Date: 2016-04-30
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 21.7

I woke to a damp and humid morning. I drank a Breakfast Essentials and coconut powdered milk for breakfast. That gives me lots of vitamins and calories but I will have to eat something in 2-3 hours. I left at 7:10am. The weather is probably in the low 50's and the forecast is for rain all day. I had a nice walk and the rain did not come for a long time. I came up on 3 hikers about my age, Hong Kong Steve (yes, he is from there), Freight Train and Sparky from Washington State. I'm sure I will see them again. I came up to Kimberling Creek suspension bridge which is pretty cool. I decided to hike on and left my pack just off the trail to hike 0.3 miles to Dismal Falls (what a name). It was definitely worth the side trip. I met Red Bear and Doc there. I had heard of Red Bear. He hikes mostly at night because he wants to avoid the sun because he burns easily...fun guy. I ate a snack and got water but my water bag broke. That is not good. I will have to adjust how I get my water till I can get another one. I ended up spending about 45 minutes there. It was a pretty hike even with overcast skies. The trail meandered through Rhododendron patches and in some spots it was going through tunnels of these shrubs. There was also a creek along the trail for a few miles. There were lots of creek crossings. Got to Wapiti Shelter for lunch. Took off my shoes and relaxed for a while. It started raining...at least I was in a shelter. I put on my rain gear and set off again, 14.5 miles to get here and 7.2 more to go. The rain also brought fog. There were supposed to be some nice views but I could not see far. The trail turned very rocky which just kills my feet. It was slow going due to the slippery rocks. My feet are getting a workout. I am glad that I am planning a zero day tomorrow. My right pinky toe is really giving me grief even with all I've done, I wonder what use it is anyway. Maybe if it is cut off I wouldn't miss it. Would it help? Would it cause other problem? Hmmm, things you think about on the trail!   Woods Hole Hostel is a 1/2 mile hike down a gravel road off trail. I finally arrived amid the fog and rain. Bunks are first come first serve and they had one available, YIPPEE!   I got in at 5:30pm, got my bunk, took a shower and got settled. I signed up for dinner(7 pm) and breakfast(8am). I ran into Crisscross, Sunray and Farmer there then I went to the main house to see if they needed any help cooking or setting up. Let me tell you about this hostel, the 1880's chestnut log cabin was acquired by Roy and Tillie Wood who opened the hostel in 1986. Roy passed away the following year and for 22 years Tillie continued driving up from Georgia each spring to operate the hostel and keep their vision alive. Her granddaughter and husband now operate the hostel, they moved up in 2009 after a big renovation. With emphasis on sustainable living through farming, organic gardening, yoga and massage therapy. I along with other hikers helped set things up while others helped with the cooking. There are some hikers that work for stay. Great place. Dinner was fantastic, started with sweet potato soup then lasagna with homemade bread, topped off with homemade ice cream. The company of the ~23 hikers was nice also. We lingered after our meal and helped to clean up. a Couple hikers helped with breakfast prep for tomorrow. Lights were out at 10 pm. The bunkhouse has 4 bunks and a common area down then up a ladder to 8 bunks. I stayed upstairs which was very comfy. Great ending to a long day.