Day 125, Tuesday, 7/19 – I woke up at 4:00am, and it was still raining. It had clearly rained pretty hard throughout the night. I felt well rested, so I spent the next 2 hours lounging in the hammock. I find it very relaxing to be in the hammock when the rain is coming down hard on the tarp.
I eventually got motivated to pack up and hike. I was out before Genie, Splitzy, and Birthday. I didn’t mind starting early, I wanted to take it slow up Killington, which is the second highest peak in Vermont.
The weather was much more favorable today than it was yesterday. Temperatures were in the mid 60s, it was breezy, and less humid than yesterday. I hiked slow, and hit the peak with seemingly little effort.
Yesterday, Dreamer had told us about a restaurant at the peak of Killington. Killington is also a ski hill, so it has modern amenities. Once we all met near the top, we made the final push to the summit and planned on getting a bite to eat. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed today, and it was really foggy so we didn’t have a view either.
I hiked down from the peak with Birthday. We were going into Rutland today, and knew that there was an Irish pub near the road crossing. I was still hyped for restaurant food, so was excited for the Irish pub. I had a great chat with Birthday on the hike down. Our conversation covered a ton of ground. We talked about cults, religion, morality, wealth, billionaires, tax policy, economics, unions, monetary policy, and a few more topics.
We got to the parking lot and there was a bearded guy offering me a Gatorade. I recognized that this bearded man was Garfield! I hiked with Garfield in Virginia and hung out with him at the Station at 19E. That was over 1,000 miles ago, so was certainly an unexpected meeting.
Birthday and I then started hitching to the Irish pub a mile down the road. We got a ride from 3 people about our age. They seemed friendly enough. The minute I got in the car they hit me with some shock humor that I can’t repeat in good conscience. Hitch hiking can certainly make things interesting.
I got to the Irish Pub and got a coffee with Birthday. We were there for a half hour before Genie and Splitzy joined up. I ordered a shepherds pie and a French onion soup. I have been really hungry lately. Splitzy left a bit earlier than the rest of us and made it on time to take the bus into Rutland. Birthday, Genie, and I decided to hitch.
Outside of the pub, a sedan pulled over for us. It was two nice ladies in a car that was absolutely loaded with stuff. Genie sat with a car seat and his backpack in his lap so we could all cram in the back seat.
We got dropped off at the Yellow Deli Hiker Hostel where we’re all staying for the next two nights.
Where to begin with the Yellow Deli… There has been so much chatter about the Yellow Deli since the start of the trail. The Yellow Deli is owned and operated by the The Twelve Tribes. The Twelve Tribes also happen to have a hiker hostel above the deli. Basically, the word on trail is that it’s a religious cult that offers free lodging and attempts to recruit lost souls hiking along the trail. I’ve never stayed at a cult before, and with all the chatter on trail I had to see for myself what this place was all about. I attached a link below which does a good job detailing some of the chatter I’ve heard on trail about the Yellow Deli.
I got to the Yellow Deli with Birthday and Genie, and a member of the community gave us all a cup of tea and a rundown on the hostel. The guy walking us through the hostel was very welcoming. We took our showers, did our laundry, then headed down to the deli for dinner. I got a sandwich, a strawberry smoothie, and a piece of cream cheese pie. Cult or not, the Yellow Deli can make some delicious food.
Honestly, the only really bizarre experiences that I’ve had here are related to other hikers. The hostel itself is free, and they also provide free breakfast. I’ve noticed that the goofballs really seem to gravitate towards the free hostels.
So far, my personal experience at the Yellow Deli has been pleasant, but I suppose that’s to be expected by a place that may be trying to recruit. No one has been preachy, but there’s certainly a lot of religious literature scattered throughout the hostel. The workers are all nice, but the culture still feels a bit like a cult. Then again, that might be unfair because I did come here with a bias, and I’ve only been here for a night.
At night, my brother Martin called me with some news about my condo. Water was pouring through the ceiling in the dining room and part of the drywall ceiling had collapsed. It was likely caused by a clogged condensate drain pan from a furnace in a unit above mine. I’m not all that excited about dealing with this issue from trail.
Kevin's AT Thru Hike 
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