View Full Version : Latest provisioning status in Andover ME?
Working from ancient trail guides. Looking for latest info on shuttle services and prospects for provisioning in Andover, ME?
illabelle
09-15-2015, 09:50
Pine Ellis 207-392-4161 is a hostel in Andover. They do shuttles. www.pineellis.com
We spent a couple nights there recently (late August). We had no need to resupply at that time, so can't comment on that, but they could help you out.
Different Socks
09-15-2015, 21:49
Good to know that Pine Ellis is still in business!
mattjv89
09-15-2015, 23:37
I was just through there on my thru hike so the details are pretty fresh. You can resupply at the general store or Mill's Market which are right next to each other in the center of town. Both are pretty similar though I noted that the general store had a few more dinner options. Typical small town resupply, a little pricey but won't break the bank and far less options than a grocery store but certainly enough to get you where you're going. Both stores also have restaurants inside with sandwiches, hot meals etc. Pine Ellis does have some items and I believe fuel, though I didn't get a look inside the cabinet.
You can get shuttled by Pine Ellis for $6 per direction from South Arm or B Hill. Hitching may take over an hour, took me 1.5 hours and three rides to get back to South Arm crossing but the last ride was a loaded logging truck which was a blast.
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Excellent info, matt -- exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Rain Man
09-16-2015, 09:10
I was there three times last week and week before on a section hike (Grafton Notch to Rangeley). I agree, the general store in "downtown" Andover has plenty of stock for re-supply, also a grill, homemade ice cream, and other goodies. Besides Pine Ellis, The Cabin does shuttles and host hikers by reservation. Fantastic folks there for well-behaved hikers. Honey and Bear are fantastic.
Rain Man
We got lucky in the hitch. It is a gravel road but a few cars come by every once in a while.
The store is okay, but can be expensive. I spend over $100 in that town [emoji13] resupply, diner food and mailing things at the post office. But it was a good stop.
Don't buy crackers there.
Hangfire
09-19-2015, 00:55
The Mills Market had some pretty good food, I had my first "red" hot dog and washed it down with a Moxie soda. The staff was interested to get my take on Moxie as I had never even heard of it before, it tasted like Jagermeister soda...kind of strange. Also the Red Hen across the street offered an excellent hikers breakfast. Geez, I just realized it was a year ago yesterday that I was Andover, where did this last year go...
Eat at the general store! Awesome burgers and between there and mills market there will be plenty of resupply. hitching is easy to either trailhead, friendly townsfolk who are all willing to help hikers out if they can! Enjoy andover I loved that town
just dad
09-20-2015, 18:04
We stayed at Pine Ellis in 2014. I was hoping it was out of business. The clothes dryer did not work and the owner did not care. We prearranged for a shuttle from the trail head to the hostel and they forgot to pick us up. I just rolled with them forgetting to pick us up, but it would have been nice to hear them say they were sorry. They never did. One only thing Pine Ellis was good at was taking my money. Some other hikers stayed at The Cabin and spoke very highly about it.
joshuasdad
09-20-2015, 19:16
I was there three times last week and week before on a section hike (Grafton Notch to Rangeley). I agree, the general store in "downtown" Andover has plenty of stock for re-supply, also a grill, homemade ice cream, and other goodies. Besides Pine Ellis, The Cabin does shuttles and host hikers by reservation. Fantastic folks there for well-behaved hikers. Honey and Bear are fantastic.
Rain Man
The Cabin x 4 nights made this section of the trail quite enjoyable for me. Trail was awesome in Summer 2014, other than a few parts that were a bit overgrown (I heard a rumor from Bear that a certain moderator here was responsible for that section). No need to resupply much, just eat breakfast and dinner at the Cabin, then do a light resupply to get you to Stratton/Sugarloaf.
carried a pizza and strawberry rhubarb pie from the red hen out of andover - yum yum