10 Mile Slackpack Between Two Hostels. or: Are We Even Hikers Anymore?

9-30-09 day 120
start: Holy Family Catholic Church Hostel in Pearisburg, VA
end: Woods Hole Hostel at Sugar Run Gap, VA
daily mileage: 10.4
total mileage: 1562.8

Father Pernelli had offered to pay for breakfast if we'd all come over and eat with him this morning, so we went over to the church for breakfast at 8. No Money was on pancake duty, LB took the bacon and sausages, and Sea Monster tended to various things like the biscuits and gravy. Together, they created what was truly a breakfeast. There was enough pancakes, eggs, bacon, buiscuits, gravy, sausage, and orange juice for 8 perpetually hungry hikers to eat to our fill... it was incredible. It was a slow morning, as we all decided that we were just going to do 10 miles to the next hostel just south. Icarus called to let them know there would be 8 hikers arriving that night, and the hostel owner told us that she was heading into Pearisburg anyway and offered to slack pack us the 10 miles to her hostel! AWESOME! So she drove over and picked up our packs, and we had a very relaxed saunter over to Woods Hole!

Woods Hole is really awesome. The owners (Neville and Michael) are newliweds, and just took over running the hostel from Neville's grandmother, who recently passed away. It's been an AT landmark for years, so it's really great that it's still open. It's a really old, rustic looking farmhouse, and is absolutely beautiful. She suckered us into dinner for a few extra bucks, and had an awesome meal with a salad course and tasty, tasty burgers. All 12 of us (the 8 thru-hikers, Neville and Michael, and two elderly section hikers) all sat down family style after each naming something we were thankful for, which was really cool. Fiddler got out his fiddle and played some awesome bluegrass for us all, and No Money found a guitar and started demonstrating his rather formidable talents, and Sea Monster and I found some bongos and played along. It was sweet.

Afterwards, we watched Adventureland on their projector (which I really enjoyed) and stayed up late chilling in the bunkhouse. An awesome night... we're definitely with some really cool people, and it's been fun spending so much time with them.