Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel

[Tin Man]

Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel in Erwin, TN makes the news. Click here.

[prozac]

Here we go again!

[SGT Rock]

I thought he might have closed or something since his place isn't listed in the companion. What gives?

Also, I thought that the rafting outfitters had a hostel in town too. I only see Ms Janet listed as a hostel though.

[jlb2012]

Rock - some of the more negative things that Johnny has done resulted in him being delisted from the Companion

[DavidNH]

Well, I must have missed some thread somewhere.

I stayed at this hostel on my 2006 hike and found it fine..complete with three free shuttles a day into town to eat. Small gear store for those needed extras. located Right on the AT. Accomadations where very basic but then at 13 or so for the bunk room what can ya expect?

So what did he do that got him de-listed? I am honestly unaware and just curious.

David

[Groucho]

Well, I must have missed some thread somewhere.

I stayed at this hostel on my 2006 hike and found it fine..complete with three free shuttles a day into town to eat. Small gear store for those needed extras. located Right on the AT. Accomadations where very basic but then at 13 or so for the bunk room what can ya expect?

So what did he do that got him de-listed? I am honestly unaware and just curious.

David

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...t=uncle+johnny

Search Uncle Johnny's for more.

[superman]

On our recent trip to Springer we stopped at many AT places, towns, road crossings on our way home to NH. We happened to have an old Companion and a new Companion and were wondering why a hostel so close to the AT would get dropped from the new one. There has got to be a juicy story about Uncle Johnnies transgressions?

[Gray Blazer]

Is this gonna become let's beat up the old white guy? Can anyone say nappy headed --? Will I be banned from WB for typing that? Doesn't HYOH stand for have your own --?

[superman]

I posted too soon.
Wow, to say that I am the 10% that doesn't get the word is like saying the Titanic stopped in the mid-Antlantic to dis-embark passengers and to take on ice.

[bull]

We met Uncle Johnny several weeks ago. My experience was positive. I needed a shuttle back to Indian Grave Gap to get my car keys from friends truck after realizing a couple miles from Chestoa I did not have them in my pocket. Uncle Johnny talked and joked with the 3 of us like old friends. He helped me out. Later, I stopped back in and bought the 2007 edition of the Companion. Noticed he was not listed. Did a search on here and read about the problems. I can recommend this place of business from my experience.
Mike

[astrogirl]

I've stayed at and been shuttled by Uncle Johnny's twice. I left a car there with no problem. I liked the facilities, the shuttler, all of it.

I've always found the place to be friendly and clean (including Johnny himself), though I have heard of problems there.

[Jester2000]

Doesn't HYOH stand for have your own --?

Halibut?

While I would disagree with the article's statement that "all" who stay there recommend it, it would be difficult to say the opposite as well. He's a businessman who, in my opinion, has made some good decisions and some terrible ones. That's about it.

Although I find it kind of amusing that the article seems to suggest that Uncle J points folks towards Miss Janet's when his place is full.

As for the companion, it may affect planning for some hikers, but since you literally cannot be on the trail and not pass his place, I doubt his not being listed affects his business overly.

[docllamacoy]

That article was just WAY too positive. Hmmm. Anybody have a counter-article?

[Rain Man]

My wife and I stopped in to see "Uncle Johnny's" last Saturday afternoon as we finished our section hike from Spivey Gap. I must say I was impressed with the re-supply selection. Uncle Johnny has stoves, sleeping bags, etc, etc, etc. That's good to know, as I don't know where else in Erwin to get hiking equipment if you were in need.

There were four thru-hikers in the hostel bunks, watching TV. Uncle Johnny was chatty and friendly. Though I've certainly heard of incidents of his being quite nasty to folks, we had no problem and saw no problem there.

RainMan

.

[ShakeyLeggs]

My wife and I stopped in to see "Uncle Johnny's" last Saturday afternoon as we finished our section hike from Spivey Gap. I must say I was impressed with the re-supply selection. Uncle Johnny has stoves, sleeping bags, etc, etc, etc. That's good to know, as I don't know where else in Erwin to get hiking equipment if you were in need.
RainMan

.

If in the event you or anyone forgos staying Uncle J's and decide to stay with Miss Janet she will shuttle you to Johnson City where there is a full fledged outfitter.

I personally will not stay at Uncle J's I came thru there back in 01 and was privy to much of what was going on back then. If he has cleaned up his act great if not oh well. From what I saw from the road it looked like a nice place but my experience left a bad taste in my mouth so I will never partake of his services. YMMV

[eventidecu]

That article was just WAY too positive. Hmmm. Anybody have a counter-article?

I don't think one exist. All you ever hear is negative "I heard" and "they said" stuff, not actual "facts" or situations by "first person" accounts. I don't know UJ nor ever have I stayed there but there seems to be nothing but "they say" crap. Most IMO coming from some of the AT "celebrity's" who seem to be "talking up" "their" friends who own competition business in the area.
I've heard UJ get's pissy when you stay with him and then use other competitors services in Lu of his. I would be pissed too if the competitor was "snaking" my customers and or undercutting me intentionally to hurt my business. I think his "rudeness" there is more directed at having the competition screwing around with him than at the hiker. Unless the hiker is trying to play him to get "a deal". Hikers up to that point I think have gotten "used" to a lot of "trail magic" free bee's or deals. I can understand him being "pissy" to someone who comes in wanting something for nothing. Of which probably 99 percent of whom will never been seen or heard from again.
Also I think that it's recognized that the businesses along the AT are VERY hostile and negative toward each other over business. And VERY possessive about customers.

I don't claim to know enough to pass judgment either way about UJ but from what I have read and researched he get's more positive first person feed back then negative. And I would lean toward the opinion that he probably hasn't been given a "fair" shake from some of the "trail celebrity's" that a lot of people seek out for "knowledge". ( guilt by association, or lack thereof ) And I would guess UJ probably doesn't care if your one of these "trail celebrity's" pimping off their status so they will talk up his business. He runs a business, maybe well or not very well but I'd bet he could repudiate most of the negative comments about him if he were present at the time it was made. There's ALWAYS two sides to any complaint. And speaking with experience of over 10 years in law enforcement and over 10 years in retail I can tell you that consumer complainants are 95 % of the time upset over nothing and try to "manufacture" an issue to hurt the businesses reputation and or just flat out wrong.
If someone disagree's and has something negetive to say about UJ please tell "your" account with him and if otherwise tell who and when and what. Not just "he treats people bad" stuff. I for one would like to know whats going on and might change my opinon if were told specifics but until then I'm going to give him the benifit of the doubt and so should you.

[eventidecu]

If in the event you or anyone forgos staying Uncle J's and decide to stay with Miss Janet she will shuttle you to Johnson City where there is a full fledged outfitter.

I personally will not stay at Uncle J's I came thru there back in 01 and was privy to much of what was going on back then. If he has cleaned up his act great if not oh well. From what I saw from the road it looked like a nice place but my experience left a bad taste in my mouth so I will never partake of his services. YMMV

I don't want to start "defending" UJ but you say "from what I saw from the road" and then in the same sentance "but my experience left a bad taste in my mouth". What "experience" did you have concerning UJ from the road other than "it looked like a nice place"? See it's always the same verbage with no specifics. "I was privy to much of what was going on back then" What first hand knowledge were you "privy" to? What other people were saying, right?

[eventidecu]

And again the first thing said was pitching Mrs. Janet buisness then knocking UJ without any specifics. If you want to pitch Mrs. J then great she's cool but don't do it by knocking someone else without details. Just pitch Mrs. J.

[ShakeyLeggs]

I don't want to start "defending" UJ but you say "from what I saw from the road" and then in the same sentance "but my experience left a bad taste in my mouth". What "experience" did you have concerning UJ from the road other than "it looked like a nice place"? See it's always the same verbage with no specifics. "I was privy to much of what was going on back then" What first hand knowledge were you "privy" to? What other people were saying, right?

I was with Miss J in her van outside Uncle J's and witnessed one of his rants plus the legal issues that Miss Janet had to go thru because of his lies. Nuff said for me. If you want more anecdotal information please peruse this thread;
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ht=uncle+jonny
I did not go very far into the thread so there is prolly more there but just take a look at;

While I realize this thread has been running for awhile, I just came upon it and I must comment from my own personal experience May 29th at approximately 11-11:30 am. Here's the scenario:

I came out of the woods after 5 days from Hot Springs, where I had left the trail for Trail Days followed by my father-in-laws death in Pittsburgh. I was in need of a phone to call my husband and find out how things were after I left there, the funeral, etc. It had been a trying 5 days hiking alone, not many thru-hikers around me. I see U.J. place, I see a soda machine, I see a phone on a deck. I want to sample all of these. I also wanted to meet the man and make up my own mind, despite what I had been hearing last winter on the 'net. He came over immediately and introduced himself, and my first reaction was "car salesman, why is he trying to sell me on staying here?" I can smell a hard sell a mile away. And that's usually as far as I walk to leave one behind. Without going into the banter of back and forth, the name Miss Janet was brought up immediately, I told him I really didn't know what I was doing, where I was staying, or even IF I was staying in town. I had a mail drop and that was as much as I knew. All this is true, I really hadn't made up my mind how much of Erwin I was going to avail myself of. He approached me 3 times and when I wouldn't commit to "yes, I'll stay here and give you my first born" (sarcasm, sorry, can't help it) he YELLED at me, pointing a finger "if you want to support her illegal hostel, then get the hell off my porch".

I did. Crying. On the bridge, where a fellow thru-hiker found me. I did absolutely 100% nothing wrong, I hadn't called Miss Janet from "his" phone, nor was I going to. I'm not STUPID. I wanted a cold drink, a place to sit and a phone to call home. My indecision ratcheted up his mood, I could see him getting madder and madder. I threw my hands in the air and said "all I'm doing is hiking the Trail" NO ONE should ever be treated like this, for no ****ing reason. I'm getting pissed just thinking about it again. This was hands down, the WORST treatment I received on the Trail. This isn't hearsay, it happened to me. And by chance, Chris, you weren't the Chris there that day, Tom in the Woods spoke to you on the bridge and introduced me to you as you were trying out one of U.J.'s lightweight packs?? If so, surely you heard all of this. No one else on that porch came to my defense or even acted like this behavior was out of the ordinary. It was deplorable. I walked across the bridge and prepared myself to walk the 4 miles to town. Luckily 3 river guides pulled up and drove me in where I was welcomed with open arms, no questions asked. I never told her the story, but she heard about it and APOLOGIZED to me for his actions.

That's it, I'm done. You can read about it in my journal as well. He wasn't drunk, but if he's truly a generous person, then he's got one helluva split personality.

Bluebearee

[SGT Rock]

Rock - some of the more negative things that Johnny has done resulted in him being delisted from the Companion

Got it. I just wonder if this is something that will pass and be let go. People should be able to overcome problems if there is an effort made. I also think businesses for hikers should be listed. Just my opinion...

Now what about that whitewater rafting place. I could have sworn I saw a bunkhouse or hostel or something there too.