Seth and I sitting on a random bench in the middle of the woods. It was dedicated to someone who had passed away.
The previous night we had formulated a plan to hike to “Kincora Hostel.” Guiness had previously hiked part of the trail the year before and told us it was one of the best stops on the trail. I ate a nutritious breakfast of four cherry pop tarts and then we all hiked out together. About 100 yards from the camp site, we came across a giant branch that had fallen in the middle of the night. Had it landed on my tent, I would have cashed in my chips. It was what they call a “Widow Maker.” But since I would leave no widow behind, it just would have hammered me into the cold earth, and no one would remember my name. I needed to make sure I camped away from such dangerous trees in the future, and possibly re-name myself to something more memorable. It was something to think about. Guinness and her dog hiked with us for most of the day. We all enjoyed each other’s company and everyone leapfrogged and popped in and out of conversations for the whole morning. The trail basically wound down out of the mountains all the way to Dennis Cove Road. The gravel backcountry road was flanked by bogs and farms. Just one car passed as we sauntered toward the hostel. The Kincora Hostel was an old house with a screened in front porch and a bunkhouse attached. We had hiked a short six miles to the hostel, so we were all in good spririts when we arrived. However, when we tried to pay for a bunk, we were informed that all the bunks were taken by slackpackers. Seth and I went on a mini tirade to each other about how they weren’t real thru-hikers, and how their A.T. Patch should have an asterisk on it. There was an old timey hiker who was a caretaker at the hostel and he overheard our conversation. Under his breath he said, “The shouldn’t get a patch at all.” He was an awesome dude. I really didn’t have any disdain for other hikers, but at that moment we were frustrated and feeding off each other’s anger. The Hostels were non profit little places and I was sure that they were happy with any income they could get. We were told we could set up our tents in the yard for a fee of $4 (Suggested donation). I was amazed at how cheap the hostels were in general.
The front of “Kinkora Hostel.”
We sat out on the porch in the warm afternoon and eventually the shuttle (guy in a pickup truck) offered us a ride into town to resupply. We went to the grocery store and then to Little Ceasars. I got a “$5 Hot and Ready” pepperoni pizza from Little ceasar’s and brought it back to the hostel. It was pretty satisfying. I also scarfed down a couple of bowls of Wheat Chex. I figured that would hold off the Cereal fantasies and night sweats for a while. Seth and I also picked up some steaks and got some pasta to have for dinner. We decided to pan fry the steak in the small hostel kitchen. The old stove was a little unpredictable and we ended up smoking up the whole building. I felt bad, but it was pretty funny. There was a no alcohol policy at Kinocora. I would have liked to have a beer or two, but the policy seemed to keep away the drunks we ran into at “Uncle Johnny’s”. After dinner I ate a bag of Cape Cod Potato Chips and sat on the porch playing trivial pursuit with some of the other hikers. One of the hikers had a giant salad they couldn’t finish and I happily took it off their hands. Bob Peoples owned the hostel and he was a proper trail legend. Bob was a super cool and knowledgable older man who sounded like Elmer Fudd. He and his crew had been doing major trail maintenance in the area for many years. His knowledge about the trail was incredible. Bob spoke with another guy about specific curves or trees in the trail. They discussed their efforts to preserve endangered plants, by changing the route of the trail. It was all pretty fascinating. We all sat out there and talked late into the night. Guiness was right, Kincora was a great hostel, and the conversations with Bob Peoples made me appreciate the trail a little more.
The Navigator, The Vegan, and Seth enjoying the front porch at Kinkora Hostel.
Smooth's Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike 