Tog

[Greenlight]

Anyone got the inside scoop why Top of Georgia hostel is closing tomorrow for the rest of 2019? They seemed to be doing good business when I was there the end of March.


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[TNhiker]

not inside scoop......

but here's what their FB page is saying--

"Hi everyone ! Sorry - but "the truths" of the the trail are so far from what I realized that I am astounded. I have gone back and forth on deciding whether or not to close the hostel (those in the know understand that I have a stalker and have even been reported as "dead" online recently). HERE'S THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT - LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE ZOMBIES MOUTH ...TOG is closed from 5/1/19 until we RE-OPEN ON 1/1/20. I will take that time for a break after 5 years / do some property fixes / and re-assess whether the trail still wants and needs an "old-school" hostel that seeks to educate. At this point - it seems apparently not. We shall see. Have a great rest of the year ! You can still call for a shuttle in the meanwhile. Bob"

[Gambit McCrae]

Well ol crazy bob finally reared his coocoo head. I have been saying for years that he is a nut and this is partially proof of that. I do not understand what he means by old school hostel, and I do not know why he thinks people need his advice on walking. Pretty sure neel gap has it covered when it comes to coaching new hikers on what to mail home.

I stayed at TOG one weekend in January several years ago and got in at about 10pm. I called ahead to reserve a spot for myself and my friend, both of whom had dogs. 1 of my good trail friends had takin up working there for the season and I knew that he had finished the god bunk room THAT day. When I spoke with bob he insisted we could not stay at TOG because our 2 dogs exceeded the dog limit he allowed. HE COUNTED HIS OWN DOG, AND CARETAKERS DOG AS 2 OF THE 3 ALLOWED. So we were forced to tent, when a perfectly good, and warm dog bunk room was available with no one in it but my friend the caretaker. When we arrived we had to sign a waiver...and pay the same for a tenting spot that the bunk house cost. He walked out in the frozen grass hill in his night robe and with his finger sketched out exactly where we were to put our tents.


Next day we packed our stuff and headed into Helen lol What a nut

[stephanD]

Stayed there three nights (slack packing day and a zero day) in 2017 on a section hike and enjoyed my stay very much. hostel was very clean, well run and well managed and bob provided shuttles twice a day to town. Saying that, I do find this FB post a bit strange. First, if he has a stalker, this is a law enforcement issue, got nothing to do with the trail and hikers. Second, what most hikers want is a place to rest, a warm shower, laundry and a cooked meal. Isn't that what a "old-school" hostel is?

[Maineiac64]

I do recall someone really going after Bob about his hiking claims, trying to discredit him. He ran a sort of class each morning while hikers were eating breakfast. It was mostly stuff they should have figured out already. I am sure it is a tough business and many hikers just head into hiawassee to the hotels and restaurants.

I recall leaving dicks creek and seeing the empty tog shuttle drive past a hiker walking towards the hostel. I stopped and gave them a ride.

[capehiker]

Someone on Reddit did a really good job of compiling the false narrative Bob created about his hikes. It was so good that, once busted. Bob had the ATC change his 2,000 miler claim from section hiker (which stood on the website for a decade) to thru hiker. And let us not forget the outrageous claims Bob made after the fires in GA in order to bilk money from unsuspecting people.

I personally witnessed him telling a widow of a thru hiker that it was illegal to give trail magic at Dicks Creek Gap. This of course, was cutting into Bob’s profit margin.

There’s no lost sleep over TOG closing for the season and the assumption he was running an “old school” hostel is laughable at best. He obviously didn’t stay at any hostels on his alleged thru hike.

[Spotter]

I think he may have lost his marbles.
Earlier he deleted that whole post rambling about the closing. Then he made a post that simply said "Give it up Bob." Two hours later he deleted that post too. Now his entire TOG Facebook page looks to have been deleted.

[MuddyWaters]

I think he may have lost his marbles.
Earlier he deleted that whole post rambling about the closing. Then he made a post that simply said "Give it up Bob." Two hours later he deleted that post too. Now his entire TOG Facebook page looks to have been deleted.

There was some unusual post activity by sir-packs-a-lot on whiteblaze years ago.....

I couldnt care less about any claims he has made. He provides a hostel. It has benefitted many apparently.

[stephanD]

What ever he's going through, i hope he will get through it. He has a great hostel, my understanding, built from scratch. If it closes, it will be a great loss to the hiker community.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Well, from his profile page, his last vist here to WB was this morning, so he's obviously keeping up with whatever's being said about him.