"sort of a funky place...."

4 pines hostel. Got here at 1030. Really the only reason for coming was because I have a resupply box. It is sort of a funky place and really only comfortable for tenters. There's lawn chairs and cots behind the couches. Take your pick. On the way in I met Goats Beard and Reverse Chicken. And going up to Dragons tooth. A big stone. I fell in with Just Dave. Really the reason for coming here is to get the free ride into The Homestead restaurant. It's kind of a fancy all you can eat. AYCE. Restaurant that embraces hikers with what is rumored to be the eat food on the AT. It doesn't open until 11. But we all traipse off to be first in line. There really are families there in their Sunday best and all us stankyhikers. It was a dang good feed. Sat with Just Dave, Foo and another guy who seemed to be a partner more than a hiker. On the way back to four pines we stopped at a country store and luckily I remembered I needed a new stove canister. Most everyone else on the van got 24 packs of PBRs. When we got back I pushed on turned it into a 16 mile day. This didn't look like it was going to be a very restful place. I was surprised I could hike on a stuffed stomach. But I actually felt pretty good. We've been getting afternoon thunder showers. Just enough to to get everything soaked or cooled off before the afternoon slog and set up for the night. I got up to McAfee Knob. What a sight. There were thunder and lightening storms all around. I didn't hang out too long. Foo was there and he took my picture. He had been hanging around for a couple hours. I just wanted to get well below tree line. All the way up there were no camping signs. It's a pretty well worn track lots of day hikers. So of course just past the knob some idiot thru hiker has his tent set up. I picked my first ripe blueberries on the cliffs just past the knob. Spent the night at Campbell shelter campsite. Mile 712.4 from springer. 1476.8 miles from katahdin.

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6164 Newport Rd, Catawba, VA, United States