Day 5: Trail of Hope Hostel

Start: Tumbling Run Shelters (1075.3 mi) Stop: Trail of Hope Hostel in Fayetteville, PA (1084.9). Today’s miles: 9.6 miles Total AT mileage: 59.9 miles

I slept decently warm last night, because my bivy was nice and dry before getting in it-BUT I woke up with my sleeping quilt soaking wet from the moisture of the bivy. I knew this would happen, but I also knew at the VERY least, I’d be sleeping in a real bed tonight so the quilt could dry out even if my sleeping bag doesn’t arrive in the morning.

When I got up, instead of packing up like I had been, I hung out the quilt to dry out a little, went to the privy and then to get my food bag. I figured all this packing up crap could happen after breakfast today. Because ladies and gentlemen! THERE WAS ZERO RAIN IN THE FORECAST! Haha
That being said-I actually got up and got moving around 7:20 this morning and wasn’t the last person out of camp! Zen was gone before I got up, but Adam and K where up packing, Showtime was moving around but not out yet, and it looked like No Water was still asleep. We all slowly moved about and headed out.. first showtime, then Adam and K, then me, with NoWater bringing up the rear. After chatting a bit this morning we found out that Showtime, NoWater and I were all headed to the same hostel today. Cool, I’ll have friends soon!

Right out of the gate we had a huge climb. I knew it was a rough one when I realized I’d never catch up with the folks ahead of me. After an hour into the morning, I heard poles clacking behind me and turned, assuming it was NoWater catching up.. it was Grinder instead. He told me she wasn’t far behind me. He and I chit chatted for a few and then we carried on. I had been wondering how long it would take her to catch me, she’s been on trail over a week more than me.

Not long afterwards, she showed up and after stopping to chat for a few we started hiking together. Neither of us asked the other about it, it just happened the way good hiking partners sometimes happen. During the course of the day we changed her name a couple times. And then decided when we get to town we’ll get Showtime to make the final decision. Someone called her NoWater because this man wanted her to go fill up his water bag for him because of the trek it took to get to the water and her being younger than him.. and she politely said “no” bahahaha, personally I think that’s a great story, and pretty funny. But she wasn’t fond of it, we went with KT for a while, because she tapes up her knee.. and then Lizard because she gets hot and cold and when she’s cold she likes to sit out in the sun on whatever rock is nearby to get warm. Showtime says Lizard for the win.

When we were coming up with names for me, we settled on Chipper. We had Chipper, Roley Poley or turtle-bc I was telling her about when I fell the other day I was stuck on my back for like 20 seconds bc of my pack, like a roley poley LMAO, and I think there was another one too, but the 3 of us all like Chipper best, even Grinder agreed when we met up again later down trail-and then he said, “and we can always shorten that to chip! Because you’re chipping away these miles!” Haha

Once we hit the road that takes us to town, we started walking on the pavement.. that was more painful than I thought necessary! We got to the hostel, and it was vacant. I called the number and the preacher who runs the hostel said he’d be back in 10 minutes, just hang out in the grass out back. So, that’s what we did. Lizard saw some chickens and went to investigate, I laid out in the grass. Apparently where I laid down was the area they throw food to the chickens. I got something brown on my arm (literally looked like runny chocolate ice cream). I got up and went to my pack to get a wet wipe, and as I’m wiping off my arm, Showtime and the preacher appeared.. we joked about me getting “cleaned up” before coming inside to get cleaned up.. also joking that it was chicken crap. Then Lizard and I joked that my name should be chipper chicken, or CC.. but it’s still just chipper for now 😉

We hung out, showered and did laundry, and had a shared dinner of pizza and Mac and cheese between the 3 of us. We’re the only 3 in the hostel tonight, which is pretty awesome. My battery pack is charging, my clothes and my body are clean, I’m warm. Life is so good.

In the morning my package is supposed to arrive. Once it does I’ll pack up and then call a shuttle to take me to the post office to send the quilt home. Then I’ll shuttle back to the trail head and meet the other 2 at a shelter we’re all aiming for.

Now, for a good night’s rest. Sweet dreams, y’all.