jenny knob hostel to woods hole shelter

i woke up a few times during the night when my hips contacted the floor. reinflating my pad isn’t really all that bad. it takes maybe 3 or 4 good puffs and then i was back to sleep. it was cold enough that i had to employ the use of my puffy, but that just made it feel cozier, so ultimately i slept better.

the day was an easy one, only 17 miles, and to a hostel. the terrain was again fairly flat and i was able to keep a pretty good pace without a lot of effort.

i think i’ve finally been able to reset my pace to something that feels relaxed, but still keeps me moving. my pace on the LT was pretty much me competing with myself every day do do a little more a little faster. while this was rewarding for me, it’s not in line with my goal of learning how to slow down and chill out. my entire life i’ve been taught that unless i’m pushing to excel at every moment i’m wasting precious time. i’ve come to realize that this is simply not true. slowing down and enjoying the journey is not only not a waste, but the journey is everything.

for a very long time, i’ve had this quote at the top of my notes so i see it often:

You are here. What more do you want? You breathe. Your heart beats. Why does yesterday matter? Why does tomorrow matter? You are here. So laugh, laugh until you burst. You have what is essential. You don’t need more or less. –basil girbau

i feel like i’ve understood this quote for a long time, but i’m actually starting to live this way.

the day was cool and sunny. out of the wind it was perfect hiking weather. you could move and not overheat. on the ridge lines, in the wind it was still pretty cold. my ears were in pain, but not enough for me to stop and dig my hat out of my bag. i spent much of the morning on the ridge before dropping down into the valley.

around 10 i reached dismal falls, a strange name that doesn’t in any way reflect the feeling of the place. i was sad that it wasn’t warmer, as i’d have definitely gone swimming. rocket was already there, and a couple other hikers who offered us beers! they had hoped for a nice day too and packed a bunch out.

rocket decided to do early lunch at the falls, i opted to do late lunch at the hostel. i headed out just as bugs and lyric arrived.

a few miles from there i crossed a suspension bridge. when we were in marion at the mcdonald’s, a serial thru-hiker went on a small rant about the trail past this bridge. it does a huge eastward swoop up and over a mountain. there is also a blue trail, the ribble trail, that is essentially straight, 6 mile shorter route, reconnecting with the AT .7 miles from the view at the top of the mountain. he went on at length about how pointless this section of the AT was. i studied it a bit on farout (guthook) and ultimately concluded that i’d take the ribble trail, and then go SOBO on the AT the .7 mile to the summit.

the ribble trail was a little difficult to follow, crossed a number of streams, and a much less tread trail than the AT, but i made it to the north junction and did the .7 mile. the view was definitely worth it, and i’m glad i saved 4.6 miles.

back at the junction, i had 1.8 miles to go to hit the road, and a .5 mile road walk to get to the hostel.

the hostel was spectacular. the bunk house was in and old barn. it had been well maintained and was very comfortable. the showers are thus far the best on trail. roomy, hot, and decent water pressure. when i got there, they offered me dinner, breakfast, a smoothie, bread, butter, and cheese. i said yes to all.

i retired to the bunk house and ate the lunch i had carried all day. i took a shower amd donned some loaner clothes. they weren’t as exciting as my outfit at the station.

then came the food. the smoothie came first and was fantastic. this was quickly followed by an entire small home made loaf of bread, an entire stick of butter, and probably an entire half pound of cheese, all of which i promptly ate. the caretaker scolded me that i’d spoil my dinner, and i scoffed at her. not going to happen. there was yoga on the lawn at 4, but i didn’t attend because i was still eating.

i went upstairs to the bunks and took a little nap while my phone charged, and then i sat on the lawn and chatted with magz for a bit while various dogs came to sit with me.

dinner was called promptly at 6 and was a rice and bean thing with salad that had just been harvested from the cold frames in the front yard. i definitely did not spoil my dinner, and downed an overflowing plate of food. at dinner, neville (the owner) asked us if we could help with a manpower project fixing their spring box. we were planning on only doing 11 miles into pearisburg, so we said yes.

after dinner i retired to my bunk to journal for a bit. it was divine to sit on a nice comfortable mattress. there really aren’t any soft things to sit on on the woods. while my ass pad and sleep pad certainly help, there really isn’t any comparison to modern furniture.

ome additional image from today: