Monday, June 13th

Moreland Gap Shelter (413.7 mi) to Boots Off Hostel & Campground (428.5 mi)

Hiking Miles: 14.8

Total Ascent: 2,876.3 ft

Total Descent: 4,664.7 ft

Total Grade: 518.2 ft/mi

Steps: 39,358

I was on trail by 5:04 am this morning; during the evening I swore that I heard some coyote activity with one of them getting close to our site. Our plan for the day was a short 14+ mile hike to the Boots Off Hostel and arriving by 2 pm so we could chill a bit, then plan our next few days heading into Damascus, VA. Some of the posts on Far Out said that Boots Off was one of the best hostels on trail, however I was not convinced after the way we were greeted, and subsequently treated by the girl on duty (more on that later).

While we were hiking separately, Stevie had met a nice Trail Angel named Marlene who had a trunk full of incredible snacks. He sat with her a bit and talked while eating a banana and a Gatorade (and read some of her poetry!). Unfortunately, I had missed her because I was ahead of Stevie on trail and she only comes out 1 day a week around 8 am and I was well past that. But what a pleasant surprise when Stevie met her at a roadside crossing!

The 14.8 mile hike to the hostel was one of the nicest and serene hiking experiences (especially Laurel Falls), and it was likewise cool that we reached the 1000 mile-marker late in the hike. Later we photographed a “1000 miles” pic that we penned on a paper towel – the very last sheet on a roll from a hostel dispenser.

We also came about an opening where we saw a sign hanging in the distance saying “Boots Off” which let us know we were close to our destination.

When we arrived at the hostel, we were greeted in a very rude and surprising way by a girl named Kelley. It started with her screaming “Turn the Handle!” on the entrance door leading to their office/store. She continued loudly “Do you know how many times I have to say that to people?” My immediate thought was “then change your damn door handle, and get a normal one.” She unquestionably looked like she did not want to be there. When we asked her about the option of aqua blazing (canoeing up river in lieu of hiking), she rolled her eyes and stated a “Do I have to explain this again”?

With her lackluster enthusiasm, she certainly didn’t sell it. Turns out it was much too complex of a process, and it also cost $100 per person. So we decided that we would continue hiking the next day with our full pack, or perhaps even slack pack if the hostel was accommodating. Kelley said that she was going to speak with her dad Grumpy (who was the hostel owner) about the possibility of shuttling our “shit” (her words) to the next hostel (Rabbit Hole) as part of the slack packing process. I didn’t expect anything given what I had experienced from her in a very short period. Turned out she never even asked him, as I expected.

Oh – and she did scream at us from a distance when we walked into the store 30 minutes later to buy drinks and she wasn’t there. She thought she had locked the door when she left momentarily. Stevie and I each ate a pint of ice cream, and split a pizza for lunch. We later took a shuttle into town to a small Mart to purchase snacks, and a Subway for a Grab ‘n Go dinner to eat while listening to the Celtics that evening.

We were at Subway for quite awhile because they had to prepare fresh tuna that was in their freezer because they ran out at the deli counter. We ordered three subs (Tuna, Italian BMT, and Grilled Chicken). There were only two young employees working that night and a number of the patrons who were standing in line behind me eventually left before ordering because they had waited so long.

At the Mart, Stevie had picked up some Original Triscuits for a lady hiker who was staying in the cabin beside us. She insisted on paying us, but we explained to her that it was “trail Magic” and to pay it forward if she got the chance. That terminology seemed to work nicely. Stevie and I talked in our “Red Cabin” while we ate our three subs (that we split) along with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and Gatorades. We also each saved a Gatorade for the following day’s hike. Then we listened to the Celtics-Warriors Game 5 in which the Celtics lost and fell behind 3 games to 2 in the Championship Series.