Good morning, campers!
I heard from 3 different sources over the last few days that I should stop at Wood’s hole hostel.
I hemmed and hawed at myself because it’s only 12 miles ish down the trail, but decided to check it out anyway. The place is a really cool remote venue right near the trail. Dinner was a from-garden-pizza and a from-garden salad. All fresh and tasty!
I’m staying in the bunkhouse which is really pretty neat. It’s an old log cabin and most of the bunks are in the rafters. The downstairs is a common area. We ate on the main house front porch (also a log cabin). The picture is of the bunk house from the front porch.
I was here by noon and had a nice afternoon of reading and enjoying the cool rustic calm vibe. I plan to hit the trail harder the next day.
The trail had quite a bit of overgrown weeds but was still pretty fast.
12 miles
3.7k up
1.9 down
I thought a harder next day will catch me up.
It turns out that was not to be…
I had hiked ~17 miles and thought a cold drink and second lunch sounded good. At a road crossing I headed up to Trent’s grocery… a known stop….about 1/2 mile up a road walk. When I started digging in my pack I realized my wallet wasn’t there. I always carry a little something green somewhere else in my pack so grabbed that and was going to get a cold drink while I ponder my fate. Turns out Trent’s is closed on Sundays…and guess what day it is!
So, hot, unsatisfied, I check what else is nearby. It turns out there is a hostel very close. It’s about 1/2 mile the other direction.
So I head that way. While walking, I start digging up the hostel phone # but before I get it dialed, the hostel owner sees me beside the road and offers me a ride!
I have very high suspicion that I left my wallet in the loaner shorts I was wearing at the last hostel while I was doing laundry… so I reach out to the hostel owner from the previous night.
BINGO!
After arranging for a shuttle driver to pickup/deliver my wallet it looks like it’ll be pretty late to pick back up hiking today.
So, it looks like I’m staying here at "Weary feet" tonight and resuming tomorrow!
16 miles
2.2k up
3.4k down
Next day I made up some of the miles. Very humid but cooler. My dogs are barking.
Almost 7k up
I saw many deer. I had to stand 20′ away and shoo a 4 pt buck off the trail. No spectacular photos that day but I did eat hot food at lunch which I prepped and a burger and fries for dinner at bush mountain outpost!
25.2 miles
6.8k up
6.4k down
Completed 1600 miles!
I think 1 more hard day and then a cruise into Atkins before sprinting to Damascus.
Or maybe the remnants of ida will intervene.
HikingSeason 