Date: 2011-05-22
To: Checking In
Miles today: 0.0

hiked a good 14 mile day yesterday; from Beauty Spot to Greasy Creek Gap, whereupon I hiked to a somewhat infamous hostel (and a long hike it was!), where I am now. I would have tented last night, but I had absolutely no charge left on my cell phone; plus I'd made arrangements to meet my friend Tortoise here and I wanted to be here for him when he arrived. Had I to do it again I wouldn't, because it's such a long way off the trail, but having been here, I'm glad I came. The reason I'm glad is that I got to experience the reason this hostel is infamous: the neighbor. Greasy Creek Friendly (the proprietress, Connie, calls it a Friendly because she doesn't want to call it a hostel) is situated deep in the mountains, and I can hardly see how folks get here even by vehicle. She lives a very frugal existence, and works incredibly hard. She runs this place completely on her own. Her biggest issue is the curmudgeonly next-door neighbor, a 70-ish man who is filled with bitterness. He doesn't want Connie operating a hostel here, and he's done everything in his power to disrupt her business. He built a small building next to his fence to house some stereo equipment, where he blasted loud music 24/7. Some other neighbors successfully took him to court on that one, but Connie doesn't have the money to try to press any charges. He broke the reservoir and the spring-head to her water system and stuffed it with roots and rocks, and put at least a gallon of urine in the water. (Connie says the water was actually yellow and smelled of urine coming out of the faucet.) The police say there is nothing they can do unless he is actually caught red-handed. He's made hundreds of signs discouraging hikers from staying at Connie's, signs that she's constantly having to take down. For example a crudely hand-lettered sign on cardboard which reads, "Warning: Fellow Hikers: Bunk House Infested with Bed bugs and Vermin. Droppings on the bunks and the floor. Filthy conditions throughout;" "Hikers: Greasy Creek Hostel Closed Due to Sickness. Sorry." "Hiker Beware;" "Hiking Friends: Due to Sickness Greasy7 Creek is Closed for the Season;" "Hiking Friends: Greasy Creek is temporarily closed due to a death in the family. We cannot accept guests or calls in this time of deep loss and pain."He gets up every morning at 5:00 and runs his ATV around his yard as close to the hiker hostel as he can, revving the engine as loudly as he can. I got to enjoy his particular wake-up call this morning. I'm glad, because since I've come all the way out here, I want the full experience. I just hope he starts firing his gun. He fired it off at least half-a-dozen times yesterday, but I missed it. I'm hoping he'll do it before I leave. Connie says there are no nuisance laws in North Carolina, and no noise ordinances, so he can get away with that sort of thing. I think it's hysterical, but so sad for Connie. Boy does she struggle. So, I want to invite all hikers to come out here to Connie's and help her out. I think we should organize a huge tribal dance like we had at trail days, and make ourselves a complete nuisance to this neighbor. Perhaps some mooning could be involved.