Date: 2023-05-21
From: VA-16

To: US-11/Long Neck Lair Hostel
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The shuttle logistics were much better this morning than yesterday. Since we knew we weren't going far today, we decided to start later. I think it was close to 9:00am when we got back on the trail.The hike itself was pretty uneventful. The first four or five miles were a little tough, but after that it leveled out pretty good. Although, a few miles in I did take a tumble. I didn't trip over anything, but for whatever reason my feet went one way and my body went another and I lost my balance and fell. Fortunately I just fell into a bed of leaves and only got a few scratches. Really, if I was going to fall, it was a really good place to do so because most of the rest of that section, both before and after, was very rocky. So, it could have been a lot worse.I did stop at an old farmhouse that was just a little ways off the trail. I think it was built in the 1890's. It was interesting to see and it did have a working water pump. The farmhouse may have been part of the Settlers Museum, but I'm not positive because it was about a quarter mile up the trail. The Settlers Museum was kind of cool. There was an old schoolhouse that was open. I did get a little excited because there was a sign that said there was trail magic inside, but that sign was a lie. There were some other houses and buildings on the property as well, but they were all closed. The visitor center was open and a gentleman inside said when they have volunteers, they give tours but there were none today.Between the farmhouse and the Settlers Museum I also went under one of the noisiest power lines I've ever heard. Before I got to it, I thought someone was weed whacking some grass somewhere. Tonight I'm staying at The Long Neck Lair which is a hostel that is on an alpaca farm. I took some pictures and a video and will upload them when I can. I haven't stayed in many bunkhouses, so I don't have much to compare it to, but talking to some of the other hikers, I get the impression that this was one of the nicer ones.There were about 4 double stacked beds and they were all attached to the wall of the building. So, one side of the bed was completely closed off. The other side had a 3/4 wall and a curtain on the other 1/4, so when you were in your bunk you could have some privacy. Each bunk had two light switches that controlled a built in light and a fan. Each bunk also had an outlet for charging your electronics.They do offer breakfast, but it's just some cereal, donuts, and other cold items like that. But, at $35, I think it's a really nice place to stay. Oh, apparently there is also a rooster that likes to sound off at 4:30 in the morning. Fortunately the owner has earplugs available, so hopefully between them and the white noise of the bunk fan, I won't get rudely woken up before I'm ready.Breakfast: Two individual cups of maple and brown sugar oatmeal and some pineapple. Lunch: Terry's trail mix, an oatmeal cream pie, and some Jolly Ranchers. Snack 1: I bought a bag of Doritos and a fruit punch Gatorade from the museum visitor centerFirst Dinner: Chicken and dumplings, green beans, a croissant, and a Pepsi at Sweetwater Venue. This was before the hostel, so i stopped here before checking in. It was good, but I'd take Cracker Barrel over them given the choice. Snack 2: Some peanut butter crackers that were on the table at the hostel. Second Dinner: Chicken Feliz from El Burrito Loco. It was grilled chicken with grilled pineapple and it came with beans, rice, and a couple tortillas. It was a Mexican restaurant attached to a gas station and I thought there food was better than Sweetwater. I also had a root beer and some Cheesecake Factory strawberry ice cream that I got from the gas station.