Date: 2014-07-19
From: Ore Hill Camping Area

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel via NH 25
Miles today: 7.3

Early start to the day - ready to reunite with Big Dawg at the Hikers Welcome Hiker Hostel right before the Whites!A real short walk to NH 25 on the day - only two small hills and not a lot of difficult terrain so it was a quick day of hiking! I didn't even stop once for a rest except when I talked with a SOBO hiker. At the road it was a short walk to the hostel where I settled in while waiting for Big Dawg - met Legion who is running the place this year. Great guy who is very knowledgeable of the trail and very laid back - perfect for running a hostel! The Swiss came in shortly after me and decided to do the SOBO slack from Kinsman Notch to the hostel since they got in so early. As they were getting ready to leave Sharp Knife and Hiccup arrived and everyone settled in to enjoy the day.What a great place to relax! The hostel is basically set up so you can do whatever you want. You have many seating options indoors and outdoors (hammocks, chairs, picnic tables), a huge HUGE DVD collection to choose from and watch in the common area, a hiker fridge full of sodas and Poptarts, and outdoor shower and bathroom (men have to use the pee wall!). I settled in and watched Lewis Black for a bit before going out to the swinging chair to write postcards and journal entries. Gotta love a short relaxing day!Cleaned up and bunks chosen, I called Big Dawg to see where he was and found out he was coming in at 2 pm - so I kept on relaxing until he showed up. Because when he showed up - reunion time! Great to see him and catch up with him - the foot is doing much better and the Lyme disease is getting cured by the medicine. He got settled in and we got all the gear sorted and reorganized and then we both relaxed - resting the foot up until the first day of slackpacking! By the end of the day we had a full house at the hostel - several hikers were already present at the hostel and many rolled in from the trail behind us. Cowgirl and her dog Cooper rolled in with Pooh Bear and Giggles showed up later in the evening. We caught a shuttle into town with Legion and picked up supplies and pizza at the gas station and only pizza place in Warren - not much else going on in Glencliff or Warren. The pastor from Georgia had gotten a hitch into Warren from someone else so he was added to the entourage going back to the hostel - a full car with supplies and food and gear and eight hikers and the dog Cooper!The pizza was pretty darn tasty and later on Ramen Shaman, Cheez-It, their dog Sheila, and the Priest showed up later in someone's car - great to see them again and to finally meet the Priest! Since they were all not going to be able to complete the trail in time they decided to jump ahead and get through the Whites and go on from there. The Swiss came back from their slackpack and it was an evening of catching up and chatting with everyone - Big Dawg caught up with those he knew and the conversations ranged from hiking to different types of scat to anything you can think of - hiking this long not much is off limits!A zero day tomorrow to give Big Dawg one more day of rest - then finally off into the Whites! So glad he is back on the trail and ready to finish up NH and ME!