America’s Heartland

In and Out of the Hills

As I’ve mentioned previously the landscape changes constantly. The last couple of days were spent largely walking through farm country. The flat terrain is a nice change for the feet.

At one point I popped out at a road crossing and found a young man selling ice cream that his sister had made from fresh milk direct from their cow. It was delicious!

Day 21 – Ironmaster Mansion Hostel to Boiling Springs (19 miles)

Day 22 – Boiling Springs to Darlington Shelter (15 miles)

Day 23- Darlington Shelter Duncannon (10 miles)

Day 24 – Duncannon to Stealth Site (18 miles)

Where Do I Stay?

Each night I will typically stay at either a shelter, a camp site, a stealth site or a hostel.

Shelters –  Along the AT, shelters have been built an average of 10 miles apart, but may be 5-15 miles apart. A shelter is a three-sided building that typically holds 6 to 12 people and has water, a privy and a bear hang nearby. They also have established tent sites nearby.

A camp site is an established area with multiple tenting sites, but usually no other amenities.

A stealth site is a non-established tenting site set up along the trail. This is allowed inmost states, but not NY, CT or MA.

Hostels take various forms, but generally provide low cost sleeping accommodations with access to a shower. Hostels are more popular in the southern states, and I have been taking full advantage.

Some background – the AT is marked with white blazes, so an AT hiker is said to be white blazing.  People who take shortcuts are blue blazing.  If you take a car ride you’re yellow blazing. People who take advantage of many hostels are Platinum blazing. That’s me. I enjoy a shower every few days and I think hostels add to the hiker experience.

The following are all 4 and 5 star hostels.  The owners truly care for the hikers.

Small Axe Farms Farms – Elkton, VA

Open Arms – Luray, VA

Stumble Inn – Front Royal, VA

Bears Den – mile 1005 on the AT

Cherry Tree Inn – Harpers ferry, WV

Cross trails- Sandy Hook, MD

Zero Day Stay – Pen Mar, MD

Kind of Outdoorsy – Duncannon, PA

There has been only one hostel that shall remain nameless because it’s deserving of zero Stars.  It is the only hostile in Boiling Springs, PA and is named after the owner.

Still getting some magnificent scenery:

Thanks for listening.

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Comments 4

  • Carol : May 12th

    I guess the new shoes are working out well. Keep on trucking or walking. Going to start getting hot. Gonna need more showers.

    Reply
  • Couetney : May 13th

    So cool, Uncle Tommy. Safe travels. Xo

    Reply
  • Courtney : May 13th

    So cool, Uncle Tommy. Safe travels. Xo

    Reply
  • PCS : May 15th

    so you didn’t like Lisa’s? A reason why would be helpful…

    Reply

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