Backcountry
I used to live in a room full of mirrors; all I could see was me. I take my spirit and I crash my mirrors, now the whole world i
Well, all things considered, I truly think this is the happiest hotel I’ve ever stayed.
It’s called Lake of the Clouds Hut, situated between Mt. Washington and Mt. Monroe in New Hampshire, an essential bucket-list destination as we were proudly told.
However, we had known very little about it beforehand. Never had we stayed in any hut as such, nor studied about any specifics except that, these are bunk beds sharing with other strangers.
Indeed, it shamelessly(my original thought) asked for $135 per person per night, thus $405 for us three to spend one night there, dinner and breakfast included. “You got lucky, we have some cancellations”, I was told over the phone. I did feel fortunate, after having just been rejected by two other huts, while being kindly advised to book them 6 months ahead.
Thus when we first stepped into the building drenched and exhausted, as soon as the young man found out our names in his register book, my husband bursted out the question with high enthusiasm: “Where is the hot shower?”
“No hot shower here,” the handsome young man was smiling at us. Later we found out, not only there had no hot shower, but also no electricity anywhere except for the kitchen and dinning hall. Soon we were told, due to the stormy weather, the solar-powered electricity was running low, and the dinning hall lights would be turned off around 8:30pm.
With my headlamp on, while walking around the hallway and my crowded room, I felt as though I were traveling through the time tunnel, going back to my childhood as a timid young girl, when first visiting my relatives in their dark old country house.
My room had 15 bunk beds, each set with the bottom, middle and top beds, which were stacked so tightly that, I was unable to sit up. I was also provided with a tiny pillow, and a not-so-clean thin blanket that I decided not to use.
The bathroom is more like a Honey Bucket that we normally see in city streets. I had to hold the handle of the faucet with one hand, while attempting to wash my face in the icy running water with the other.
The perks? No need again to hike down over 800 feet with a heavy pack on, as we did the night before, in order to get to a designated tent site below the tree line; no need to worry about the big storm and crazy wind in the darkness; and no need to cook while shivering in the whiteout morning fog.
On the contrary, we were totally dry, warm, well-fed and safely sheltered. We felt we were in paradise!
Nothing is better than this in life!
The only photo got inside the hut--well fed and rest next morning before heading out in the whiteout condition at 47 degree Fehrenheit with 52mph wind(8/2017)
