There’s a New Hostel Coming to Hot Springs

This morning when I woke up around 4:30am it was freezing out! Easily the coldest night I’ve encountered this year on trail. We don’t have far to go today so I decided to roll over and go back to bed for a bit longer. Then about an hour later I made my morning mocha and slowly began getting up.

My tent was completely frosted over and my Toaks cup filled with water was frozen solid. It was hard deciding to pop my air pad and get moving for the day. But I knew we had a brief climb up to Bluff Mountain to start our day. I decided to be bold and keep my layers on for the climb. And luckily it was cold enough to stay comfortable even in my Sambob alpha 120 suit and montbell wind gear. The climb got me warmed up but by the time we reached the top I wasn’t too hot.

My tent was coated in frost this morning!

We began descending for miles after that. There was no wind so the cold air actually didn’t feel too bad. I listened to music and jammed out, which allowed the time to slip away. The first couple hours of the day passed by quickly. Then the trail began to climb again. The climbs were much steeper but were brief. I could feel myself warming up way too much though and start to sweat.

Walking through the forest as the sun came up.

As soon as I did we would begin another descent and I would cool down again. This went on for another hour until I couldn’t bear the occasional overheating any longer. Then opted to just take off the alpha and keep on the wind gear. It’s the perfect layer for climbing. But sometimes when it’s really cold out I’m slightly too cold on the descents. Though with a buff and a pair of gloves added in I was able to stay comfortable.

For the most part the trail was really nice and easy today.

On our way down to Hot Springs we passed a couple trail runners out for the morning. Other than the slight chill in the air it was shaping up to be a beautiful day. By 10am we were getting close to Hot Springs already. I hadn’t gotten service yet for the day though so wasn’t able to reach out to Mossy at the Mushroom Cottage. Luckily Punisher had service and when he caught up to me later in the morning he was able to reach out.

Entering Hot Springs!

Then when we got into town we headed right over to the cottage. Mossy was there doing some work on the property. At the moment the Mushroom Cottage is available on Airbnb as a studio type rental. But in the weeks to come, Mossy is finalizing permits to do a whole lot more. He’s hoping to have the place up and running as more of a hiker hostel by the time the bubble comes through toward the end of March. In time he hopes to have more buildings available for rent, and has a large space where hikers will be able to pitch tents. I’ll also be posting more about his place in the week to come, because ALDHA is going to be helping him. It seems like ALDHA will be matching donations to his go fund me, to help get this project moving quicker.

The trail slowly but surely drops you right into town.

Hot Springs is a critical part of the Appalachian trail and needs hikers now more than ever! And since Laughing Heart will not be open to hikers this season, there isn’t another hostel yet in town willing to fill that gap. Mossy hopes to do just that. So that hikers have a place to camp, shower, charge electronics, and do laundry in Hot Springs. Hopefully this will encourage more hikers to stay in Hot Springs and utilize its stores and local businesses.

One last hill to descend before hitting the road.

The place he has available right now would be perfect for a whole tramily to stay. There is a queen bedroom with loads of space for extra hikers to set up sleeping pads. Along with a pull out couch in the living room with even more space for additional hikers to squeeze in. There is laundry, a full kitchen, and a large bathroom. For just the two of us the accommodations are incredibly spacious. It would be easy to get 5 hikers to sleep in the unit with loads of space and comfort. And even more hikers could fit in the one unit if they didn’t mind setting up their pads throughout the space.

The spacious living room at the Mushroom Cottage.

It seems like he is moving quickly to build additional accommodations as well. So I’m excited to see how this place will evolve in the weeks to come! This is shaping up to be the next big hostel in Hot Springs. And Mossy couldn’t be a better guy for the job. He hiked the trail in 2015 and loves the community. It seems like he wants to help hikers this year anyway he can. So if you’re planning on stopping into Hot Springs definitely reach out to him! The listing is available on Airbnb and you could probably just send a message to get in touch with him about tenting and other accommodations as well. By the middle end of March he should be set with adding further accommodations for hikers, in addition to the large Airbnb style unit that is currently available.

Once we got into the space Mossy showed us around. Then drove us into town to do a resupply. Because there is a full kitchen we were able to get groceries at Hillbilly Market to set ourselves up for the whole day. I got a big jug of chocolate milk, some other beverages, bread, cheese, chips, and a bunch of other stuff to cook and eat over the course of the day. We only had to do 12 miles today so it felt like a zero day! Especially getting into town so early.

The living room and kitchen area at the Mushroom Cottage.

After we got back I got my electronics charging. Then showered and got laundry together to wash. I bought  chicken sandwich at the store and ate that right away and drank a Dr Pepper. Then just watched TV as I did some writing and video work to get caught up.

The rest of the day I just did a whole lot of the same. I got a ton of work done and sent out some emails. And periodically did my best to eat at much as possible. I got a tub of pimento cheese and made us grilled cheese sandwiches with it. Which was so good! Then got to work on my chocolate milk.

The large queen room, which could easily fit a few people on the floor on air pads.

We were also able to use the side porch to dry our gear. My tent was soaked from the frost. And my quilt had gotten a little bit damp from touching the wall of the tent last night due to all of the wind. The porch also overlooks a river, and the views were beautiful. I sat out there to make some phone calls and get some voice recording work done. Then headed back into the warmth to relax some more.

We wound up just watching movies all day and hanging out. I ate even more food even when I wasn’t hungry. Punisher made eggs and toast later on in the day. And I was forcing myself to eat whenever I could. When I showered today I noticed just how skinny I already look. We’re over 1,600 miles in at this point. Which is past the halfway mark of any of the triple crown trails. It’s usually around that time on trail that I start to notice myself really thinning out. And it’s also around that time that I typically start to build the appetite to put some of that weight back on. Usually I can maintain that balance well. Days like today it’s important to put in work when it comes to loading up on food. I think I’ve been doing a good job recently. I’m glad we’ve done some shorter days which primarily have centered around eating a lot of food.

Having in unit laundry is a huge plus when it comes to a place to stay!

In the early evening Mossy came by and talked to us. Then showed us around the property and pointed out what and where he plans to build more on the lot. He’s putting in plumbing for an outdoor shower, which will be amazing for hikers passing through! And is going to be putting up some “shelter style” buildings on the hill next to the Airbnb. There is also a massive plot of grass where hikers will be able to tent, but still have access to showers, laundry, and electric hook up. It seems like this place is going to be perfect for hikers by the time the bubble is coming through!

It got cold out quickly so after a while we all called it a night. Mossy headed into his unit, which is above the Airbnb. Then we headed inside to continue watching TV and eating. Punisher got meat to make burgers. Which we loaded with bacon and more pimento cheese. Then I chugged more milk and some body armor. And even after I was stuffed I still went in on a delicious homemade piece of cake from Hillbilly’s. They have great fresh baked goods, deli style food items, and hot food at that store as well. I was able to get everything I needed and then some for a zero.

Plus more and more businesses are in the process of reopening in town. The local diner is open everyday except for Sunday’s. And another restaurant in town is open most days of the week as well. Between Hillbilly’s and the dollar general, hiker will be able to get everything they need to resupply in Hot Springs.

Per usual, we stayed up way too late just hanging out! I did a bit more writing and video work. Then eventually heeded into the room to go to sleep. We’re hoping to do about a marathon tomorrow. So we don’t need to start super early necessarily. And I can’t imagine that we would after staying in town!

If you want to support Mossy and the Mushroom Cottage, I’m going to link his go fund me below! He is currently operating an Airbnb but is in the process of adding an outdoor shower, buildings for hikers, an area for tenting, and eventually a bunk house too. ALHA is going to match donations to his go fund me because Hot Springs is in desperate need of a hostel for hikers in town. 
https://www.gofundme.com/f/at-2025-hot-springs-needs-hiker-accommodations

If you enjoyed this blog and would like to support my hike by buying me a soda or a snack along the way, there is a “Tip the Author” button below! It links directly to my Venmo. Any and all support is incredibly appreciated!