Date: 2015-04-03
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 6.3

Despite being in a shelter, I still slept badly. Even after a month out here, it is still very difficult for me to sleep outside. At one point I woke in the night and stayed awake for more than an hour, listening to the snores of Furball (I think) and the crinkling noises that accompany the air beds. I didn't hear any mice though, so that was nice. I woke up a little earlier than everyone else in order to do the usual morning routine of taping my feet and a special breakfast ibuprofen. I was a bit slow getting ready today, but I still left camp first at about 8am. Usually I leave camp and then within an hour everyone catches up and over takes me. Though I've noticed that my calves are getting more defined, I still don't have my trail feet or legs. I relish the moments when my feet don't hurt in some way. Even when I'm laying down, my feet throb or sting. My toes don't really bend properly anymore. I used to be able to crack them but I've not been able to do that since the first week. My ankles crack endlessly though. Today the sun was hidden behind some clouds, but it was still quite warm. Within 30 minutes of leaving camp I was already converting my trousers and rolling up my sleeves. The route was only about 6 miles today, and it was largely downhill. It was quite pleasant since I was in no particular rush- until I realised that I desperately needed a privy, and of course the trail was either steep ledges or following a stream. Fortunately, it didn't take too long to get to the hostel, and I was very relieved to find that it had actual toilets. With flushes and running water! The hostel here is quite remarkable and deserves a real write up. It is ran by a man called Bob Peoples, who actually built it as an extension to his own house nearly 20 years ago. The hostel section has a kitchen with full utilities, sofas, chairs and plenty of reading material. Upstairs and in the side there are bunks with mattresses and pillows. There is also a cabin and treehouse that contain even more beds. The main section has 16 beds alone, and there is plenty of space in the cabin for more. In bad weather, I'm sure that dozens of hikers would be comfortable just to sleep on the floor here. There is also a full laundry service, two toilets, and a shower. There are at least 5 cats of varying degrees of friendliness. (The smell of cats is quite strong, but there are absolutely no vermin here.) There is a picnic table and swing on the porch. Bob does a shuttle into town at least twice a day so the hikers can resupply, and he also provides day bags and shuttles so people can slack pack.The most incredible part of the hostel is that it is entirely run by donations- with a suggested donation being just $5. Considering how even the barest facilities at other hostels have started at $20, this hostel is truly a treasure on the trail. Sure, it is dusty, the floor needs a good hoovering, and the bedding has definitely seen better days. The words 'rustic' and 'cheap and cheerful' are probably frequently used to describe it. But it doesn't matter at all, because it's still a thousand times better than a shelter or tent. Bob himself also tells great stories about his own hiking adventures, as well as about some of the 20,000 hikers who have stayed here, and you cannot help but be endeared by him. (Also maybe because he looks a lot like Albert Einstein). It is no surprise at all that this hostel is covered with postcards and thank you cards from hikers over the years. The only downside so far is that there is no wifi or Internet access at all. So, we arrived at the hostel and got settled in, then Bob took us into Hampton to get our resupply at the grocery store. We went a bit mad- the Rhode Island Express about dozens of eggs, literally gallons of milk. Myself, Brightside and Laughtrack all got our own individual full sized pizzas. I also bought a bunch of new American snacks to try, including Milkduds. I've also added some little pie things that were 400 calories each for 50c. I hope they're good, because I have 4 of them. It should only take 3 days to get to Damascus so my resupply was mostly snacks.From there we went to McDonalds and Subway. I ordered a quarter pounder with cheese, and a Reeses Mcflurry. I ate the burger in about 4 bites. Then, we dropped off the Rhode Island Express and Furball, who had decided to slack pack 9 miles of the trail today. This means that they don't carry their heavy packs, just a little food and water, and come back to the hostel at the end of the day. They covered the 9 miles in about 3-4 hours. Now they will be ahead of us on the trail, but I'm sure we will catch up with them again soon.Brightside and I chose not to slack pack for various reasons. Brightside is opposed to the idea of slack packing generally. I'm opposed to the idea of walking so many miles southbound and slack packing on such a (comparatively easy) section. I also don't quite feel like I have earned the right to slack pack yet. Maybe when I've got a few more miles under my belt it will be different. Probably tomorrow when I'm doing a couple thousand feet climb in the first part of the day, I will regret having such a heavy bag and wish I had slack packed. However, it did rain today, so at least I didn't get wet. And I get to sleep inside on a rainy and windy night for once.Instead, I have spent the day reading and relaxing, mostly by myself. I finally finished the book I started before I came here (Stand on Zanzibar). It's taken so long because I barely have time to read, and I'm usually so tired I can only do so for a few minutes when I have the time. I also ate an entire pizza, took a shower (in a very dark bathroom), and did laundry. A very easy day on the whole, and a well deserved one after a week of solid hiking and incredibly varied weather from Hot Springs. I'm also a little impressed at myself, I can remember back in Neel Gap (Day 3), when Brightside and I split a pizza. Now I can eat my own entire pizza! Even after McDonalds. I'm probably going to actually gain weight here, but that's not a bad thing. I think when I return to England, I should also do as many food challenges as possible. (There is one on Dartmoor in particular that I think I could give a good go.)For the record, I do have a tan now but it was at least 30% dirt before.