View Full Version : Yellow Deli Hiker Hostel
hikeforever
05-22-2020, 09:13
What do folks know about the Yellow Deli Hiker Hostel in Rutland, VT? Is it a good place to stay? Friendly hosts? Tasty food? Any reasons why I shouldn't stay there once they open up again? It'd be great to hear people's thoughts.
Greenlight
05-22-2020, 09:16
Other than the fact it’s run by a cult, no problems. I hear the food is amazing. Google “Twelve Tribes.”
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I've interacted with them in four different years, and always been very comfortable with their treatment of people, the cleanliness of the hostel and deli, and the loving spirit they exude. They are definitely not a party spot, but are conveniently located about a block from a large Walmart, next door to the bus station, and with most other town services within a few blocks. One thing to consider is taking the bus out of town to go further north on the AT, and hiking back south. You can do some great slackpacking from this hostel. Getting rides back into Rutland from the trail was very easy.
nevermind my response does not matter
not sure if this is a troll thread or what........post number one asking about a cult.....
but yeah, google 12 tribes and you'll see what they are all about....
Captain Panda
05-22-2020, 11:29
Stayed there in 2016! As was mentioned; clean, good food, decent people. Be aware that they close the restaurant at 3:00 PM on Friday to get ready for the Sabbath dinner; and hikers are invited to share the meal. I believe that they charge for the hostel by donation; and you can get in after 3:00 PM on Friday.
GoldenBear
05-22-2020, 11:40
https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/16090-Rutland-Hostel?p=1503144&highlight=#post1503144
mkoltonuk
05-22-2020, 20:01
Been their twice over the past 2 years. Excellent facility, staff, resupply and restaurant options. "Talks Too Much" great shuttle provider. Call the hostel for the phone #.
Oh, and their food is fantastic. Also free hiker breakfast in the morning that's excellent.
Starchild
05-22-2020, 21:05
I've stayed there and visited one of their other locations in NY. The Hostel itself is excellent, it is as far as I've seen 'by mandatory donation', though it was only $10 so no biggie. They asked me if I was willing to do a work for stay to help them paint. Given that I got in from a long hike and still needed to resupply and it was only $10, I decided that the $10 was the better option then my time - they agreed.
As for their cult like status, the hard division of genders roles within their organization was a bit uncomfortable to see, also the hostel is also divided by gender, though others are also (NOC comes to mind). Besides that it's more like they are willing to talk only if you are about beliefs but they don't push it, but as I observed try to impress by their actions, and not try to convert.
Been their twice over the past 2 years. Excellent facility, staff, resupply and restaurant options. "Talks Too Much" great shuttle provider. Call the hostel for the phone #.
Oh, and their food is fantastic. Also free hiker breakfast in the morning that's excellent.
Trail Angel....Plans Too Much !!
Their phone: (802) 683-9378
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hobo a hikin
05-23-2020, 12:28
You will be welcomed and treated with dignity and respect. The hostel and deli is owned and operated by a community known as "The Twelve Tribes" They are a a part of a global community who have dedicated their lives to following what they understand about the life of Jesus, or as they refer to Yahshua, the Hebrew name of Jesus.
The hostel and the delis are some of the many ways in which the Twelve Tribes devotees evangelize, hoping to attract people into the life in community and become disciples of Yashuah. You will not be told this upon your initial visit, if at all, and they will not be pushy or approach you with any religious or doctrinal dogma. To the contrary, I would say that you will be given the opportunity to completely enjoy the hospitality and good decent people you will meet.
Puddlefish
05-24-2020, 08:19
You'll be safe and treated well in the hostel. Should you join the cult itself, expect all the bad things you've ever heard about the cult. There are haves and have nots, predators and prey. It's what cults do.
So, strictly from a hiking viewpoint, perfectly safe to stay if you aren't prone towards getting suckered into cults. Everyone has to decide this for themself.
Funkmeister
03-07-2022, 17:06
I stayed there in October of 2021, and I thought it was great. I gave them $20 for the donation and thought it worth every penny. Laundry down the hall from the sleeping room. Hot, blessed shower. Common room to hang out in, though I did not.
The restaurant on the first floor was awesome. I ate lunch, then late night snack of coffee and cheesecake, and then breakfast the next morning. Pleasantly surprised, and I'm not one easily impressed by food.
I also liked the location. Not far from the Wal Mart where I resupplied. Liquor store a few blocks away. The bus station was behind the Yellow Deli building. I had dinner at a Japanese restaurant a few blocks away, and stopped at a quaint tavern a moment's walk from the deli. I couldn't resist the 'Pabst pitchers-$3' sign in the window.
I spoke with one of the staff during my coffee and cheesecake; he seemed interesting. No overtures-- subtle or blatant --regarding religion, though plenty of booklets were available to learn more about their organization. I never saw a female staff member anywhere.
My other option was a stay at The Long Trail Inn. I decided against it because I had to come into town to resupply anyway, and a burger bar was not what I was craving that night. Clinching the deal was my ride into town (I can't call it a hitch, because the guy pulled over before I even put my thumb out at the trailhead) left me off at the front door.
The exterior is, well, yellow. Here's a photo of the men's bunk room. Me waiting for my reuben in the deli. The welcome sign. The rest room. And my cheesecake and coffee.
I would recommend this place to anyone.491404914149142491434914449145
Teacher & Snacktime
03-07-2022, 17:36
Prior to Covid, I would spend a week each summer shlepping hikers around Vermont for the fun of it. My morning pickup each day was the Yellow Deli, and they were gracious and kind and fed me breakfast along with the hikers staying there (I bunked down in my car each night at the lot across from the Inn at Long Trail.)
Every afternoon when I dropped a new batch there for the night I was "appreciated" with one of their out-of-this-world rootbeers. Always polite, always kind, always happy to be doing what they were doing....a lovely atmosphere and I always recommend it to folks.
4eyedbuzzard
03-07-2022, 17:55
https://www.denverpost.com/2022/03/07/yellow-deli-twelve-tribes-cult-exploitation/
gpburdelljr
03-07-2022, 18:54
https://www.denverpost.com/2022/03/07/yellow-deli-twelve-tribes-cult-exploitation/
They may be a cult, but based on the responses in this thread they do not push their beliefs on hikers staying at the hostel.
dmperkins74
03-07-2022, 22:17
Totally different area, but the StoneyBrook Market in Hillsboro VA (near Harpers Ferry) is apparently 12 Tribes and sometimes I believe hikers stay there. The folks who run the market have been nothing but wonderful for us locals who frequent the market and never push any sort of religious messaging. The folks who work there are always quite friendly and their sandwiches are flipping amazing!
Emerson Bigills
03-08-2022, 01:01
I spent two nights there in '17. They were friendly and reasonable hosts. Good hostel stay, but there was an "odd" vibe. I think it was clear that we were just interested in the hostel and nothing else, so we didn't get a hard cell on attending the presentations. Based on conversations with a couple hikers in Rutland and then in northern VA, I believe they prey on young hikers that are not confident with their stage in life. The females and children that worked at the hostel and were part of the 12 Tribes were very reserved, dressed alike and almost gave off a "trapped" feel. I never felt uncomfortable while I was there, but was glad when I got back on trail. It was just one of many "adventures" that made the trail an unforgettable experience.
gravityman
03-08-2022, 20:24
Yes, they are a cult. They don't push too hard to recruit, but their members are exploited. I won't frequent a 12 tribe business.
Lone Wolf
03-08-2022, 20:54
Yes, they are a cult. They don't push too hard to recruit, but their members are exploited. I won't frequent a 12 tribe business.
Island Pond, Vt.
Traffic Jam
03-09-2022, 08:32
Yes, they are a cult. They don't push too hard to recruit, but their members are exploited.
And they beat their children. I don’t care how tasty their food…no thanks!
One Half
03-09-2022, 14:36
Yes, they are a cult. They don't push too hard to recruit, but their members are exploited. I won't frequent a 12 tribe business.I hope you also refuse to support any business (including actors) who are scientologists. They are at least as bad (as a group/institution/cult) as Twelve Tribes.
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The 12 Tribes are being suggested as the people who ignited the Marshall fire(s) here n Colorado. It is like a gossip campaign. I have never been their guest, but I have carefully read many of your accounts of being their guests. Most of the reports have been respectful, even in awe, of the group and their services. If any of you are so moved, this may be a good time to speak up (or even down) for them. DENVER POST, ESTES PARK NEWS, etc. The origen of the fires has not yet been officially determined.
The 12 Tribes are being suggested as the people who ignited the Marshall fire(s) here n Colorado. It is like a gossip campaign. I have never been their guest, but I have carefully read many of your accounts of being their guests. Most of the reports have been respectful, even in awe, of the group and their services. If any of you are so moved, this may be a good time to speak up (or even down) for them. DENVER POST, ESTES PARK NEWS, etc. The origen of the fires has not yet been officially determined.
If the authorities are still investigating this, why should someone with no knowledge of the facts say anything about it?
Well. to tell the truth, I was only remarking that I found it "remarkable" that these people were quickly listed as the possible derelicts who carelessly ignited the grass that eventually became the inferno that destroyed so many homes. At this time coal fires burning beneath the ground on which those homes stood are also suggested. IOW, there remains no conclusion to date about its origen, but the usual obvious answer to many is Others. That may be the final result found by those trained in fire investigating. Why it became so hugely destructive is not questioned. Dry, red warning day with hurricane force winds which, fortunately for most surrounding communities, did not shift.
gpburdelljr
03-10-2022, 13:03
News article on Marshall fire, which is still under investigation. Possible causes listed are coal mine fires, power lines, and human activity.
https://kdvr.com/news/local/marshall-fire-investigation-cause-coal-mines-power-lines/
Fallesafe
03-11-2022, 20:30
What do folks know about the Yellow Deli Hiker Hostel in Rutland, VT? Is it a good place to stay? Friendly hosts? Tasty food? Any reasons why I shouldn't stay there once they open up again? It'd be great to hear people's thoughts.
I stayed there on my thru hike last year. They were absolutely chill and cool people. The food in their deli was not only the best I had on trail, but some of the best I've had in years (esp the butternut squash soup). It IS a cult. And the people all seem a little exhausted and dissociated. But everyone was extremely friendly nonetheless... Walmart is right across the street. Free washer/dryer on premises. Bus station is right around the corner that makes a stop to/from trail (although not as early in the morning as you might like). Optional donation for your stay.
There was a shuttle driver in Rutland named Flippake (look her up on guthook). I can totally vouch for her if you're interested in slackpacking. All the other shuttle drivers I contacted in that area were extremely unpleasant and/or unreliable.
Starchild
03-12-2022, 11:29
... If any of you are so moved, this may be a good time to speak up (or even down) for them. ...
I respect and am curious about anyones deeply held beliefs about God and enjoy talking to such people. I feel it has the possibility to further understand things, and help them also in the process during the exchange. This does not mean I agree with everything they do, but that's true for any group. And just because a group has members and even allows for what we would find offensive or immoral does not mean the person I am talking with agrees and I don't paint them all with the same brush.
I stayed at Rutland for 1 night during my thru and enjoyed my time there. I was a bit disappointed with their curfew as I was enjoying myself at a nearby bar, and I felt like a child having to go home at a certain time while everyone else gets to stay out late and play. But let's face it, AT thru hikers have many such things along the trail, such as arriving at a random hostel and being told before going in to go into the side room, talk off all trail cloths to be washed and put on the clothes we provide for the stay. And I more chalk that up to the trail reminding us that she is the teacher and we are the student.
I also visited another YD which is fairly close to where I live maybe 4 or 5 times. The do make a great lunch and seem to have that extra something that makes food tastes amazing (sometimes), and the YD (or religion for that matter) is not the only place I have experienced that. That 'something' I personally believe is love, which for me and my belief goes way beyond emotion, but is God and can do this. Again they are not perfect, and have flaws, but that does not prevent God from being able to dwell in them (and many many others).
With the above said I feel the best thing I can do is to visit them when I feel the need, as Love was never meant to be disconnected and isolated in a rule imposed society, but shared and allowed to grow and free people from those isolating communities.
With that said I also have noticed what i would call typical cult like 'brainwashing' which prevents them from seeing/realizing somethings, but allow them to ignore certain things to be able to accept what they do.
Traffic Jam
03-12-2022, 12:04
Child abuse in the Twelve Tribes is widely documented. Their doctrine says that “child training” should begin at 6 months of age and “should be painful”. Their teachings even have guidelines for the size and thickness of the implements that should be used which includes 2X4’s.
I don’t care what people believe but those who abuse children should be held accountable and are not worthy of my financial support.
Lone Wolf
03-12-2022, 12:20
Child abuse in the Twelve Tribes is widely documented. Their doctrine says that “child training” should begin at 6 months of age and “should be painful”. Their teachings even have guidelines for the size and thickness of the implements that should be used which includes 2X4’s.
I don’t care what people believe but those who abuse children should be held accountable and are not worthy of my financial support.
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/23/us/children-of-sect-seized-in-vermont.html
Wolf - 23000
03-13-2022, 00:53
The 12 Tribes are being suggested as the people who ignited the Marshall fire(s) here n Colorado. It is like a gossip campaign. I have never been their guest, but I have carefully read many of your accounts of being their guests. Most of the reports have been respectful, even in awe, of the group and their services. If any of you are so moved, this may be a good time to speak up (or even down) for them. DENVER POST, ESTES PARK NEWS, etc. The origen of the fires has not yet been officially determined.
I for one had a run in with the twelve tribes when a former friend of 12 years got involved with them. Their members have to give up all their possessions include the present I gave to my friend. The tribe was friendly to me when I visit but told my friend to break it off with me when I left. Our friendship has always been plutonic, but we were close friends. For years she told me, she was caught in the middle because the tribe did not believe a man and woman should be as close friends unless they were married. Man have their role and woman has her role to obey, - their believe. Some of the things that did was strange, such as the tribe using their own mail server to assign email accounts to their members. I have an IT background. When the tribe controls the mail server their members are using, they can regulate what emails their members see and what emails they don't. It is a way they can isolate their members from their friends and possible family members.
The tribe had also their run in with the law including been fined several times for child labor laws among other things. There have also been several shady things that go on. For those that don't know, the tribe pulls tens of millions of dollars if not billions in revenue annually. I'm wondering where all that money goes? They don't pay any labor cost and their followers live very inexpensive with almost no possessions. hmmm.
Yellow Deli Boulder owner Twelve Tribes exploits cult followers for free labor, ex-members say (denverpost.com) (https://www.denverpost.com/2022/03/07/yellow-deli-twelve-tribes-cult-exploitation/)
Re-supplied at the WM, had a good slice of pizza, rode the $2 bus and walked right on by...
Last thing I wanted in my mind at that point of the thru was to analyze how others live their lives. I suppose it's an individual choice if one chooses to expand their point of view and visit another groups commune. Personally, I was more concerned about the trail ahead over evaluating how a group conducts themselves according to the "social construct".
Simply stated: To each their own...I'm hiking. The over-used phrases of HYOH and YMMV do apply in this context. Cheers!!
greenpete
03-23-2022, 12:47
They were absolutely chill and cool people.
I ran into a bunch of Twelve Tribers at Mount Adams in the Whites several years ago. Yes, Shemet and his daughter Mehenomet were very "chill and cool." So was the guy who whisked over and handed me a pamphlet. (These Tribers weren't from Yellow Deli, but a bakery in Plymouth, Mass.)
Religious pamphlets on the trail, and cults in general, aren't my thing. Neither is child abuse, which is fairly well-documented by ex-members, according to articles I've read. The Yellow Deli will get a cold shoulder from me when I hike through Vermont this summer. So will any hikers who knowingly "hike their own hike" by giving their business to a cult that promotes abuse of children.
He has all of the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire - Winston Churchill