made easily at www.outdoors.org) For trail suggestions and ability level recommendations, please visit the AMC's 4000'er planning guide.

There are two roadside Visitor Centers that offer a plethora of family-oriented activities: the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and the Highland Center (formerly: Crawford Notch Hostel) on either side of Mt. Washington. The others require a little (or a lot) of effort to reach! So here is my review of each of the Appalachian Mountain Club huts:

Family style dining at the Highland Center

THE HIGHLAND CENTER (roadside at Crawford Notch): The Highland Center offers family adventures and activities, year-round, from local hikes (around the lake, 3-mile Red Bench trail (Mt. Washington view), to hiking Mt. Avalon (3,430 ft), Mt. Tom (4,051 ft) & Mt. Field (4,331 ft) or as a starting point for all destination trails of Mt. Washington, this hut sits nestled on the Appalachian Trail in the valley of Crawford Notch, NH. It is one of "The Top 50 Ecolodges Worldwide" -National Geographic, and with several economic lodging options: bunk rooms for families/college groups and hotel-style rooms and the Shapleigh Bunkhouse hostel bunkroom for $40/night, is extremely affordable for singles and families. The meals (dinner & breakfast) are included and a great way to meet new people, fellow hikers/travelers from all over North America with the "family style" dining options.

The Highland Center (and Aimee)

I have stayed here in both summer and winter and have been very comfortable in both seasons. I like their eco-friendly laundry/towel/sheets policies, and the family style dining. They have a great gear store as well in case you forgot anything and want to buy it: otherwise you can borrow any of the gear you could possibly need from the L.L.Bean Gear Room for FREE.  A great way to "test before you buy!" (Although, with Bean's 100% guarantee, I've never been dissatisfied with their products/customer service!)

Aimee & winter at the Highland Center

Mom (Liz) at Pinkham Notch (2010

On the other side of Mt. Washington lies the only other roadside Visitor's Center: PINKHAM NOTCH VISITOR'S CENTER. Pinkham Notch offers the same family friendly lodging and adventure guides for on-site trips, as well as a starting point for all trails north of, and up Mt. Washington, including the legendary Tuckerman's and Huntington's Ravines. The mountains north of Wash include the beautiful, rugged and remote Carter Range (which includes Carter Hut, Carter Dome (4,832 ft), South Carter (4,430 ft), Middle Carter (4,610 ft) and Mt. Moriah (4,049 ft) and the Wildcat Range (which includes Wildcat (A Peak- 4,422 ft,) Wildcat D (4,401 ft) mountains.) Pinkham Notch also provides easy access to the Mt. Washington Auto Road and the North Country peaks: Mt. Waumbek (4,006 ft), and Mt. Cabot (4,167ft).

Aimee & view from Mt. Height, Summer 2010

While the most famous peaks here offer great views: one relatively unknown and uncountable peak (too near the summit of Carter Dome) offers 360 degree views at sky-level: Mt. Height. (See photo right) This surreal bit of heaven should NOT be missed. 

Aimee & Liz almost at Carter Hut, 2010.

CARTER NOTCH HUT offers access to both the Wildcat Range and the Carter Range, and is a both a full service (full meals) and self-service hut (pack in your own food/water) depending on the season. Located nestled in the valley between Carter Dome and Wildcat D peak, the hut is also open for snowshoers and nordic skiiers in the winter. (Be advised: this is no easy winter snow trek, even though the trail is only 3.6 miles, you still gain an altitude of 1,300 feet in elevation from Pinkham Notch.) The notch views of the lake and the rock ramparts are also bucket list views as well. 

Aimee & Liz: Breakfast at Carter Hut, Summer 2010.

The Presidential Range, which includes: Mt. Adams (5,774 ft), Mt. Jefferson (5,712 ft), Mt. Madison (5,367 ft), Mt. Eisenhower (4,780 ft), Mt. Jackson (4,052 ft), Isolation (4,003 ft), Madison (5,367 ft), Munroe (5,372 ft), Mt. Pierce (4,310 ft) and Mt. Washington (6,288 ft) is home to three of the AMC's  high-altitude huts: Lakes of the Clouds, Madison and Mizpah Huts.

Lakes of the Clouds Hut from
descent of Washington cone.

Lakes of the Clouds Hut (Alt: 5, 050 feet)

LAKES OF THE CLOUDS HUT: Lakes was my favorite childhood hut, on the shoulder of Mt. Washington. The nighttime views of the sky and stars from the hut are unsurpassable in beauty and scope. (The views make midnight bathroom runs are that much more fun getting up for!) I've stayed at Lakes about four times in different kinds of weather: torrential downpours, fog, cloudless-vistas, hot and cold weather, and this hut, being the highest altitude hut in the AMC system, does require alternative routes in case of bad weather (as do Madison Hut, Galehead and Greenleaf huts). Lakes features giant bunk-rooms where hikers stay with strangers, which is all part of the experience. Recent renovations have sectioned off the larger old "gender" bunk rooms into smaller bunk rooms. Family style benches and long tables can feed up to eighty people per night, and the hut is usually full on weekends in the summer. There is a library of books to read, and maps to look at and a century of guest logs to check out to find your past trip salutations. 

Josh & I: Summit of Washington in '08.

On the Northwest shoulder of Mt. Washington, sitting nestled between Mt. Madison and Mt. Adams, is MADISON HUT. One of my most memorable hikes, (because I hiked both of these 5,000'ers with mononucleosis in college) this is a popular night-time summit hike from the hut up to the top of Madison. Many hikers have dinner, then grab a bottle of water to run up and see the sun set from the top of the Mt. Madison and then hike down with headlamps and flashlights back to the hut for the night. I remember hiking Mt. Adams in June of '97, and being surprised to see a huge patch of snow of the side of the mountain! Like Galehead Hut, and Greenleaf Huts, Madison offers a bit of that remote wilderness to only be reached only by foot on the rugged climb in. 

Aimee at Madison Hut in 1997.

Propellor Blade at Lakes Hut

Moving away from Mt. Washington, south, are the rest of the huts. Directly south of Lakes of the Clouds hut is MIZPAH HUT, with an infamously high ceiling inside, one that hosts a few signs from the other huts, impossibly out of reach for the midnight hut crew thief in the AMC Hut Croo's infamous game of Raiding. Most famously, the 75lb airplane propeller blade, which was showcased at Lakes for years has gone missing. Mizpah is a moderate altitude hut (3,800 ft) but it boasts proximity to one of the best trails in the Whites: the Webster Cliff trail. (See photo below) This trail is a part of the Appalachian Trail, but should not be traveled in inclement weather because the trail hugs the cliff for it's entirety. Also: I do not recommend this trail if you are afraid of heights because some of the rock scrambles are formidable!

View from Webster Cliff Trail

Aimee & Liz at Mizpah Hut, 1996.

Traveling further south, you would hike down from Mizpah to the Highland Center (roadside) and then (if you are continuing on the Appalachian Trail) to ZEALAND HUT. Zealand is a family friendly 2.8 mile moderately flat hike in, (from Zealand Rd. via Zealand Trail). It is open year-round as a full and self service hut (see AMC's webpage for details). 

Aimee & Liz at Galehead Hut in '94.

The next hut in the chain of day hikes is GALEHEAD HUT: which is my family's favorite. A vigorous hike to in any direction, getting to Galehead is a truly satisfying accomplishment that also rewards you with delicious meals, crisp clean mountain air and spectacular views from Galehead (4,024), North (4,760 ft) and South Twin (4,902 ft), Garfield (4,495 ft), Bond (4,698 ft), West Bond (4,540 ft) and Bondcliff (4,265) over the untamed Pemigewasset Wilderness.
Galehead is still my favorite hut, even after reaching it at 8PM after twelve solid hours of hiking in torrential downpour, thunderstorms and hail from Greenleaf Hut on July 4th, 2009. (Probably suffering hyponatremia, dehydration and mild hypothermia.) Which reminds me to remind you to make sure to pack warm wool gear even in the midst of summer in the Whites.

Aimee & Mom at Galehead Hut, '09

In reverse: the next hut would be (heading south) GREENLEAF HUT. On the shoulder of the infamously treacherous and deadly Mt. Lafayette (5,249 ft) and the Franconia Ridge: which also includes Lincoln (5,089 ft), Haystack (4,780 ft), Flume (4,328 ft) and Liberty (4,459 ft).

Aimee & Liz at Greenleaf Hut in 1995.

Aimee & Mom at Greenleaf Hut w/ whiteout views, '09

Bill Bryson wrote in his famous book A Walk in the Woods about stopping at Greenleaf Hut for lunch, after a dismally dangerous hike in icy fog over the Franconia Ridge (a summer trip) writes, "Every guidebook, every experienced hiker, every signboard beside every trailhead parking lot warns you that the weather in the White Mountains can change in an instant. Stories of campers who go for a stroll along sunny heights in shorts and sneakers only to find themselves, three or four hours later, stumbling to unhappy deaths in freezing fog are the stuff of every campfire, but they are also true...I understood now [after climbing Mt. Lafayette] how people die in he White Mountains even in summer."

South of Greenleaf, is only LONESOME LAKE HUT. Like Zealand Falls Hut, Lonesome is a four-season hut, and is easily accessed for families. For the peak baggers, it is located in proximity to the Kinsmans: South Kinsman (4,358 ft) and North Kinsman (4,253 ft).




ADDITIONAL HIKING INFORMATION: 

• For a full packing list click here...
•  "Carry In- Carry Out: The Leave No Trace Guidelines." 
• HikeSafe Hiker Responsibility Code: You are responsible for yourself, so be prepared!

1. With knowledge and gear. Become self reliant by learning about the terrain, conditions, local weather and your equipment before you start.
2. To leave your plans. Tell someone where you are going, the trails you are hiking, when you will return and your emergency plans.
3. To stay together. When you start as a group, hike as a group, end as a group. Pace your hike to the slowest person.
4. To turn back. Weather changes quickly in the mountains. Fatigue and unexpected conditions can also affect your hike. Know your limitations and when to postpone your hike. The mountains will be there another day.
5. For emergencies. Even if you are headed out for just an hour, an injury, severe weather or a wrong turn could become life threatening. Don’t assume you will be rescued; know how to rescue yourself.
6. To share the hiker code with others.

•  Get Maps and the 28th AMC White Mountain Guidebook for essential trail descriptions and information: