Day 48: Woods Hole Hostel

Hiked 13.1 miles, staying at Woods Hole hostel.

I woke up late today and didn't get out of camp until just after 8!  It was a perfect day to sleep in though, with only thirteen miles to go I only needed to walk for about four hours.   I had camped down near the river instead of further up towards the trail as the other three did so I didn't get up and out of camp at the same time as they did.  We decided to take a short day to end up at Woods Hole hostel since everyone needs a short day and this hostel is highly regarded by everyone who stays here.

The first half of the day was very flat with a ton of streams to cross.  About half the time they had footbridges which was a nice luxury.  The area is pretty shaded and the mud was still very prevalent, making for slower going than expected.

9 AM photo

The green tunnel

The flat terrain lulled me into lethargy and all of a sudden a mountain popped out of nowhere and hit me in the face.  Overall it was a relatively small climb, only about 1500 feet, but it was unexpected.  There was a great view at the top off of a rock ledge.  The sky was actually completely clear for once and it was fantastic.

View of the countryside from the top of the mountain

Standing on the rock ledge of the unnamed peak we climbed

After the initial ascent it was a rolling ridgeline for a few miles.  There was supposedly a lookout tower towards the end of the ridge down an unmarked trail, but I missed it.  Why Not, Dip'n'sip and Srocket found the trail and apparently there was no tower, but there was a good view of the valley.  I caught up to them shortly after and thought about going back, but they indicated that it wasn't too much better than the first view and I decided to be lazy.

Towards the end of the hike we walked for about a mile through a burn area.  I'm not sure if it was a purposeful or accidental burn area, but it was very recent.  It is amazing how all of the shrubs and brush get burned away but all the healthy trees survive with nothing more than some scorch marks.

I can see why everyone recommends the hostel it is a really unique place.  We are staying tonight in the bunkhouse which is the loft of a log cabin barn and is very reminiscent of a fancy shelter with mattresses.  The food is as good as is rumored and almost everything they serve is home grown.

How a thru hiker knows to do laundry, your socks can stand up on their own

The vegetable garden at Woods Hole hostel

The view from Woods Hole hostel

We are not going to be able to make it to Newport as hoped to get back to Trail Days in Damascus without doing two 25-30 mile days.  So we are getting a shuttle at the next road back which is only 30 miles from here.  Our options are to do three super short days or zero here and do two moderate ones.  After much debate we chose the latter.  Let the relaxing begin!

Stab, Hobo and Jabberwocky in the dining room of the lodge

Srocket, Shrek and Sinner in the living room

The bunkhouse