Date: 2013-03-26
From: Hemlock Hollow

To: Hemlock Hollow Inn
Miles today: 17.3

The snow was still falling. When I decided to go for Hemlock Hollow Inn instead of the shelter, there was no wind which means the snow was falling straight down. When I got to the road, I still had .7 miles to walk to the hostel and the wind had began howling. The bad news was that when I turned to go to the hostel, the snow was blowing directly into my face and what a wicked wind it was. Every 15 to 20 steps, I stopped to wipe the snow from face, shirt and pants. My beard was actually becoming icy. What a strange statement for me! First time I have ever had a beard. Finally, I gave in to the snow. It was coming so hard and fast that I could not keep it off of me. I could have stopped and put on my poncho but that would have kept me from reaching the hostel by a few minutes and I longed for the warmth after such a nasty day.A little after 6:00, I finally arrived and was greeted by Hattie and Fred, the owners of the hostel. During my life, I have stayed at a few nice hotels around the world. Some of them were actually five star hotels where presidents, British Royalty, movie stars and The Rolling Stones had presided while making official visits or on tour. None of them could compare to The Hemlock Hollow Inn for this night. What a WARM and inviting sight it was!! I got a bunk in the bunkhouse along with Mud and his wife Orso, from Raleigh, NC, and Fire Drill from Cn. After getting my gear squared away, I went to the common shower and bath in a separate building about 30 yards away and had a glorious shower. Then I went straight back to the bunkhouse and crawled into my Big Agnes bag. Oh, what a relief it was! Then about two hours later, Baker and Sweet Tea came into the bunkhouse stomping the snow off their boots. I stuck my head out of my bag and greeted them. They said "hey Sandman, whasup". I said "it sure ain't the temperature, boys". Sweet Tea kept saying, "I am so glad to be here" five or six times. I agreed with that statement, for sure.Fred and Hattie moved from NJ 30+ years ago and bought land and built a home at the site of Hemlock Hollow Inn. Later on, they built the hostel. The store and large kitchen/dining area were built a little later and they have been taking care of hikers ever since.Upon first meeting Hattie, I sized her up as being very stern, perhaps, bordering on mean. She barked at Fred and Fred complied without protest. Fred was a little hard of hearing and, sometimes, I think he definitely had "selective" hearing. I can understand why with Hattie's overbearing demeanor. But, I discovered by the next day that my initial impression of Hattie was not accurate. She was actually a very nice lady with a big, warm heart. She reminded me of my wife's maternal grandmother , Mrs. Annie Belle Riley. When we were dating, if I brought Ann home a little late, Annie Belle would jump on me like a duck on a June Bug. I thought she was a mean woman. Of course, I learned that my first impression could not have been further from the truth. Like Hattie, she had a loud bark but underneath her tough lady image, she was a nice, warm person I eventually came to like and respect. May she rest in peace.Over and out for now-Sandman69.