Questions about Hostels in Maine

[ldsailor]

I'm planning this year's hike. Hopefully I will finish the trail with 315 miles to go. In planning, I try to find out about the places I may be staying off trail, so here are some questions. Any and all input is appreciated. By the way, I'm using the 2108 AT Guide for planning, so my info may be outdated.


Human-Nature Hostel, Roxbury, Maine seems like a good place to stop. They have two pickups - morning and afternoon. If I miss the afternoon or morning pickup depending an when I get there, is there another way to get to the hostel? Any comments about the hostel, which would be helpful to know?
Stratton Motel & Hostel, Stratton, Maine. Their guide info says they will pick up at the trailhead if available. Same question as above - if not available, is there another way to get to the hostel? Any comments about the hostel, which would be helpful to know?
White House Landing Camps, Millinocket, Maine. This is roughly 70 miles into the 100 mile wilderness. I'm looking to stop there mostly for resupply, whether they sell food there or I send in a package. I'm not sure how to get to the camp. The AT Guide really doesn't say anything about it. Is this the place where you have to ring a bell to get them to pick you up? Anyway, bottom line is how do I get there from the trail at mile 2145.2 NOBO?
Last, where is the best place to stay after summitting Katahdin? It looks like the best place to fly out of will be Bangor, so locale to transportation to Bangor is important.

Thank you for any help on these items and I welcome any wisdom you may wish to share on anything during this part of my hike.

[Slo-go'en]

If you miss the hostel/hotel shuttle you'll have to try to hitch hike.

White House Landing. They are located on the other side of a lake from the AT. There is a blue blaze trail to the lake, I think it's less then 1/2 mile. Used to be you blew a horn to get their attention, but now you call them on a 2 way radio and they send a boat to get you. I don't believe they do mail drops - it's a long drive on logging roads to the nearest town, so they don't get mail there. They can feed you dinner and breakfast and stock enough resupply items for you to get the last 30 miles to Baxter. Basically, you just need 2-3 days of food from there.

The Appalachian Trail Lodge in Millinocket will pick you up from the park, then drive you to the nearest bus stop in Midway, where you can go to Bangor or Portland for additional transportation options.

[TJ aka Teej]

Starting in September, around 4 almost every afternoon, the AT Lodge's shuttle stops by the ranger's cabin at Katahdin Stream. No fee if you stay with them that night. They'll take you out to the bus stop the next morning to catch the day's only bus heading south.

[egilbe]

Human Nature Hostel, if you miss the shuttle, you can try hitchhiking. I'd never heard of it before I talked to a couple hikers who were slackpacking a section of the Mahoosucs. I gave them a ride to the hostel and checked it out. Nice place. 420 friendly if you're into that. I'd stay there.

[bamadog]

You can send resupply boxes to White House Landing.My wife sent me one last year.They go to the post office like once a week so you need to send it early.I enjoyed my stay there !

[flemdawg1]

Lakeshore house and Shaw's both have resupply available at Jo-Mary Road in the 100MW. It's worth it.

[peakbagger]

Looking at the address, hitching to the Human Nature Hostel is going to be a challenge unless you get real lucky. It looks like new operation, I have not heard anything good or bad.

I hope that its over but in the past there was one aggressive hostel owner that would snipe hikers who intended to stay elsewhere in the Andover area.

[LazyLightning]

Lakeshore house and Shaw's both have resupply available at Jo-Mary Road in the 100MW. It's worth it.

I'd go with White House for the resupply cause as just mentioned they do accept mail drops.... Rather then paying way to much to have a resuply delivered to you in the 100 mile... White House is overnighters only but its a nice spot, they used to pick up people just for lunch/r esuply and bring them back but it was to much.

[Grampie]

Stratton Motel is a good stop. If they don't pick you up, it's not a bad walk from the trail. White House Landing is also good. If you send a mail drop you have to stay the night. After your hike the AT lodge in Millinocket is the place to stay.

[Heliotrope]

Looking at the address, hitching to the Human Nature Hostel is going to be a challenge unless you get real lucky. It looks like new operation, I have not heard anything good or bad.

I hope that its over but in the past there was one aggressive hostel owner that would snipe hikers who intended to stay elsewhere in the Andover area.

They make pick ups at south arm road and East B hill around 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Took
A zero there. Very laid back and clean.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ldsailor]

Looking at the address, hitching to the Human Nature Hostel is going to be a challenge unless you get real lucky. It looks like new operation, I have not heard anything good or bad.

I hope that its over but in the past there was one aggressive hostel owner that would snipe hikers who intended to stay elsewhere in the Andover area.
I did make it to Maine and the Human Nature Hostel. Nice place by the way. And I did hitchhike most of the way to the hostel. I exited the trail at Grafton Notch (Maine 26). Before I even stuck out my thumb, a guy in the parking lot asked if I needed a ride. He gave me a ride to the East B Hill trail head. That is one desolate road, but ten minutes later a truck came by and gave me a ride the rest of the way into Andover. I stopped at the General Store for Gatorade and a hamburger. An hour and a half after arriving, the hostel shuttle came by on a regular run into town and I hopped in for a ride to the hostel, which is quite a ways from town, so it all worked out great.

Unfortunately I never got to the other two hostels in Stratton and Millinocket. I strained my right hamstring and could barely lift that leg. I was warned that if I didn't rest the leg I could cause permanent damage, so after only 50 miles on the trail, I went home. My VA doc tells me to stay off the leg until almost September, so that is one profoundly disappointing situation. I've never done less that 500 miles in a year and last year did 595 miles.

Which brings me to a question. I plan to go back next year and stay at a hostel in town (Andover). I talked to the owner, and he said he could accommodate me with slack packing through most of what I have left in the Mahoosuc's range. (Human Nature Hostel didn't want to go to Grafton Notch.) Peakbagger made mention of an "aggressive hostel owner" in Andover. I know of only one hostel in Andover and that is the hostel whose owner gave me a ride to the bus in Gorham (Human Nature referred me to him). He had nothing but good to say about Human Nature. Can Peakbagger or anyone else name the "aggressive hostel owner?" PM me if you don't want to post it, please.

[peakbagger]

Note I said in the past, I dont keep year by year updates on hostels .

[ldsailor]

Note I said in the past, I dont keep year by year updates on hostels .

Okay I understand. You had mentioned it, so I thought I would ask. "Past" is kind of nebulous, so I thought maybe your experience was in the last year, which is when Human Nature Hostel opened, I believe. Thanks for the response.