This is a short day - in AT culture it is called a 'nero' - a half day of walking or less. We turn off to a hostel which is only 1 mile from the trail, in an old valley which was once a farm. The old homestead is now a very rustic hostel with hand hewn timber buildings.
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| Standing outside our room |
Two things stand out in my memory - I was able to spend two hours on the computer - the first time on the computer in 3 weeks; and they ran a very small shop which looked like Aladdins Cave, using an honesty system. You write down what you buy on an envelope, put the money in the envelope and post it in the letter box. There is a great food selection.
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| Shopping for 3 days food in Aladdin's Cave |
We have a pizza for lunch - they have a special pizza oven. You buy a frozen pizza and cook it for 15 minutes. The oven ran hot all afternnoon with a queue of people patiently waiting their turn.
But this place had serious drawbacks, mainly relating to environmental health issues. People smoking in the kitchen while others were trying to prepare their food. It was the only warm place on the property. The smoke was so thick it was horrible. I wondered if the Tennessee State had health inspectors who ever visited this place. There was one 'moldering' privy built over the the stream, and this was the only toilet for more than 40 people.
It was really packed that night - Crafty and Samantha, now called 'Snickers' - slept in our room on the floor. There was no heating and it was freezing. I was so glad that we were out of the mountains, as it would be snowing for sure.
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