Today I hiked from my camp site by Elk River to the Vango Abby Memorial Hostel, a distance of 5.9 miles.
I’d wanted to visit the Hostel before I even left for the AT simply because the listing for the Hostel in the guide casually mentions that the manager, Scotty, is a Trekkie. I grew up a fan of Star Trek as a kid, particularly the original series. The character Spock had always had an impression on me, because the character wasn’t the violent hero type, rather he won the day with intelligence. Later, when I became more and more aware of my own emotional issues, I realized that the character’s habit of cold logic over emotion must have somehow attracted this kid who couldn’t seem to control his own waves of anger, loneliness, and sadness.
The hostel was incredibly enjoyable, a very quiet and relaxing place. The hike to get here was also a pleasure, with some smooth climbs, lots of water, and a few nice views. I had originally thought to stay here a few days, but I’m going to try to get back out tomorrow so that I can try to get to Damascus within a week. I haven’t been hitting any big mile days lately, but I’m hoping to start setting a more aggressive pace soon.
