Appalachian Mountain Club
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The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of the United States' oldest outdoor groups. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded its interests throughout the Northeastern U.S.
The AMC was founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Edward Pickering, who invited fellow Boston academics and vacationers to form a group interested in mountain exploration. The group helped map the White Mountains and in 1888 built the first of eight High Huts in the range, designed after similar facilities in the Alps that gave hikers a place to take shelter.
The AMC reported a membership of nearly 90,000 in 2000, with 2,700 volunteers who led 7,000 trips and activities.
The AMC also runs and maintains eight High Huts, montainering huts located in the White Mountains. Hikers are able to reserve bunks at the huts to stay in during the night while hiking. Along with sleeping facilities, the huts provide cooking areas with stoves and required dishes.
The huts are maintained by caretakers who work in 10 day shifts. There are two caretakers assigned to a hut at a time and they are in charge of the running of it. A caretaker works for six days and then has four days off. During the six working days, they have to take two trips back to get the food which spoils and other things they will need. At the beginning of each season, helicopters fly in with fuel and food for the caretakers along with other things needed.